Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America
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- Author：Maggie Haberman
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Summary
*THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
*A Financial Times Book of the Year*
‘A political epic’ – Guardian
‘This is the book Trump fears most。’ – Axios
Few journalists have covered Donald Trump more extensively than Maggie Haberman。 And few better understand the polarizing 45th president or his motivations。 In this astonishing， illuminating book， Haberman reveals all about Trump the man， the president and the phenomenon。
Interviews with hundreds of sources and with Trump himself portray a complicated and often contradictory figure。 Capable of kindness but relying on casual cruelty as it suits his purposes。 Pugnacious。 Insecure。 Lonely。 Vindictive。 Menacing。 Smarter than his critics contend and colder and more calculating than his allies believe。 A man who embedded himself in popular culture for decades， laying the groundwork to galvanize support for a successful run for high office。
Chronicling Trump’s entire career， from his rise in New York City to his tortured post-presidency and potential comeback， Confidence Man is a magnificent， disturbing reckoning of the president who pushed American democracy to the brink。
*A Financial Times Book of the Year*
‘A political epic’ – Guardian
‘This is the book Trump fears most。’ – Axios
Few journalists have covered Donald Trump more extensively than Maggie Haberman。 And few better understand the polarizing 45th president or his motivations。 In this astonishing， illuminating book， Haberman reveals all about Trump the man， the president and the phenomenon。
Interviews with hundreds of sources and with Trump himself portray a complicated and often contradictory figure。 Capable of kindness but relying on casual cruelty as it suits his purposes。 Pugnacious。 Insecure。 Lonely。 Vindictive。 Menacing。 Smarter than his critics contend and colder and more calculating than his allies believe。 A man who embedded himself in popular culture for decades， laying the groundwork to galvanize support for a successful run for high office。
Chronicling Trump’s entire career， from his rise in New York City to his tortured post-presidency and potential comeback， Confidence Man is a magnificent， disturbing reckoning of the president who pushed American democracy to the brink。
Reviews
Steve Hostert
，
Thoroughly enjoyed an excellent but lengthy read（508 pages）， written by Maggie Haberman ， who is a Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times Reporter。 Few journalists working today have covered trump more extensively than Maggie， putting her in a position where she probably understands trump and what makes him tic。 Highly recommend this book to anyone who would like learn more about just how dangerous a person trump is and how he took America to the verge of a full blown， banana republic， type coup Thoroughly enjoyed an excellent but lengthy read（508 pages）， written by Maggie Haberman ， who is a Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times Reporter。 Few journalists working today have covered trump more extensively than Maggie， putting her in a position where she probably understands trump and what makes him tic。 Highly recommend this book to anyone who would like learn more about just how dangerous a person trump is and how he took America to the verge of a full blown， banana republic， type coup on January 6th，2021。 I don't think most people realize how close we came to anarchy on that fateful day but hopefully most will eventually figure out the puzzle。 Perhaps this book will help combat all the bizarre conspiracy theories that have been brought forth without a shred of evidence on the internet and Fox news。 The really sobering and frightening fact is that so many of his supporters and enablers actually believe the far fetched and absurd conspiracy theories。Perhaps History of this sad and tragic trump presidency will eventually heal some of the deep wounds he inflicted on our fragile republic。 。。。more
Deborah
，
I don’t think that there was anything in the book that hasn’t already been released by the author before， or by other journalists。 Maybe I’m just done reading anything about DJT。
Karen
，
4。2
Pat Reynolds
，
Well written but I think I am just thoroughly tired of this corrupt man so it was an on again off again slog through his life of deceit。
Dawn
，
This book was ok， aside from a few small tidbits， really nothing new。 I thought it would be more of Trump's background， but that was only maybe a third of the book。 For a better Trump background book， I recommend Mary Trump's book， Too Much and Never Enough。 This book was ok， aside from a few small tidbits， really nothing new。 I thought it would be more of Trump's background， but that was only maybe a third of the book。 For a better Trump background book， I recommend Mary Trump's book， Too Much and Never Enough。 。。。more
Andrew
，
I love Haberman's on-going reporting for the NYTimes， but this book is more a long and very incomplete narration of Trump's public life， with minor confirmation of previous news （Trump flushes official docs down toilets， he didn't honor war dead because the rain would mess up his hair， etc） rather than anything revelatory。。。which is probably a good thing。。？ considering if there *were any big news here she should have reported on it at the time。The most frustrating thing is that this book feel la I love Haberman's on-going reporting for the NYTimes， but this book is more a long and very incomplete narration of Trump's public life， with minor confirmation of previous news （Trump flushes official docs down toilets， he didn't honor war dead because the rain would mess up his hair， etc） rather than anything revelatory。。。which is probably a good thing。。？ considering if there *were any big news here she should have reported on it at the time。The most frustrating thing is that this book feel lacking （even tho it's over 500 pages long）， not covering completely or even mentioning a *lot of Trump's time in office。 。。。more
Magen
，
Was less interested in a rehashing of history that I witnessed but in understanding his origin story and how it led to the destructive narcissist he is。 It definitely delivered。 What is most comical about this book is the access Trump provided to the author over decades yet his testimony that it’s all fake news。 Insert eyeroll
Vince
，
Haberman is a remarkable journalist。 I have been an avid reader of her regular writings in the New York Times on everything Trump since at least 2005。 While her book is extremely well-written and digs deep into the man’s psyche， I had hoped for more details on the various stories she had reported on in the Times and that she now recounts in her book。 Sadly， I was left wanting on that front。 The prologue and epilogue provide a salient and highly analytical view of the protagonist。 That said， this Haberman is a remarkable journalist。 I have been an avid reader of her regular writings in the New York Times on everything Trump since at least 2005。 While her book is extremely well-written and digs deep into the man’s psyche， I had hoped for more details on the various stories she had reported on in the Times and that she now recounts in her book。 Sadly， I was left wanting on that front。 The prologue and epilogue provide a salient and highly analytical view of the protagonist。 That said， this memoir will be more satisfying for readers who hadn’t been keen observers of the orange clown’s rise to power。 A rise to power which has proved as astonishing as it is telling of the demise of American democracy。 。。。more
Luke Spooner
，
The first part discussing Trump's origins was interesting。 All the rest just seemed like a rehash of 2015-2021。。。 The first part discussing Trump's origins was interesting。 All the rest just seemed like a rehash of 2015-2021。。。 。。。more
David Sheets
，
From the Pulitzer-Prize-winning New York Times reporter who has defined Former President Donald Trump's presidency， "Confidence Man" is a magnificent and disturbing reckoning that chronicles his life and its meaning from his rise in New York City to his tortured post-presidency。Now， demonstrating her majestic command of this story， Haberman fully reveals the depth of her understanding of the 45th president and what the Trump phenomenon means。 Interviews with hundreds of sources and numerous inte From the Pulitzer-Prize-winning New York Times reporter who has defined Former President Donald Trump's presidency， "Confidence Man" is a magnificent and disturbing reckoning that chronicles his life and its meaning from his rise in New York City to his tortured post-presidency。Now， demonstrating her majestic command of this story， Haberman fully reveals the depth of her understanding of the 45th president and what the Trump phenomenon means。 Interviews with hundreds of sources and numerous interviews over the years with Trump portray a complicated and often contradictory historical figure。 He is capable of kindness but relies on casual cruelty as it suits his purposes。Pugnacious。 Insecure。 Lonely。 Vindictive。 Menacing。 Trump is more intelligent than his critics contend， colder， and more calculating than his allies believe。 Trump is a man who embedded himself in popular culture and galvanized support for a run for high office that he began spadework for 30 years ago， to ultimately become a president who pushed American democracy to the brink。 "Confidence Man" is also， inevitably， about the world that produced such a singular character， giving rise to Trump's career and becoming his first stage。 It is also about a series of relentlessly transactional relationships。 The ones that shaped him most were with girlfriends and wives， Roy Cohn， George Steinbrenner， Mike Tyson and Don King and Roger Stone， with municipal and state politicians such as Robert Morgenthau and Rudy Giuliani， business partners， prosecutors， the media， and with the employees who toiled inside what they commonly called amongst themselves the "Trump Disorganization。" This is the sixth book I have read about Trump， and it is undoubtedly the best。 。。。more
Richard Pierce
，
It wasn’t the magnitude of any faux pas， it was the total and complete saturation of the entirety with incompetence， self-aggrandizement， self-interest。 I’ve read some of the antiTrump books and I will agree that I found nothing new， but I appreciated the comprehensiveness of all the info in one book。
Magnus Halsnes
，
Endå ei grei bok om Trump。 Denne gongen frå barndommen av og fram til 2022。 Boka er i stor grad ei gjenforteljing av det som har skjedd til no， skrive av ein journalist som har intervjua og følgd Trump gjennom ei årrekke frå tida hans i New York og til i dag。 Boka er basert på ei stor mengde intervju。 Mykje av det som kjem fram har ho rapportert på i New York Times og anna tidlegare， og difor kjennest mykje ikkje særleg nytt ut。 Har ein ikkje lese nokon bøker om Trump frå før， so fungerer nok de Endå ei grei bok om Trump。 Denne gongen frå barndommen av og fram til 2022。 Boka er i stor grad ei gjenforteljing av det som har skjedd til no， skrive av ein journalist som har intervjua og følgd Trump gjennom ei årrekke frå tida hans i New York og til i dag。 Boka er basert på ei stor mengde intervju。 Mykje av det som kjem fram har ho rapportert på i New York Times og anna tidlegare， og difor kjennest mykje ikkje særleg nytt ut。 Har ein ikkje lese nokon bøker om Trump frå før， so fungerer nok denne bra。 。。。more
Louise
，
DNF Reporter did a good job。 I just don’t care。
Matthew
，
The book is a good summary of all the mess of the Trump years。 It takes a "just the facts ma'am" approach that I appreciated。 Since Trump often calls out people that he feels have slighted him Ms。 Haberman could not avoid being part of the narrative。 The book is a good summary of all the mess of the Trump years。 It takes a "just the facts ma'am" approach that I appreciated。 Since Trump often calls out people that he feels have slighted him Ms。 Haberman could not avoid being part of the narrative。 。。。more
Sarah Ewald
，
I have read several books about TFG， and this one is the most revealing。 The story of his early years tells us a lot of how his later years would unfold。 When my son saw this book on my reading table， he asked why I would read more about him。 I replied that we must never forget what a flawed person he is。 In reading， I would find myself remembering this episode or that episode that seemed ages ago， but had just been usurped by subsequent horrible incidents in the administration。 Too many to keep I have read several books about TFG， and this one is the most revealing。 The story of his early years tells us a lot of how his later years would unfold。 When my son saw this book on my reading table， he asked why I would read more about him。 I replied that we must never forget what a flawed person he is。 In reading， I would find myself remembering this episode or that episode that seemed ages ago， but had just been usurped by subsequent horrible incidents in the administration。 Too many to keep track of。"Yet for all the intrigue that is part of the Trump mythos--the talk of his unpredictability or descriptions of him as an agent of chaos---the irony， say those who have known him for years， is that he has had only a handful of moves throughout his entire adult life。 There is the counterattack， there is the quick lie， there is the shift of blame， there is the distraction or misdirection， there is the outburst of rage， there is the performative anger， there is the designed just-for-headlines action or claim， there is the indecisiveness masked by a compensatory lunge， there is the backbiting about one advisor with another advisor， creating a wedge between them。 The challenge is figuring out at any given moment， which trick he is using。"There were plenty of incidents from his early years， with his obsessiveness about his buildings （often lying about the number of floors， adding several to take his up a notch）， to his bankruptcies with his casinos， to his blaming two of the executives who had died in a helicopter crash for the failures of the casinos， easy foils who couldn't defend themselves。 What kind of a man does this？ The same one who， upon the death of his father， a person who rescued him from financial woes （even buying up chips in his casino that served as a de-facto loan）， when giving his father's eulogy， made it all about himself。 "Trump's self-reverential speech was met with a confused silence by his fellow mourners。 From a pew， Giuliani was heard to whisper， 'What the fuck？'"His complete and utter lack of understanding of how government works made reading about his 4 years as president laughable， in hindsight， when you read about what went on behind closed doors。 It was， during which it was actually happening， horrifying。"There were occasional moments when Trump's White House functioned a a normal one might。 When Syrian president Bashar al-Assad deployed a chemical agent on his own citizens in April， the haunting images of children dying slowly， motionless， helped move Trump to order a missile strike against one of Assad's air bases。 'Years of previous attempts at changing Assad's behavior have all failed and failed dramatically，' Trump said as he announced the operation， before a blue-curtained backdrop and surrounded by flags。 His aides worked so that everything was handled according to standard procedures， including briefing the press。 Trump received widespread positive media coverage for one of the few times since taking office。 An advisor told me that week that the episode was what Trump had always believed the job was going to be: decision， action， praise。"Yet， when T。 didn't get what praise he wanted， he was angry。 Reading about it now， it seems as though that anger was the emotion he exerted most。 Even when he was found not guilty after his first impeachment， instead of relief， the prominent emotion was to seek revenge。Most telling was the author's description of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner， daughter and son-in-law， who served as personal advisors to T。: "A few likened the two to Tom and Daisy Buchanan， the fictional couple described in The Great Gatsby as 'careless people' who 'smashed up things and creatures。。。and let other people clean up the mess they had made。' Kelly （chief of staff） and others called them 'the royal couple' to colleagues， while in the East Wing they were known as 'the interns。'"So much of what happened during those four years is maddening and makes me angry， that I truly believe that towards the end， we were just limping towards the finish line。 The trouble with these books is that by the time they reach the reading public， much more has been found out and revealed in the current press。 We can put this presidency in the rear view mirror， but we must never forget the damage done。 。。。more
Tyler
，
This book is like a 400 page wire story。 No reflection， context， analysis， thought。 If you read the news during the dismal Trump years this is just that all over again with 6% more detail。 What a waste。
Charles E。
，
Good， but scary read！That such a man is trusted by anyone to create and lead policy is scary to me。 Clearly the man cares about only himself！
Kristen Campbell
，
For future generations， a complete recount of the Trump presidency。 For those who have lived with it， nothing to learn。
Marty Mangold
，
This book is an admirable chronological summary of what has happened around DJT over his lifetime， and I expect in a hundred years or so it will be more interesting: this close to the events covered， I found it troubling。 Reading this book reminded me of flossing one's teeth: nothing pleasant about the process， but worth doing carefully and completely from start to finish。 Only two historical revelations seemed entirely new to me。 First， his throwing rocks， as a six-year-old， at a toddler confin This book is an admirable chronological summary of what has happened around DJT over his lifetime， and I expect in a hundred years or so it will be more interesting: this close to the events covered， I found it troubling。 Reading this book reminded me of flossing one's teeth: nothing pleasant about the process， but worth doing carefully and completely from start to finish。 Only two historical revelations seemed entirely new to me。 First， his throwing rocks， as a six-year-old， at a toddler confined in a playpen next door。 Next， as President， possibly making another phone call to Debbie Dingell where he pretends to be another person， as he did years before to get onto the Forbes richest list。 At the very end came the one personal elaboration that I'd like to take away from the read。 While discussing her last interview with DJT， at the end of the book， came what I think is the only subjectively personal insight presented in the entire work， and， for me， the most useful: "The reality is， he treats everyone like they are his psychiatrists 。。。 he works things out in real time in front of all of us。 Along the way， he reoriented an entire country to react to his moods and emotions。" The reading in the audio version， by the author， is entirely satisfactory。 。。。more
Steve
，
Has to be one of the most narcissistic people I've ever heard about。 If he focused on bettering the country he could have been effective。 Instead he acted like a three-year-old and only cared about how he was perceived and real or imaginary slights。 Has to be one of the most narcissistic people I've ever heard about。 If he focused on bettering the country he could have been effective。 Instead he acted like a three-year-old and only cared about how he was perceived and real or imaginary slights。 。。。more
David Kessler
，
The best written history of Donald as she followed him over the past two decades closely。And there being plenty of write about， the author tells the story with authenticity。A tome， but worth the time to read。 Hope the republic never has to go through this again。
Annie Curtiss
，
This book was an extensive review of the life of Donald Trump， from his time in New York in the real estate world until his election loss in 2020 and the events that followed。 I appreciated this book in the sense that its coverage of Trump's life and rise to the presidency felt comprehensive。 I think there were aspects of the book that I struggled with， including the confusing network of individuals surrounding Trump and a number of asides from Haberman that seemed unconnected to the general sto This book was an extensive review of the life of Donald Trump， from his time in New York in the real estate world until his election loss in 2020 and the events that followed。 I appreciated this book in the sense that its coverage of Trump's life and rise to the presidency felt comprehensive。 I think there were aspects of the book that I struggled with， including the confusing network of individuals surrounding Trump and a number of asides from Haberman that seemed unconnected to the general story， including her interactions with Trump。 The book does a good job of explaining the events that led to Trump's campaign for the presidency and giving a broader understanding of context to attempt to explain Trump。 。。。more
Muromets
，
Regardless of your take on a leader， a book that purports that everything said leader did was entirely without merit really challenges credulity。 Confidence Man is exactly that kind of monotonal story without a hint of gradient or nuance， which is disappointing because it's otherwise a well-written tale of an actor and his supporting cast， like a poor man's Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar in its storytelling of a man's life through the people around him。 Regardless of your take on a leader， a book that purports that everything said leader did was entirely without merit really challenges credulity。 Confidence Man is exactly that kind of monotonal story without a hint of gradient or nuance， which is disappointing because it's otherwise a well-written tale of an actor and his supporting cast， like a poor man's Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar in its storytelling of a man's life through the people around him。 。。。more
David Valentino
，
The Trump Whisperer Undresses TrumpIt seems that just about every reporter who covered Donald Trump in the White House has published a revelatory book about him。 So， when so much has been revealed about number 45 as president， why should you invest your time and money in another？ Simple。 This is by Maggie Haberman， the New York Times reporter who has been called the Trump Whisperer。 That’s because probably nobody knows more about the total Trump， maybe not even Trump himself， who is notorious fo The Trump Whisperer Undresses TrumpIt seems that just about every reporter who covered Donald Trump in the White House has published a revelatory book about him。 So， when so much has been revealed about number 45 as president， why should you invest your time and money in another？ Simple。 This is by Maggie Haberman， the New York Times reporter who has been called the Trump Whisperer。 That’s because probably nobody knows more about the total Trump， maybe not even Trump himself， who is notorious for possessing not even an iota of introspection。 And because few if any of the books， excepting Mary Trump’s Too Much and Never Enough， cover Trump’s early years in any meaningful depth。 While most know Haberman as a political reporter at arguably the nation’s paper of record， she didn’t start there。 No， she started at the New York Post a few years after Rupert Murdoch purchased the paper for a second time （too long a story for here）。 There， she covered City Hall。 She jumped to the Daily News， then back to the Post for the 2008 election， then to Politico， and then， finally， to the Times to cover the 2016 elections。 This is to say that there are few reporters who know the New York environment in which Trump matured， the rough house politics of the place， the real estate scene， and the colorful， bigger than life personalities， that included a young brassy Donald Trump。 No person just appears from nowhere， or is formed out of nothing。 And herein is the value of Haberman’s volume: everything that transpired in Trump’s life before 2016。 If you grew up anywhere near the City and read the papers or watched TV， you heard about Trump， and you knew him for whom he was: a confidence man， in both senses of the word。 But since most readers are probably too young or live outside the reach of the City， or have foggy memories of the past—these people will learn much about the essential Trump， the formative man， by reading at least the first half of Confidence Man。 What the heck is wrong with this guy and why？ Read this book （and Mary Trump’s while you are at it）， for the answer。Now， as a starter， enjoy this quote: “Among his most consistent attributes are a desire to grind down his opponents; his refusal to be shamed， or to voluntarily step away from the fight; his projection that things will somehow always work out in his favor; and his refusal to accept the way life in business or politics has traditionally been conducted。” And let’s not overlook this trait we’ve witnessed time and again: “…Trump also lives in the eternal past， constantly dragging a deep raft of old grievances—or impressions of better days lost—into the present， where he tries to force others to relive them along with him。” And there’s more， much more for curious readers。 。。。more
Joyce
，
So tempting to put this on the Crime， Disaster， and Survival shelves。 This was probably 3。5 for me and Haberman's reading makes it feel even more authentic。 Well-researched but i think I've read too many of the Trump books， so this didn't provide surprises。 Still， a masterful summary of his life and antics。 So tempting to put this on the Crime， Disaster， and Survival shelves。 This was probably 3。5 for me and Haberman's reading makes it feel even more authentic。 Well-researched but i think I've read too many of the Trump books， so this didn't provide surprises。 Still， a masterful summary of his life and antics。 。。。more
Peter
，
Good book that brings context to the uncontextable。 Let's face it， Trump's popularity remains a mystery （and always will be to most New Yorkers。） I've read a great deal about him for a long time， and didn't "need" a new book。 That said， Haberman has made a lifelong study of the man， and New York politics， and brings some real context to the person， his times， and his specific group of unsavories。 While we may have only been first introduced to many of Trump's people during his presidency， Haberm Good book that brings context to the uncontextable。 Let's face it， Trump's popularity remains a mystery （and always will be to most New Yorkers。） I've read a great deal about him for a long time， and didn't "need" a new book。 That said， Haberman has made a lifelong study of the man， and New York politics， and brings some real context to the person， his times， and his specific group of unsavories。 While we may have only been first introduced to many of Trump's people during his presidency， Haberman shows the relationship growth curve began many years before。 People like Chris Christie， Rudy Guilani， Roy Cohn， Roger Stone and Al Sharpton all came from the same period， striving to get ahead， and working with the young Trump， who is on the make in NYC。 It's pretty fascinating to see their roles evolve。 The sleeper in all this is Roger Stone， the young Nixon prankster wno plays a behind the scenes role throughout Trump's existence and his inexplicable rise。 A lot of the sources here seem to have it in for Jared Kushner， and that's fun。 Latter sections of the book are less essential， as they more closely mirror Haberman's own reporting in the NYT， which is criticized （unfairly， I think） for normalizing Trump。 Ultimately， she gives him enough rope to hang himself。 。。。more
Ken Dowell
，
To be honest， I didn’t open this book with an open mind。 As far as I’m concerned， Trump is a lying scoundrel suffocating in his own narcissism。 Nothing in the book suggests otherwise。Confidence Man is not a biography。 It’s a detailed chronicle of Trump’s professional life， starting with some real estate deals he did with his father， going through his emergence as a widely-known public figure in New York， something between a superstar builder and a con artist， and ending with the conclusion of hi To be honest， I didn’t open this book with an open mind。 As far as I’m concerned， Trump is a lying scoundrel suffocating in his own narcissism。 Nothing in the book suggests otherwise。Confidence Man is not a biography。 It’s a detailed chronicle of Trump’s professional life， starting with some real estate deals he did with his father， going through his emergence as a widely-known public figure in New York， something between a superstar builder and a con artist， and ending with the conclusion of his single term presidency。 Taken as a whole there is little in the way of consistent ideology or commitment to any particular issues （unless it personally affects him）。 But there is a consistency throughout his career of certain personality and behavioral traits。 Here’s a few examples:– He doesn’t pay his bills。“Trump left only scattered impressions on classmates （during his time at Fordham University）。 One recalled Trump somehow managing to avoid paying the Triborough Bridge twenty-five-cent toll and leaving it to a friend with considerably less economic means to pay each time。”– He’s a serial attention hound“When the director Chris Columbus was filming a sequel to Home Alone and went to the Plaza’s lobby， Trump forced his way into the film。 ‘The only way you can use the Plaza is if I’m in the movie。’”– He’s self-absorbedShortly after 9/11 and the attacks on the World Trade Center， he was interviewed on a local TV station。 Was he thinking about those who were killed？ Their families？ First responders？ Nope。 He said， “Forty Wall Street （which he owned） was the second tallest building in downtown Manhattan and it was before the World Trade Center was the tallest， and then when they built the World Trade Center it became known as the second tallest， and now it’s the tallest。” （Aside from not making sense， that， of course， wasn’t true。）– He’s crudeWhile discussing the issue of transgender bathroom use during a practice session for upcoming debates during his initial presidential campaign， he commented， “‘well I think it matters a lot。’ What if a girl was in the bathroom and someone came in， lifted up her skirt， and ‘a schlong’ was hanging out。”– He’s a sore loserAfter losing the Iowa caucuses at the start of the 2015 primary season: “‘It was stolen from me，’ he told his advisors。 For days thereafter， he called Iowa’s Republican chairman daily with an order to redo the vote， threatening to sue over what he called ‘fraud。’’– He’s a bullyWhile describing a meeting with military leaders and cabinet members， Haberman observed: “Those who did not know Trump well and who sat through that meeting in the Tank with him failed to consider something that people who have dealt with him over years had experienced: Trump knew that he was being told something he did not fully comprehend， and instead of acknowledging that， he shouted down the teachers。”– He’s irrationalAfter news reports about how Trump hid in an underground White House bunker during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations， “Trump felt humiliated by a disclosure that he thought made him appear incapacitated by street protests。 In another meeting with aides Trump demanded to know ‘Who leaked that story？’ He proposed that the person responsible be ‘executed。’– He’s a liarOkay， there’s an example of that on virtually ever one of the 500+ pages。And speaking of consistent bad behavior there’s this gem about Rudy Giuliani: In 1992 after Giuliani lost the mayoral election to David Dinkins， he declared “They stole that election from me。 They stole votes in the Black parts of Brooklyn and in Washington Heights。” City investigators found nothing to substantiate claims of fraud。Haberman is a veteran journalist who has won a Pulitzer。 Having worked for the New York Post and New York Daily News before her current position at the New York Times， she’s probably spent more time around Trump than most of his wives。 Her writing reflects her professionalism。 This is a book full of factual information with all sources clearly identified。 The title and subtitle pretty much tells you the conclusion that it leads to， but Haberman doesn’t beat you over the head with it and lets the reader come to the obvious conclusion on his or her own。 I acquired this book when Haberman made an appearance at the Montclair Public Library。 During the Q&A that followed the interview， someone asked， “Is Trump evil？” She refrained from answering。Five hundred pages is a lot of Trump。 Perhaps too much。 As I mentioned in the beginning， it didn’t change my perception of the man， but even I was surprised at how grossly unfit for office this he was （and is）。I couldn’t help musing about how this is a guy who doesn’t read， but who desperately needs to know what people say and think of him。 So what does he do？ I imagined this scenario。 He commissions an aid at Mar-a-Lago to read the book and tell him what it says。 The aid reads the book then comes in walking on eggshells knowing the boss’ famous temper。 Maybe he starts by tryibg to discredit Haberman but eventually gets around to noting “she seems to think you’re a little dishonest and maybe a bit unethical。” Trump then goes off， fires the guy and refuses to pay him。 。。。more
Frank
，
Those saying this gives us “nothing new” can only mean that in the most literal if terms， or they have not actually read this excellent tome of knowledge。 Maggie has taken a lot of facts over time that were either overlooked or left without context and created a historical document for the ages。 It helps us understand the insanity that brought us the 45th President of the United States。 It also provides us a warning， that DJT is not a dumb unknowing and unwilling neophyte， but that he is a calcu Those saying this gives us “nothing new” can only mean that in the most literal if terms， or they have not actually read this excellent tome of knowledge。 Maggie has taken a lot of facts over time that were either overlooked or left without context and created a historical document for the ages。 It helps us understand the insanity that brought us the 45th President of the United States。 It also provides us a warning， that DJT is not a dumb unknowing and unwilling neophyte， but that he is a calculating narcissist who is willing to screw over anyone that stands in the way of his childish satisfaction。 。。。more
Vicki
，
Wow， I feel like I’ve run a marathon！ I agree with other reviews noting that this was an extremely long book and could have benefitted by more stringent editing。 There was a whirlwind of names to keep track of！ I think this would be better as a two volume book with one volume covering pre presidency and one for the presidential years。 Although long， I think some situations could’ve used a more in depth presentation and analysis。 This was my first and hopefully last Trump book I read。 I resented Wow， I feel like I’ve run a marathon！ I agree with other reviews noting that this was an extremely long book and could have benefitted by more stringent editing。 There was a whirlwind of names to keep track of！ I think this would be better as a two volume book with one volume covering pre presidency and one for the presidential years。 Although long， I think some situations could’ve used a more in depth presentation and analysis。 This was my first and hopefully last Trump book I read。 I resented giving this man my attention during the time I read the book but did so anyway as I wanted to learn about what made this man tick。 I came away thinking I did learn more about the man beyond the showmanship at rallies and tv appearances。 。。。more
Izzy
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