About this episode
The skittish inflation number that flies across headlines might feel arbitrary; in fact, it’s anything but. To arrive at that number, it takes millions of calculations into granular details such as the chemical composition of turkey meat and the flavor notes of olive oil. In this episode, John Lanchester chats with Michael Lewis about what the government counts and how tracking these things tells us a lot about what a country values.
Read John Lanchester’s full article here: This number has shaped political debate and determined the fate of presidents
Check out the rest of the “Who is Government” series.
The Canary, by Michael Lewis
The Sentinel, by Casey Cep
The Searchers, by Dave Eggers
Get every episode summarized
Each time Reasonably Optimistic publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Reasonably Optimistic
The temperature is rising on AI. What comes next?
Reasonably Optimistic
I'm not anti-tax. But this one should go.
Reasonably Optimistic
What a Catholic feminist dares to say
Reasonably Optimistic
Where AI will be in a year — and in a decade
Reasonably Optimistic