Too Much And Never Enough

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Trump, Mary L. Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man. Simon and Schuster, 2020.
Too Much and Never Enough is one of those books whose basic argument and most telling evidence have been widely publicized. Its political argument--that Donald Trump is unsuited for the office he holds because of his bullying narcissistic personality and need for continual praise--is stated fully in the book’s prologue and epilogue. Mary Trump also notes that Donald is unable to synthesize new information and that he has often taken credit for achievements of others. The body of the book details how Donald Trump’s sociopathic father and emotionally distant mother created a toxic family environment that damaged all their children in different ways—Donald and Freddy, Mary’s father, most of all. Freddy displeased Fred Sr. by becoming an airline pilot instead of working for the family firm under his father’s autocratic rule. When alcoholism cost him his airline job and

...

drove him back under his father’s wing, his life went on a downward spiral that ended in an early heart attack at age 42.

Donald, by contrast, was pampered and praised for his bad behavior, his failures swept under the rug, and his bullying enabled. Every member of the family, to one extent or another, was encouraged to equate wealth with self-worth. What is missing in Mary Trump’s family story is the same kind of incisive psychological analysis of herself that she gives to others. In fact, one learns little about Mary herself, which is a shame because that kind of personal story could have broadened the book beyond its topical political context and made it a book to read long after Trump’s presidency has ended.

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Guest 8 months ago

The book jumps around to different incidents in no real order. The family is portrayed during its worst moments. But despite the anger, most of which seems justified; it's a rather interesting read. I used to laugh at Donny, now I feel bad for him. She explained a lot of what our country witnessed, while asking WTF. The days of the drunken, corrupt, skirt chasing Kennedys look good compared to this bunch.

Guest 3 years ago

I live in Germany and see the dictatorship of Merkel coming.And I see how much Mr. Trump fight for free speech and stop the MSM from censorship.For me he is a great upright men who work for freedom and free speech.Those google,Twittler and other manipulators must be stopped. Everybody must fight for true otherwise we get 1984. So much lies about him from people with its own aim to produce themselves,see M.Markle a nothing and will it ever be.with regards from Germany

Guest 3 years ago

It is very easy to criticize and even call those you disagree with "delusional." How convenient, of course, that you are so political in your assessment. Will you do us the honor of using the same criticism on our former POTUS Obama and the current one Biden. Obviously, these are your heroes and you would never dare speak badly about them. If you call out the former, you'd be labelled a "racist." Again, how convenient! Even though I am Black myself. Obama, too, has many dirty secrets, did not do ANYTHING for the black community, was a drug addict, had sex with men (funny that the guy who wrote about this because he was one of those who had homosexual encounters with the former POTUS suddenly was made to disappear from the social scene), the line from his mother and white grandparents were slave owners (but you'd never hear about that in the media.)
As for the latter, he certainly suffers from mental/health issues (old age, Alzheimers, etc.), and his son has strong connections to China and was given lucrative jobs (for which he was unqualified) only because daddy Biden promise millions of US taxpayers money. But you also would not dare go there, either. After all, you voted for him, didn't you?
Let's not kid ourselves. How about in reading this book you also take into consideration, what the POTUSes have accomplished while in office. Obama proved useless as a president; as for Biden, he is just pushing an agenda that is going to prove costly to this nation, our children and grandchildren. He is also clueless and accomplished ZERO while wasting away 47+ years in office (again, while milking the taxpayers). You obviously read this book and hate Trump. But, hate him or not, he did accomplish WAY MORE that all your leftist heroes...even while the media and democrats kept lying (for over 3 YEARS) about Russia collusion and all other types of political lies and schemes....so go ahead...show us what evidence the media and democrats had and why did CNN, MSNBC, ABC and all the other leftist news outlets that continued the charade and hatred for Trump night after night suddenly dropped the whole thing. Why? Because it was just another BIG LIE of the left. They had ZERO evidence yet tried to create a straw man to bring down the POTUS.
So, after reading this book, for you to even allude to calling Trump "delusional," makes it obvious that you read through leftist political glasses. Please take them off, wipe your leftist garbage mucus off of your eyes and wake up to reality. It is your political party, along with the Hollywood elite, the corrupt leftist media and big tech that are bent on destroying this great nation. As Rocky would say, "America (that's right the US),...Love it or leave it!"

Guest 3 years ago

I know what most people are asking for: is the POTUS insane? The answer is not to be found in this book because it is hard and unethical for a psychologist to diagnose their family, but we do get a small insight into the dynamics of the Trump Clan.

Fred Trump Sr., namesake of Mary Trump's late father, valued toughness and emotional numbness in his children. A childhood in the House under Fred Sr. and Mary (Anne, there are loooooots of namesakes in this book) was cold and expectations on the heir aparrent, Fred Jr, were high. This book is mainly about Fred Jr. and his early death from health problems excerberated by alcoholism. Jr was a disappointment to his father, too soft and not brash enough. Never good (or bad) enough. He suffered a lot of humiliation from his father and later his brother Donald. Donald was a lot younger than Jr. and probably to avoid suffering the same fate he began to emulate his father to please him. He became the son Fred Sr. wanted and so father and son continued to build on the empire the former had founded. Unfortunately, superficial charm and bragadociousness does not translate to competence and affinity for anything and The Donald got a lot of monetary and political backing from Daddy dearest when he started off in the business. The Donald became a mythological creation of Fred Sr., and in the end both father (suffering from Alzheimers) and son (delusional) believed in.

We also get to know Fred Jr., his ambitions and dreams and ultimate destruction and why the other four siblings decided that money was worth more than family bonds like nieces and (great-)nephews. In a family that values success and money, money becomes the de facto expression of love.

There is no reason to assume that Mary is not in some small or big way driven by a sense of revenge and slight since she and her brother got tricked out of their father's share of the inheritance after Fred Sr. died. She could have written this book as soon as Unca' Donald announced he was running, or at the impeachment hearings or any of the scandals that have come and gone during his presidency. But she waits until the last possible minute, before the elections. It can be construed as a calculated move, or a desperate last ditch effort to make something stick to the Teflon Don who has gotten away with everything he's ever done.

A lot of the book reads as a redemption or explanation of why Fred Jr., Mary's father, ended up like he did. Fred Sr. was a cruel man who instilled fear and controlled his family with an iron fist and his oldest son was indoctrinated to think that he wanted to be what his father wanted him to be, but he was constantly humiliated and blamed for every little mistake. He just took it and did everything that Sr wanted, but Sr wanted a tough as nails son and Don recognized that and modeled himself in his father's image.

They say sociopaths are made, and psychopaths are born, but it is an old adage that isn't necessarily true anymore with today's science. This book might not change anyone's mind about Trump, hell, I bet not one Trumper will even pick it up, but it will show the reader that while he was created by his father, the world he lives in never ever held him accountable for his transgressions or crimes. This is nothing new, he has been conning NYC and the US since the 1970's. This society is perfect for him. Money is king and talks and impresses and this way he now has come to yield the ultimate power over America. I bet Trump would have loved Aynd Rand's books if he could read.

Guest 4 years ago

I know what most people are asking for: is the POTUS insane? The answer is not to be found in this book because it is hard and unethical for a psychologist to diagnose their family, but we do get a small insight into the dynamics of the Trump Clan.

Fred Trump Sr., namesake of Mary Trump's late father, valued toughness and emotional numbness in his children. A childhood in the House under Fred Sr. and Mary (Anne, there are loooooots of namesakes in this book) was cold and expectations on the heir aparrent, Fred Jr, were high. This book is mainly about Fred Jr. and his early death from health problems excerberated by alcoholism. Jr was a disappointment to his father, too soft and not brash enough. Never good (or bad) enough. He suffered a lot of humiliation from his father and later his brother Donald. Donald was a lot younger than Jr. and probably to avoid suffering the same fate he began to emulate his father to please him. He became the son Fred Sr. wanted and so father and son continued to build on the empire the former had founded. Unfortunately, superficial charm and bragadociousness does not translate to competence and affinity for anything and The Donald got a lot of monetary and political backing from Daddy dearest when he started off in the business. The Donald became a mythological creation of Fred Sr., and in the end both father (suffering from Alzheimers) and son (delusional) believed in.

We also get to know Fred Jr., his ambitions and dreams and ultimate destruction and why the other four siblings decided that money was worth more than family bonds like nieces and (great-)nephews. In a family that values success and money, money becomes the de facto expression of love.

There is no reason to assume that Mary is not in some small or big way driven by a sense of revenge and slight since she and her brother got tricked out of their father's share of the inheritance after Fred Sr. died. She could have written this book as soon as Unca' Donald announced he was running, or at the impeachment hearings or any of the scandals that have come and gone during his presidency. But she waits until the last possible minute, before the elections. It can be construed as a calculated move, or a desperate last ditch effort to make something stick to the Teflon Don who has gotten away with everything he's ever done.

A lot of the book reads as a redemption or explanation of why Fred Jr., Mary's father, ended up like he did. Fred Sr. was a cruel man who instilled fear and controlled his family with an iron fist and his oldest son was indoctrinated to think that he wanted to be what his father wanted him to be, but he was constantly humiliated and blamed for every little mistake. He just took it and did everything that Sr wanted, but Sr wanted a tough as nails son and Don recognized that and modeled himself in his father's image.

They say sociopaths are made, and psychopaths are born, but it is an old adage that isn't necessarily true anymore with today's science. This book might not change anyone's mind about Trump, hell, I bet not one Trumper will even pick it up, but it will show the reader that while he was created by his father, the world he lives in never ever held him accountable for his transgressions or crimes. This is nothing new, he has been conning NYC and the US since the 1970's. This society is perfect for him. Money is king and talks and impresses and this way he now has come to yield the ultimate power over America. I bet Trump would have loved Aynd Rand's books if he could read.

Guest 2 years ago

Life isnt just about money. Its about contentment - contentment for all or as many people as possible. Trump was only interested in supporting his white followers and minority hangers on who he had no problem with advertising only because they exalted him. They wanted what whites wanted but still couldnt get it - except in a token capacity. And what about what happened to the economy because Trump didnt act quickly enough to avert the spread of covid in the initial phases of America's contraction and spreading of covid because of his unwavering adherance to his blinding philosophy of positivity when people were dying. His cloisted, priveleged upbringing is part of the reason why he's a staunch xenophobe of some non-white minorities that this book probably covered too.

Guest 2 years ago

I dont see why Mary Trump has to include herself in a biographical non-fiction type of book about Trump as expressed in its title and subtitle. Trump tanked the environment, Native American land rights and minority rights etc and had ubiquitous access to power and media influence including the overt mouthpiece of conservative politics - Fox news, so its a challenge to feel sympathy for a reality douce that had his ready hands on "the football". He banged on and on with jutted arrogant lips and constantly open mouth, calling people losers when he was bailed out of his financial tanking over and over again by his daddy who also set him up with millions. He's a big fraud who has suckered the desperate or those that fear the diminishment of their superior status analogous with the amount of reactive melanine in their skin that is simply an environmental adaptation - as is black skin. His skin color and gender was his only ticket required to get him in the door. So in the pursuit of public interest Mary brought this out, way too late, but because his followers were so desperate they probsbly wouldnt have read it back then either - because he was seen as being the ' great white hope' for America. Why did Mary take so long to bring it out? Maybe because she thought that he had buckley's chance of getting in - as many did. Or maybe because it took her a while to organise, research and write it. Nevertheless it did come out and can provide a personal insider insight to someone who wasnt her client at least. As far as it being unethical, there is an argument for that, but by far, it is the lesser of too evils, when compared to him being in power and contravening the constitution among many ills committed by this overblown doucebag.
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