Michael Lewis has become a celebrated and beloved writer through his meticulous research and vibrant prose. His books have covered a wide array of subjects: from the top secret world of high frequency trading (Flash Boys) to baseball analytics (Moneyball) to the rise and fall of the former star of cryptocurrency Sam Bankman-Fried (Going Infinite). In all of his work, Lewis masterfully traces the fascinating lives of his subjects, and braids those stories with accessible lessons on complex topics like global financial systems and pandemic responses. Lewis has twice won a Los Angeles Times book prize, and two of his books have been adapted into films (The Big Short and Moneyball), while a third (Going Infinite) is currently being adapted by Lena Dunham. His new book, Blockers, takes an inside look at the early days of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, as told by the public servants it targeted.
Lara Bazelon is a Professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law where she directs the Criminal & Juvenile and Racial Justice Clinics. She is the author of three books, and her essays and articles have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic Magazine.
Photo by Tabitha Soren