Blockers

In Blockers, Lewis examines the early days of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency through the stories and experiences of six federal employees whose work put them at odds with the shifting priorities of the government. The employees include a tax-data specialist responsible for protecting Americans’ most sensitive tax data, an official making sure that politicians played by the rules, someone who figured out how to prevent suburban neighborhood destruction from wildfires, a scientist studying cystic fibrosis, and a federal security guard. Through these profiles, Lewis explores what happens when career public servants are suddenly viewed as obstacles rather than assets. Drawing on the storytelling style that has defined his other bestselling books such as The Big Short and Moneyball, Blockers (W. W. Norton & Company) sketches a portrait of the people trying to navigate a rapidly changing federal government landscape. Through their experiences, Lewis ultimately asks what the treatment of these individuals reveals about the value we place on public service itself.