David Cay Johnston is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author who has written numerous books that expose the secrets of the rich and powerful. His works focus on topics such as taxation, politics, and economics, and his books have been praised for their thorough research and compelling storytelling.
Early Life and Career
David Cay Johnston was born on December 24, 1948, in San Francisco, California. He grew up in San Mateo, California, and attended San Mateo High School. After graduation, he attended the University of Chicago, where he earned a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in journalism.
Johnston began his career as a reporter for the San Jose Mercury News, where he covered local news and politics. He later worked for the Los Angeles Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer before joining The New York Times in 1995.
Pulitzer Prize
In 2001, Johnston won the Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting for his coverage of the U.S. tax system. He was recognized for his "penetrating and enterprising reporting that exposed loopholes and inequities in the U.S. tax code, sparking reform efforts".
Books
Johnston has written several books throughout his career. Here are some of his most notable works:
Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich – and Cheat Everybody Else
Perfectly Legal is a book that exposes the ways in which the U.S. tax system has been rigged to benefit the wealthiest Americans. Johnston argues that the tax code has been manipulated over the years to give special breaks to the rich, while ordinary Americans are left to foot the bill.
Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You with the Bill)
In Free Lunch, Johnston examines the ways in which the wealthiest Americans have been able to enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of the country. He argues that the government has provided subsidies, tax breaks, and other benefits to big corporations and wealthy individuals, while neglecting the needs of ordinary Americans.
The Making of Donald Trump
The Making of Donald Trump is a book that chronicles the rise of Donald Trump from a young real estate developer to the President of the United States. Johnston examines Trump's business practices, his personal life, and his political career, and argues that Trump is not fit to hold the highest office in the land.
It's Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America
It's Even Worse Than You Think is a book that explores the first year of the Trump administration and the ways in which it has harmed the American people. Johnston argues that Trump's policies and actions have weakened the country's democratic institutions and threatened the well-being of millions of Americans.
Conclusion
David Cay Johnston's books are essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how the wealthy and powerful have been able to manipulate the system to their advantage. His work sheds light on the ways in which the U.S. government has failed to serve the needs of ordinary Americans, and his reporting has sparked important conversations about tax reform, income inequality, and the role of government in society.