The Fifth Risk

A fascinating but depressing look at the often misunderstood (or not understood) role of the United States federal government in nearly every aspect of our lives, and how it’s mismanagement (especially from political appointees) constitutes a fundamental threat.

The “Fifth Risk” name comes from a list of existential risks given to the author by a governmental risk officer. Next to risks like North Korean or Iranian nuclear proliferation, electrical grid collapse, and epidemic, the officer lists “project management” as one of the most vulnerable threats to the country.

Project management is code for the execution of the everyday, essential tasks our government does, from proving accurate weather prediction to communities about to be ravaged by hurricanes, to financing pell grants and food stamps for those who can’t sustain themselves, to overseeing that warheads in our nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal do not accidentally explode (as they almost have).

Lewis, who also wrote The Big Short, systematically goes through government department by department, “box” by “box”, sharing the fascinating anecdotes of what the government actually does, and its value. The book is of course written with the backdrop of the Trump transition and administration, chock full with anecdotes. I think, though, the value of this book extends far beyond just this presidency and showcases the underlying problem: that we don’t understand our government and its relationship to us, and constantly undermine it (and as a result, ourselves), as a result.