Why people recommend it
The Premonition: A Pandemic Story by Michael Lewis is a non-fiction book that explores the federal government's behind-the-scenes handling of public health crises and the COVID-19 pandemic. On The Ezra Klein Show, Dar recommended the book as a worthwhile read or skim to remember the vital functions performed by the federal civil service and the risks of broad-based attacks against it. Similarly, Nick Bagley discussed the book on the same podcast, praising it as an accessible and moving account detailing the critical, often unseen work carried out by federal agencies during the transition to the Trump administration. Bryan Callen also briefly referenced Michael Lewis's writing on government risk management on The Joe Rogan Experience. Additionally, hosts and guests across multiple podcasts, including Timcast IRL, ChooseFI, All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg, Behind the Bastards, and My First Million, frequently brought up Michael Lewis and his related works such as The Big Short and The Fifth Risk, or discussed his investigative reporting surrounding figures like Sam Bankman-Fried. Reviewers and podcasters alike emphasize how Lewis brings complex institutional dynamics and bureaucratic efforts into clear, accessible focus for the general public.
Who recommended it
- Bryan Callen Recommended
Bryan Callen — 1 mention
“um and so Michael Lewis wrote a book called The Fifth risk about this A good book Short”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 11
“but uh I think that like the fifth Risk by Michael Lewis is probably a good book to revisit if you if you have it and to skim if you haven't read it checked it out yet just for a reminder of the innumerable things that the Federal government does that a like broad-based attack on the civil service is”
“You can watch the big The Big Short is a movie that uh is really good that covers this kind of stuff and also too big to fail was another one too big to fail was kind of the crisis from the government's perspective and The Big Short was like three or four different groups of people that actually kind”
“I'd recommend Michael Lewis as the fifth risk this is now a few years old um but Lewis used the transition to the Trump Administration to offer a an accessible and actually moving account of the the often unseen work that our federal agencies do it's it's one of the rare books that I can think of that kind of”
“and what you're describing with their entire business model reminds me of Michael Lewis's book The Big Short”
“And then on the book front, man, the Michael Lewis book about SBF is going to be next level; I cannot wait for that. Sacks, you're a media junkie; what do you have on your list of things you're looking forward to, or should I say, what do Tucker's writers have put down for you?”
“it also came out that the guy who wrote The Big Short has been following him for six months”
“my favorite uh Twitter feed autism Capital who's been covering this whole story has said that Michael Lewis the guy who wrote The Big Short has been like embedded with him for the past six months writing a book”
“You did an incredible job with your book 'The Premonition,' right? Regarding the expertise and the experts you found there, let’s speak briefly about the concept and the subject matter for our listeners who aren't familiar.”
“so i have a book that i wrote right and uh and in a book you have a hard deadline right so harpercollins had a hard deadline on that book so when i released it i was mad because i would have worked on it a lot longer which is my style right get it right but we had a”
“and he the returns that he made was in the billions so they're calling it the new big short which obviously the movie made about”
“They've been great books written on the box. Well Michael Lewis's book the big shorts a good book on it”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
- The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
- Blank Slate, the Noble Savage, and the Ghost In the Machine
- Brave New World
- Demon Copperhead
- Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here
- Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt
Other mentions (3: passing, ad reads, own books)
“So I just thought I started got interested in the characters and then I found this character towards at the end of the fifth risk.”
“We'll be back in the feed on Sunday with a special interview with Michael Lewis the culture changing author of Moneyball The Big Short and countless other great books about his new book on the people that make the government work”
“you know nobody in 2007 knew what glass Eagle was by 2009 or when did the big Shore come out I'm forgetting and know you have the famous scenes that McKay has in there of people literally explaining these you know previously what was it cdos and CDO Square”