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The Fifth Risk

Undoing Democracy

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The Fifth Risk

By: Michael Lewis
Narrated by: Victor Bevine
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis, read by Victor Bevine.

The morning after Trump was elected president, the people who ran the US Department of Energy - an agency that deals with some of the most powerful risks facing humanity - waited to welcome the incoming administration's transition team. Nobody appeared. Across the US government, the same thing happened: nothing.

People don't notice when stuff goes right. That is the stuff government does. It manages everything that underpins our lives from funding free school meals, to policing rogue nuclear activity, to predicting extreme weather events. It steps in where private investment fears to tread, innovates and creates knowledge, assesses extreme long-term risk.

And now, government is under attack. By its own leaders.

In The Fifth Risk, Michael Lewis reveals the combustible cocktail of wilful ignorance and venality that is fuelling the destruction of a country's fabric. All of this, Lewis shows, exposes America and the world to the biggest risk of all. It is what you never learned that might have saved you.

Audio updated in December 2019 to include a bonus afterword that the author has added in light of the recent turbulent political landscape in America.

©2018 Michael Lewis (P)2018 Penguin Audio Political Science Politics & Government Thought-Provoking Government

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Critic reviews

Jaw-dropping ... genuinely stopped me in my tracks. (Stefano Hatfield)
Given that we now seem to be inhabiting a somewhat medieval world of plague and portent, I'd like to make the case for the prophetic powers of the US journalist Michael Lewis ... In December the notion [of the fifth risk] seemed wildly far-fetched. Four months on, it seems we will get the chance to find out if he was on the money. (Tim Adams)
All stars
Most relevant  
The book contains a collection of interesting facts/themes, but not a clear overriding angle, which is so often Lewis’ hallmark.

Not vintage Lewis

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I am a huge fan of Michael Lewis and read most if not all of his books. I am not too sure about this one though.

Perhaps it is more relevant to the American people?

I really liked the first half of the book but perhaps then main point about the risks of not managing government transitions got lost in the details of tornadoes and others...

Perhaps I missed something?

Not too sure...

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I work in public services and this book has open my eyes to the perils of democracy at the hands of those elected.

it was compelling, full of interesting facts and details that most people we oils not know but make the cast majority of the functional lives in society.

really recommend this book

a must-listen book

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very insightful read and provides a great insight into US government departments and the shortcomings of current governments leading these departments. loved the part on using data science for the 1st time by Obama Admin to create insights into policing, health and prediction of natural disasters

superb listening and very educational

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The book follows a lot of interesting people doing amazing things in government without bring publicly visible. Learned a lot about what lies behind a lot of things one takes for granted in a safe society

Very interesting, fun listen

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An absolutely fascinating insight to the departments in the US government and the handover process (or lack thereof!), a real great listen.

Fascinating

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A beautiful account of the imagination and optimism of scientists. Whether the weather be good.

Big data, big Government and small people

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An analysis based on the incongruous. Lewis builds his case based upon the familiar, the indisputable. Just when you think you know what the department of agriculture does he pulls the rug from under you. Then he does it to you again and again. Eminently readable.. Look forward to being educated , amused and ultimately flabbergasted.

Fascinating interpretation of the status quo. REALLY?

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Confirms how useless and disfunctional the Trump administration is/was from the start. shows how the prejudiced ideas of ideologue political appointees about government and how it works means you get malfunctioning beaurocracy and effectively corruption.

However whilst it is a critic of what is wrong with the American Government's political appointments and the system it inspires it does not offer any solutions. This is not a critisim if you keep in mind this is really a polemic showing just how useless Donald Trump has been at running a government even though he has been brilliant campaigner who captured a significant element of the American zietgist.

The incompetence of the Donald's write large!

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A good argument for why voting for ‘disruption’ and ‘change’ is not always a good thing. Well at the very least when you have no idea what you might be signing up for in place of whatever is already there (is all change good?).

An outstanding argument for why Trump getting a second term is a problem for the world (not just Americans)

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