Government is a vast and complex system that citizens pay for, revolt against, rely on, ignore, and celebrate. It is also our shared resource for addressing society's biggest problems. It is made up of people, mostly unrecognized and uncelebrated, who do work of immense importance and benefit to all.

Michael Lewis invited his favorite writers to find and write about someone doing interesting government work in a special, in-depth series for The Washington Post. The stories they found are unexpected, captivating, and inspiring, including a former coal miner who dedicated himself to reducing the likelihood of mine roof collapses, saving thousands of lives; an IRS agent inspired by a crime thriller; and the administrator who made the National Cemetery Service the best institution, public or private, in the country. Each essay highlights the essential, behind-the-scenes work of exemplary federal employees. Whether they're digitizing archives, hunting down cybercriminals, or discovering new planets, these government employees are committed to their work and reluctant to take credit for themselves. Based on the Washington Post series, the vivid profiles in "Who Is the Government?" dispel the stereotype of the irrelevant bureaucrat. They show how essential government work enables our lives, and how important it is.