Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man

By Mary L. Trump, PhD

* THE INTERNATIONAL AND SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER *

‘Even in the darkest of Dickens novels, no family comes across quite as mendacious, grasping and avaricious as the Trumps’ Financial Times

A REVELATORY PORTRAIT OF DONALD J. TRUMP AND THE TOXIC FAMILY THAT MADE HIM – WRITTEN BY HIS NIECE, MARY L. TRUMP 

Mary Trump spent much of her childhood in her grandparents’ large, imposing house in New York with Donald and his four siblings. She describes a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse. As a first-hand witness and a trained clinical psychologist, Mary explains how specific events and general family patterns created the damaged man who occupied the Oval Office.

Written by the only Trump willing to speak out, Too Much and Never Enough is a fascinating and unnerving analysis on one of the world’s most powerful and dysfunctional families. Mary Trump’s insight and intimate familiarity means she alone can tell the truth on what makes Donald, and the rest of her clan, tick.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Jul 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781471190155

Mary L. Trump, PhD

Mary L. Trump is the author of the international #1 bestseller, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man. She holds a Ph.D from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University, and has taught graduate courses in trauma, psychopathology, and developmental psychology.

Reviews for Too Much and Never Enough

[keepa leyshon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very informative description and background to the most obnoxious human being,
viz Donald Trump. I would’ve liked more detail on his time as a president, but having said that the author would probably not be able to comment with sufficient detail on this.

[nicolawaters · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was easily readable and shows how the sins of the father are really visited upon the children. Trump's early life set the stage for him to become who is now

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Donald Trump had a brother, Fred, who was hounded into alcoholism and an early death by his exceedingly unpleasant family. With a doctorate in psychology, Fred III's daughter, Mary outlines the pressure cooker of a family Fed II was born into. Donald, after Fred II's discovery that Fred III was not going to be a carbon copy of himself was carefully groomed to become the heir apparent. It is Mary's considered opinion that her grandfather Fred II, was a sociopath and incapable of any kind of empathy. Donald John is to his niece's eyes a four year old, with no ability to work towards changing himself for the better. if you love DJT, the 45th president of the USA, you had best examine your life for the evidence of the condition known as masochism. Her prose is quite clear, and her vision seems born out by the reports of the man's conduct from other sources.

[write5review · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fear of the Father

Even casual observers who are honest with themselves can see that Donald J. Trump suffers from a veritable palette of psychoses not the least of which are his sociopathy and crippling narcissism. Mary Trump, a trained clinical psychologist and Trump’s niece, reveals how Donald became who he is today. It stems from growing up in a truly dysfunctional family lorded over by high functioning sociopath, his father Fred Trump, Sr., and being crowned the golden prince by Fred and then groomed to carry on the father’s legacy.

Unfortunately for Donald, and the people of the United States, this produced a man devoid of any empathy or even sympathy for others, a man willing and now pretty much able to do anything to anybody and any institution to protect his fragile ego. What Fred Trump produced, and what his relatives and siblings helped foster, and continue to enable, aided now by a cadre of sycophants and deluded supporters and users, is a psychological monster. Mary Trump explicitly lays this out in Part Four of her book, “The Worst Investment Ever Made.” In the first three parts, she takes readers into Fred Trump’s psyche, the oppositional family dynamics he employed to rule his household, and how this effected the various members of the Trump clan, with special emphasis on her father, Fred, Jr., and Donald, the two most deformed by the fear of the father wielded like a cudgel my Fred.

Readers might be tempted to jump directly to the last part which explains and illustrates Donald’s pathologies and how they manifest in his behavior in the White House. Some of this is quite scathing. As a sample, Donald’s abysmal mishandling of COVID-19: “The simple fact is that Donald is fundamentally incapable of acknowledging the suffering of others. Telling the stories of those we’ve lost would bore him. Acknowledging the victims of COVID-19 would be to associate himself with their weakness, a trait his father taught him to despise. Donald can no more advocate for the sick and dying than he could put himself between his father and Freddy [Mary’s father]. Perhaps most crucially, for Donald there is no value in empathy, no tangible upside to care for people.” And that is just for starters.

But to appreciate how Donald turned out as he did and why he has performed so badly as president, you’ll have to see how he was raised, what his father was like, and how Fred, Sr. literally drove Fred, Jr. from the family and to his early death, including how Donald ushered his brother along to his grave. While Donald might have been born with an inherent predilection to psychotic behavior, much of it is he learned as he continually tried to earn and keep the approval of his father, who used approval as a sort of Pavlovian reinforcer. And this Mary Trump illustrates in her recounting of the Trump family history in their Queens home.

If readers aren’t already convinced perhaps this book will be the one that does it for them: Donald is hopeless and the brand he’s selling to millions of our fellow Americans is hopelessness.

[judiex · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you want to know why Donald J. Trump is the way he is, his niece Mary, explains it all in TOO MUCH AND NEVER ENOUGH. The daughter of Fred Trump’s oldest son, Freddy, and a clinical psychologist, Mary relates the family history from both personal and professional observations. It is an extraordinary case study of a very wealthy, dysfunctional family: Fred and Mary Trump and their five children: Maryanne, Elizabeth, Freddy, Donald, and Robert.Friedrich Trump, the grandfather, became wealthy operating restaurants and brothels in British Columbia during the Gold Rush in the late 1800s. He died of the Spanish Flu. His son, Fred, at age 12, took over his role to help his mother and two siblings. He wanted to become an builder, a career choice that his mother supported. Donald’s mother, Mary, became quite ill after the birth of Robert when Donald was 2 ½ years old. She survived, but wasn’t able to fully function after that. Two youngest boys had to figure out things on their own. His father was married to his job. He put in long hours six days a week. When he was home, he was very dictatorial. He managed by correction, commenting primarily when someone did something he thought was wrong. Freddy, his oldest son, wanted to be a pilot. Fred considered that being “a bus driver” and Freddy entered the family business. He was given a title and criticism, but neither responsibility nor opportunity to learn. Fred showed preference to whichever of his sons could be of the most use. Donald learned from watching and realized that he didn’t want to be like Freddy. At one point, his behavior led to him going to a boarding school because his behavior was so poor. Donald then joined the business and learned to act in ways that received his father’s approval. His father realized that Donald lacked many talents to be successful, but he was able to impress important people and that was extremely beneficial to the organization. (He was able to use his influence with Roy Cohn to get his sister Maryanne a federal judgeship.) Fred paid to get Donald out of a lot of problems.“ His cousin Mary noted,“He’ consistently failed up despite his glaring lack of fitness.”Donald bragged that he was a self-made man despite his father’s huge financial support. When his cousin Mary asked. “What has he ever accomplished on his own?” his sister Maryanne responded, “He has had five bankruptcies.”TOO MUCH AND NEVER ENOUGH was published in 2020. About Donald Trump and the condition of the US under the Trump administration, Mary wrote: It was a perfect storm of catastrophes that no one is less equipped than my uncle could manage. Doing so would require courage, strength of character, deference to experts, and the confidence to take responsibility and to course correct after admitting mistakes. His ability to control unfavorable situations by lying, spinning, and obfuscating has diminished to the point of impotence in the midst of the tragedies we are currently facing. His egregious and arguably intentional mishandling of the current catastrophe d to a level of pushback and scrutiny that he’s never experienced before, increasing his belligerence and need for petty revenge as he withholds vital funding, personal protective equipment, and ventilators that your tax dollars have paid for from states whose governors don’t kiss his ass sufficiently.TOO MUCH AND NEVER ENOUGH is an amazing analysis of why Donald Trump is the person he is. Unfortunately, it doesn’t explain why he has so many supporters.

[herbthomas · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Too Much and Never Enough is a study of the Trump family’s pathology, by insider Mary Trump, Donald Trump’s niece and a Ph.D. in psychology. It conveys important information about grandiose, vindictive, incompetent Donald (15), who, as president of the United States, “shredded norms, endangered alliances, and trod upon the vulnerable” (186).Fred Trump, the patriarch of the family, was a “high-functioning sociopath” (24) who was callous, indifferent, controlling, rigid, sexist, and unable to empathize with children. His wife Anne McLeon Trump was an invalid and “the kind of mother who used her children to comfort herself rather than comforting them" (23). Donald, he second-youngest child In this oppressive, uncaring household, developed characteristic defenses: “be tough at all costs, lying is okay, admitting you’re wrong or apologizing is weakness” (43). When "Fred started paying attention to his loud and difficult second son, he came to value those traits” (27). Mary’s main concern for much of the book is the suffering that Fred caused her father “Freddie." Fred’s pressure and disdain thwarted Freddie’s career as a pilot for TWA and led to his alcoholism and early death. A delayed consequence was that Mary and her brother Fritz were cut out of near-billionaire Fred’s will. They sued, but backed off when Fred’s surviving children threatened to cancel their family-provided health insurance—a dire threat because Fritz had a newborn son who needed round-the-clock care. Eighteen years later and more than a little troubled by Donald’s presidency, Mary violated the family’s silence about its finances, turning over thousands of documents from the lawsuit to New York Times reporter Susanne Craig, leader of the investigative team that produced the Times’ 14,000-word exposé of the Trump family’s “potentially fraudulent and criminal activities" (190), published on October 2, 2018.A family tree early in the book would be helpful for tracking Trump relationships. The references to lawyers, reporters and other outsiders, as well as family members, would be clearer if Dr. Trump used last names in addition to first names a bit more frequently.

[stbyra · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you want to understand why the Former Guy is such a POS, then read this book. It explains it all.

[katyefk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book helped me understand the family background and environment that the Trumps grew up in. It is said that we are shaped by both nature and how we are nurtured. This could not be more true for this family. It is very professionally written, not a "tell all" type book. Mary Trump is very well educated and insightful. Narcissism is a dangerous mental illness that includes bullying, lying, soul punishing actions by the individual who is put into a place of power without proper scrutiny. It has no place at the head of governments.

[sberson_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As hard to read as it is to live through.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I learned a lot about Donald Trump's upbringing. It is now perfectly understandable to me why he is the way he is. I'm not excusing him...many people suffer through dysfunctional families and come out better people. When you are raised by a sociopath, it's not surprising you lack empathy, authenticity and a moral compass.

[threadnsong · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a spectacular view of this man and the severely dysfunctional family that created him. Dr. Trump's knowledge of childhood development and her psychology background show through from the very first pages.She documents the psychopathology of Fred Trump, Sr., and how it so severely hampered any emotional bonding with the two youngest children in the family. Add to this Donald's mother's illness (possibly a by-product of severe emotional neglect) and a lack of any repercussions for bad behavior, and you have what lived in the White House for 4 years.And the impact on Mary's own family is also profound. Her father, Fred, Jr., was the only sibling who broke away from the family mold and pursued his passion. He seemed like a kind and caring soul whose "fatal flaw" was in needing his own father's approval, and not able to cope with the harsh reality that he was never going to get it. That damage resulted in alcoholism and both a broken marriage and a broken family.It is as important to modern Presidential politics as any book on Watergate or the 9-11 disasters. It is also a call to action for those who care for children's welfare, be it personal or professional. Healing and love need to happen at an early age, and the sooner the intervention, the better.

[c_why · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The only book you'll need to read to understand this horrible presidency. Incredibly good writing as well as marvelous , sharp details of both the animate and inanimate features in this rich biography of the Trump family from Donald's father (Mary's grandfather) to now. No scuttlebut - this is a stand-forever book by a no-nonsense psychologist.

[bblum_10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Trump, a business and psychological disaster revealed by his niece. Interesting, wellwritten book about family dysfunction. Goodbye Donald.

[karenherndon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not much new in this except how dysfunctional the trump family was and the fact that. donald was not a good business man but kept loosing on many of his investments so that his father, Fred, had to constantly be giving him money.

[stevesbookstuff · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There aren't a lot of things in this book that anyone paying attention over the last four years wasn't already aware of; and many of the "revelations" (i.e. Donald paid someone else to take his SATs) have pretty quickly made their way out to the twitterverse and cable news shows. Yet to read it all in the words of a member of the family and trained psychologist is well worth your time, even if only as an overview of dysfunction within an American family. At just over 200 pages it's a pretty quick read.

[over.the.edge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is much easier to understand exactly how Donald Trump became such a broken, unstable and dispassionate man, with absolutely no clue about other people, or their needs. It explains,for me, why he is such a troubled, fragile and weak man who has to lash out daily on Twitter, to make himself feel good about himself, and, to attempt to divert attention from what he is really doing. It does not excuse his behavior, and his hateful countenance, but it does help to explain how he became this way. This book is more about her father, Freddy, than her Uncle, Donald. Freddy's father, had an over riding need for personal recognition and to appear powerful. He did this by bullying, demeaning, and insulting others. Fred, Donalds older brother, would have inherited the Trump empire, but was so undermined and bullied by his father, he fell into a deep depression and alcoholism. He died at 46 from heart disease, although it has been rumored a suicide.Donald learned from watching how his older brother, Fred, was treated. He learned that he should never admit or show weakness; that lying and cheating to win is better than losing to the "others", and nothing else matters but you. Donald, therefore, although he has always relied on his inheritance, sees himself as a self- made billionaire, and believes if he says something enough times, it makes it a reality.I recommend this book, it is written well but could use some editing, and some parts felt to far out of sequence. This will help you understand the role family can play in a person's life and self image.

[maggieflo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mary Trump is the granddaughter of Fred and MaryTrump, the patriarch/matriarch of the Trump Family development company. They had five children, Fred, Maryann, Donald, Robert and Elizabeth. Mary’s father was Freddy, the oldest of the children. She spends half the book outlining Freddy’s inability to please his father at the sake of his mental health and his personal value. Whatever he tried his hand at, his father belittled and ostracized him. Having no interest in property management, his efforts at finding his own destiny, piloting commercial airlines were a failure. His self esteem plummeted and he became an alcoholic. He eventually died at a young age penniless. His widow Linda and her two children were provided with an apartment in one of the Trump buildings. These buildings were poorly built, managed and maintained. When she asked for help, she was ignored.So this dysfunctional family became the incubator for Donald Trump’s training as a cheat, liar, uncaring, unfaithful womanizer and bankruptee. Although Fred Trump was never in debt, he certainly saw Donald accumulate debt and Fred for some reason continued to buy him out because he was impressed with the publicity generated by Donald.When Fred died, Mary and her brother Fritz were not included in the will. Fred was so disappointed in Freddy that he chose to humiliate his grandchildren by leaving them completely out of his will.Interesting book with some good analysis of the family and its dysfunction.

[sheila1957 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Trump family from Mary Trump's point of view. She was surprisingly compassionate as she talks about the family, how they were raised, and how they turned out as adults. I could find no boo-hoo moments where she wallowed in self-pity. She put the family out there as she saw them. I have to admire her for not railing against their treatment of her branch of the family. They were not a kind family. Fred, the Trump patriarch, could not see that each of his children has different personalities than him and that it was not a bad thing. Unfortunately he wanted winners and "killers" so when Freddy was not the same personality as him, he destroyed him emotionally. With supportive parents Freddy would have had a different life that would have been a success. The girls, Maryanne and Elizabeth, were not looked at by Fred. They were girls and did not count. They, too, with supportive parents would have achieved success. Donald needed someone to keep him in line which neither parent did. Fred rewarded his behavior while Mary overlooked what he did. The youngest, Robert, hung with Donald but, like Freddy for his father, became the scapegoat for Donald.I am amazed that Mary, the niece, as she tells the stories from and of the family that she remained in contact with them after Fred's will was read. It is hard to believe that anyone would want to be around these people. They are flawed and not looking to change. While she paints a sympathetic picture and wants to explain why her uncle and his siblings are the way they are, I still did not come away liking these adults. I felt sorry for all the children and grandchildren in this family. I hope some day they all find love and acceptance just for themselves and not for who their ancestors are.

[bunny0055 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not surprising, just confirmed what I have thought for years.

[clara53_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mary Trump is on shaky ground: being one of the family, her testimony may be interpreted as one based on resentment. But it's one thing for a family to deal with a dysfunctional offspring, it's quite another - when a country is faced with him as a leader.  Mary Trump paints an honest picture of the family and her uncle's place in it, as well as his manipulative journey up to this point. Yes, one can blame Trump's  many faults on his emotionally cruel father who "damaged past healing the psyche of his favorite child, Donald J. Trump", and on distant mother, but there is really no excuse for such a severely flawed individual to be at the helm of the country.

[peggyk49 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to read this book because, after hearing a couple of interviews with Mary L. Trump, I was curious to know if it would help explain why #45 behaves the way he does. This book has certainly helped in that respect. He is a child of a very dysfunctional family, but that in no way excuses his actions. It just clues us in on the whys and wherefores of his behavior. At his core, he is still a 3 year old child who throws tantrums to get his way.

[mrdickie · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I borrowed this book from the library. This is the personal account of Donald J. Trump's niece, Mary L. Trump who is the daughter of Freddy Trump, Donald's older brother who died an untimely death from alcohol addiction. It's the sad story of a very rich and dysfunctional family. Two of the siblings went on to hold prominent positions of power, Maryanee as a federal judge and Donald as President of the United States.

[liscarey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mary Trump, niece of Donald Trump, has written a short, highly readable, interesting, and informative book about her uncle. It's about how damaged parents raised even more damaged children, especially the "favorite," Donald himself.It's not a political exposé. You will be disappointed if that's what you're looking for. Donald was the fourth of five children, and the second of three sons, of Fred Trump and Mary Anne Trump. He was two years old, and his brother Robert, the one recently buried from the White House, was only nine months old, when their mother became very ill and was suddenly hospitalized. It was months before she recovered, to the extent that she did, and in the interim, Fred didn't bother to parent the kids at all; that was Mary Anne's job. It was not his job, even when she wasn't available to do it.However good a parent Mary Anne Trump may have been before this illness, she was much less able to be an effective parent afterward. Mary Trump, based on what her aunts, father, and possibly her uncles told her, says that Mary Anne was the type of mother who used her children to comfort herself, rather than comforting them.Fred Trump pitted his sons, especially Freddy and Donald, against each other.Donald, even as a toddler, was seeing his elder brother, Freddy, abused and neglected due to not having the "killer" traits that Fred was determined his son should have.Donald learned fear watching the abuse of his brother, and learned ruthlessness and disregard for anyone but himself as he hid his fear and was rewarded for even his worst behavior.There are parts of this book that resonate very strongly with me, relating to, let me be clearly, childhood experiences that were not nearly so bad and parents that were not nearly so damaged themselves, but which nevertheless have some resemblances.Some reviews complain that Mary Trump shows some empathy for Donald. Of course she does; she's a clinical psychologist, and unlike Donald, she's a normal human being who does have empathy and who watched some of the abuse, of Donald and of her father, up close. I feel some of that empathy, too.It doesn't change what we should do about Donald Trump. It doesn't change my astonishment, or apparently Mary's, that so many people were taken in by him in the 2016 election. He's a very damaged person, incapable of doing the job he currently has, and that's a danger to all of us.Recommended.I bought this book.

[toobusyreading · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is quick read but it goes a long way toward explaining #45. It does not excuse his behavior, but it does explain what in credibly dysfunctional family he had, and he is continuing the tradition.Is this book sour grapes? Perhaps. But I don't doubt that most of it, if not all of it, is true. I have watched enough of the president to know how he reacts, how badly he behaves, how everything is about him with absolutely no empathy for others. Mentally ill? I've thought that for a long time, and I don't think I'm wrong. However, it is very interesting to read it from his niece's perspective. And I feel so sorry for Mary's father, having gotten the short end of the stick in the family dynamics.If you have ever wondered “What the heck??” this goes a long way towards answering that question.

[meredy_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This narrative has the ring of truth.If it isn't true, then it must be counted as a work of brilliant verisimilitude. If it isn't true, it's as compellingly inventive as any world-creating fantasy by a master of fiction. The voice of conviction together with the vivid detail and the latitude and longitude of analysis (despite its brevity) argues for truth.This is not an instance of great writing, and it isn't a display of great editing either. It has some rough spots. It sounds in places as if portions were written at long intervals, without looking back, and possibly as self-contained shorter pieces that hadn't been stitched into a seamless whole. I would also guess that sections or passages have been deleted without a thorough check of continuity in the remaining parts.For example, the author refers to her parents as Freddy and Linda through much of the book, and then suddenly they're "my father" and "my mom." A reference to Gam comes without introduction, and even though we can guess it's a grandmother, we don't know at first which one. Those are editorial lapses that should have been scrupulously addressed in a book destined to be as high-profile as this one. Some future historical study is going to have to "sic" a lot of quotes.Curiously, the author's own blind spots contribute to a sense of authenticity that it would be hard to counterfeit. Speaking of her father's critical illness and death in 1981 at age 42, she writes of how her grandparents had generously supported two top-flight medical facilities in New York, but that when her father was taken ill, "A single phone call would have guaranteed the best treatment for their son at either facility. No call was made" (page 121). Instead, the ambulance took him to a public hospital in Queens, where he died later that night. Even while deploring the family's sense of entitlement and exemption from the constraints of ordinary mortals, she implicitly shares the expectation of privilege with which her father ought to have been treated by reason of her grandfather's wealth.Nevertheless, if a technical critique brings out a number of shortcomings, nothing can reduce the impact of the content. This book wipes away all pretext for justifying the conduct of the monster in the White House.I read this book for three reasons:(1) raw curiosity;(2) validation--a kind of grim satisfaction in seeing in close view just how bad this situation is; and (3) a warning.With respect to the first, I very nearly regret that urge, because, as they say, you can't unsee it. The spectacle of young Donald relentlessly tormenting his little brother Robert, the one who died just two weeks ago, with everyone else utterly powerless to make him stop, effectively snuffs any hope of kindness or decency from this warped man-thing.To the second: it turns out to be far worse than I imagined. Somewhere in my soul, I hoped and believed that this president, an American president, our president, could not be as crude and vile a character as he appeared. Something like humanity must be there to be found, perhaps by a close family member, if not by a traumatized public. Not so. There is no redeeming quality there. There is no saving virtue. There is only vice, and more of it than most of literature has ever concentrated in one character before. I am at a loss to take it in. What's more, I think it would poison me if I could.No later than page 11, we read: "the lies, misrepresentations, and fabrications that are the sum total of who my uncle is." Mary depicts an unfathomable concavity that shouldn't exist this side of hell.I predict a future version of Godwin's law that invokes another name.For the third, it is that: a warning. Mary writes that her mission is "to take Donald down" (page 188). Her book won't do that directly. What it does do, has done, is to hand over the keys to Trump's psyche. There can't be a politician anywhere in the U.S., and probably not anywhere in the world, who hasn't read this or won't be reading it soon. And I imagine that even the ones who've seen Trump up close are uniformly appalled by what this book exposes.Some will still call it a pack of lies; but then let them put forward a narrative that fits the facts better than this one.However, I fear that there may still be too much uncomprehending optimism in the populace at large, just as there is about covid-19: can it really, really, really be as bad as they say? We don't have the yardstick that can take its measure. The Republican National Convention ended two nights ago. Yesterday an opinion writer named Mimi Swartz wrote this comment in the New York Times: Democrats who spent the last four nights watching Netflix aren’t ready for what’s coming.I hope they will be. I hope they use the keys.

[weeziesbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book explains much of the development of the person Trump but excuses none of his behavior. It is a fast read and in so many ways incredibly sad for their family and for all of us. Yes, one person can make a difference. Unfortunately that can be good or bad.

[thecrow2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The most important thing probably is that this book is not about Donald Trump more like about his family and about how this family made him the man he is now. As a clinical psychologist, Mary L. Trump gives us a very sharp and detailed description about how a pathological head of the family can ruin multiple lives.

[anamie-694496 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An intimate perspective into the Trump family from Donald's niece showing the environment that created this cult of personality. Donald's father, Fred, was very committed to his own company that he may have neglected a few other things along the way. Excess money is known to corrupt some people to a degree and the dynamics of this family could not have been a better illustration. Donald was rewarded generously but seemed to have no desire to help anyone else including his family. That said, this book had a bit of tell instead of show. There are a lot of inflammatory remarks towards Donald and while rightfully done at times I think it is better to have the reader decide on their own based on the storytelling. There are plenty of great examples demonstrating Trump's behavior in the book itself so it may have been great without it. (Maybe I should have added, fantastic?) My favorite parts include the brief ghostwriting gig and the unusual Christmas presents. It is worth a read if you are curious about the Trump family in general.

[susan.macura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While almost all of us acknowledge that Donald Trump is the worst president in our history, this book gives us so many reasons why. To say that the Trump family has issues would be a gross understatement. All of the worst characteristics Donald exhibits were fostered by a totally horrible set of parents to the detriment of his siblings. I found this book extremely insightful and totally recommend people read it for so many reasons.

[texascheeseman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Too Much and Never EnoughAuthor: Mary Trump PHDPublisher: Publishing Date: Pgs: Dewey: Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX_________________________________________________REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERSSummary: Mary Trump spent much of her childhood in her grandparents’ large, imposing house in New York, where Donald and his four siblings grew up. She describes a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse. She explains how specific events and general family patterns created the damaged man who currently occupies the Oval Office, including the strange and harmful relationship between Fred Trump and his two oldest sons, Fred Jr. and Donald. A first-hand witness, Mary brings an incisive wit and unexpected humour to sometimes grim, often confounding family events. She recounts in unsparing detail everything from her uncle Donald’s place in the family spotlight and Ivana’s penchant for regifting to her grandmother’s frequent injuries and illnesses and the appalling way Donald, Fred Trump’s favourite son, dismissed and derided him when he began to succumb to Alzheimer’s. Numerous pundits, armchair psychologists and journalists have sought to explain Donald Trump’s lethal flaws. Mary Trump has the education, insight and intimate familiarity needed to reveal what makes Donald, and the rest of her clan, tick. She alone can recount this fascinating, unnerving saga, not just because of her insider’s perspective but also because she is the only Trump willing to tell the truth about one of the world’s most powerful and dysfunctional families._________________________________________________Genre:HistoryPoliticsBiographyPresidents of the United States of AmericaGovernmentPsychologyWhy this book:Because Jeff bought it._________________________________________________Favorite Quote:His egregious and arguably intentional mishandling of the current catastrophe has led to a level of pushback and scrutiny that he’s never experienced before, increasing his belligerence and need for petty revenger and he withholds vital funding...equipment...that your tax dollars have paid for from states whose governors don’t kiss his ass sufficiently. If he is afforded a second term, it would be the end of American democracy.This is the book. This sums it up. This is Donald Trump. “Donald today is much as he was at three years old: incapable of growing, learning, or evolving, unable to regulate his emotions, moderate his responses, or take in and synthesize information. Donald’s need for affirmation is so great that he doesn’t seem to notice that the largest group of his supporters are people he wouldn’t condescend to be seen with outside a rally. His deep-seated insecurities have created in him a black hole of need that constantly requires the light of compliments that disappears as soon as he’s soaked it in. Nothing is ever enough. This is far beyond garden-variety narcissism; Donald is not simply weak, his ego is a fragile thing that must be bolstered every moment because he knows deep down that he is nothing of what he claims to be. He knows he has never been loved. So he must draw you in if he can by getting you to assent to even the most seemingly insignificant thing: “Isn’t this plane great?” “Yes, Donald, this plane is great.” It would be rude to begrudge him that small concession. Then he makes his vulnerabilities and insecurities your responsibility: you must assuage them, you must take care of him. Failing to do so leaves a vacuum that is unbearable for him to withstand for long. If you’re someone who cares about his approval, you’ll say anything to retain it. He has suffered mightily, and if you aren’t doing all you can to alleviate that suffering, you should suffer too.”Trump in a nutshell - “...each transgression inevitably led to another, more serious one.” This is how he’s governing.“...self congratulation, demagoguery, and ring kissing” The Trump Presidency. Hmm Moments:Being certain to refer to herself as a PHD on the book cover and title page...I mean she’s earned it, so yeah. It’s funny to me because it seems a very Trump thing to do. So his father is where the penchant for referring to people as “nasty” came from. As in the vignette about grandpa when Mary asked to be allowed to return to school to pursue her degree when he wanted her to go to trade school and become a receptionist...and what does grandpa do, he refers to her as “nasty.”So Fred Trump’s Monster became exactly what he wanted it to be. And it went on to continue being that way because once Fred was in no shape to prop it up anymore it had become a self perpetuating creature with the banks and the media taking Fred’s place in Donald’s orbit.WTF Moments:When Donald showed his ass while visiting Freddie, Freddie shoulda beat his ass. No way should he have taken a browbeating from his arrogant POS teenage brother acting as his father’s tool, especially not in his own house. Just one more brick in the wall that became the overblown ego of Donald. Freddie getting drunk and pointing a rifle at his wife’s head in front of his daughter. Saints they ain’t. Wow. Pretty chickenshit trying to grab the whole inheritance for himself while misleading a man with Alzheimers into signing a codicil to his will and making him think that it was his idea. Chickenshit. The grandpa’s will episode tells you everything you need to know about this shithole family. Wisdom:In Trump world, the story is more important than the truth. And the story is only good if it shines a positive light on Donald. Juxtaposition:So, in the early days, before the election, Maryanne would still treat Donald like her little brother. Tell stories on him. Give an honest assessment. That disappears after the election. Though if word of her quotes in this book reach the President’s ear, I bet she gets relegated to the back of the family bus with Mary’s direct kin.The older Trump children having to beg for nickels and dimes from the laundry machines at Trump properties when they supposedly had trust funds is telling. Fred set up the trust funds for the “kids” for tax purposes, but kept control of the monies in perpetuity for himself and the organization. So for tax purposes, it was theirs...but in reality it was just another arm of Trump Management. Bet Donald is hiding money similarly. The Unexpected:The moment when I realized what she was saying about her uncle’s psychological makeup in the text. The “why doesn’t Daddy love me” moment. Damn._________________________________________________Pacing:Very well paced. Last Page Sound:I’m glad I read this. It improves my understanding of the familial horror show that birthed the President. Woof. Just damn. Questions I’m Left With:So...if her lawyer lied to her and her brother about how much her grandfather’s estate was worth, but had documents showing how much it was actually worth, isn’t that grounds for both his disbarment and the case being reopened?Conclusions I’ve Drawn:Without Dad’s money, he wouldn’t have lasted in the spotlight. Without the spotlight, how long is he going to last? This man is not going to respond well to the entire world not giving a shit what he thinks once he’s out of office.Author Assessment:She called the ball and took her shot. Hopefully it swooshed. Extremely well written._________________________________________________