Too Much and Never Enough
Complex
Layered
Emotional

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

Mary L. Trump2020
In this revelatory, authoritative portrait of Donald J. Trump and the toxic family that made him, Mary L. Trump, a trained clinical psychologist and Donald’s only niece, shines a bright light on the dark history of their family in order to explain how her uncle became the man who now threatens the world’s health, economic security and social fabric. 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.
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Reviews

Photo of _linia_
_linia_@dolohov
1 star
Dec 17, 2024

Controversial opinion, but it's not that great of a book regardless of what you think of Trump. Tries to pathologise politics and say a whole country elected DT because of his daddy issues, which in my opinion simplifies a lot about 2016.

Photo of Patrick Book
Patrick Book@patrickb
5 stars
Jul 5, 2024

Call it schadenfreude or confirmation bias or whatever, but this was engrossing and thrilling and remarkable and I couldn’t put it down.

Photo of Sveinbjörn Pálsson
Sveinbjörn Pálsson@sveinbjorn
3 stars
Oct 2, 2023

Not sure this will age well. As a first-hand tale of a dysfunctional family and its consequences, it’s fascinating. The enormous size of these consequences on the world of today really raise those stakes too. The magic is in the mixture of the read of the psychologist with the drama of the tell-all book. But therein lie the problems too, the mixture of distanced professional read and personal grievance. I listened to the audible version in one sitting. I quite enjoyed it. I think its probably a polarising book, appart from politics. Those I’ve spoken to are either fascinated or repulsed by the concept of the book. So I suspect not a lot of people will look into reviews first.

Photo of Lily Elizabeth Labella
Lily Elizabeth Labella@lel_737
4 stars
Feb 9, 2023

I was skeptical reading this because I thought Mary L. Trump was too close to the subject to create an accurate portrait of the very terrible 45th POTUS. I assumed it would read like a long People Magazine article and recount all the horrible things Donald had done to her and her portion of the Trump family. While that was indeed a large part of the book, and that bias should be taken into account, it was by no means the full extent of book. Anyone who had doubts about Trump's emotional and mental well being while bearing witness to his time in office will find more than a few traumatic episodes and psychological phenomenas to ponder. It certainly presents a candid portrayal of how such a chaotic and controversial figure came to be.

+8
Photo of Keven Wang
Keven Wang@kevenwang
5 stars
Feb 4, 2023

Great psychological analysis of Donald. And the dysfunction of the Trump family

Photo of MK Rosencrants
MK Rosencrants@statmonkey
4 stars
Jan 18, 2023

Most of the reviews sum things up pretty well. It is a short and worthwhile read. Nothing shocking, nothing really new. But what I think is most significant is her confirming that she was the source of the financial information for the times articles on the Trump Enterprise tax exposure and her confirming that Pappy Fred gave the Donald $400 Mil plus tax free. I think this stuff hasn't been dealt with completely to date and expect that of all that is in the book this is the stuff that will be most damaging to his campaign. Hopefully, anyone who reads this book realizes how important it is to vote.

Photo of Cindy Lieberman
Cindy Lieberman@chicindy
4 stars
Nov 9, 2022

Absent and uninvolved parenting can create monsters. And even if I can feel the tiniest bit of empathy for a man who has none, that doesn’t make him fit to be president. If Ms Trump offered suggestions (aside from just going along with it, as she was mostly forced to do as a young girl), I would give this a fifth star. A well-written and interesting look behind the scenes at one of the most powerful and dangerous families of the current century.

Photo of Allison
Allison@seepygirl
5 stars
Aug 28, 2022

“Everything’s great. Right, Toots?” Really upsetting how the Trump family treated Mary’s father, Freddy. Surprised she even included stuff up to the current year.

Photo of Sloan, Kara
Sloan, Kara@kayraw
4 stars
Jun 9, 2022

I must admit morbid curiosity compelled me to search what might have been the shaping family dynamics of America's biggest conman. It definitely slaked that thirst, however, it wasn't anything we didn't really already know from his financial history. I was hoping it might be more illuminating as to why people take to him so much, and how his behavior was reinforced that way as well as by his father and family dynamic, but it just focused on the family. As Mary Trump is a psychologist, I am a little disappointed that she kind of just left that question of 'why do people love him so much' as a baffled I don't know. That's something I was hoping would be more illuminated here in later chapters. Still good though.

Photo of Cindy Lieberman
Cindy Lieberman@chicindy
4 stars
Mar 26, 2022

Absent and uninvolved parenting can create monsters. And even if I can feel the tiniest bit of empathy for a man who has none, that doesn’t make him fit to be president. If Ms Trump offered suggestions (aside from just going along with it, as she was mostly forced to do as a young girl), I would give this a fifth star. A well-written and interesting look behind the scenes at one of the most powerful and dangerous families of the current century.

Photo of Fellowes Cynthia
Fellowes Cynthia@cynstarlight
4 stars
Mar 14, 2022

I enjoyed this book and gained some insight into Donald Trump's choices, but although I prefer Mary over Donald, I didn't particularly love Mary Trump. I can't put my finger on it - she is incredibly smart and talented - but didn't always care for the way she stated things. Glad I read it though.

Photo of Mihaela Muresan
Mihaela Muresan@mihaelam
5 stars
Jan 8, 2022

Really interesting insight into Donald Trump's family and life. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about him.

Photo of Sloan, Kara
Sloan, Kara@kayraw
4 stars
Jan 1, 2022

I must admit morbid curiosity compelled me to search what might have been the shaping family dynamics of America's biggest conman. It definitely slaked that thirst, however, it wasn't anything we didn't really already know from his financial history. I was hoping it might be more illuminating as to why people take to him so much, and how his behavior was reinforced that way as well as by his father and family dynamic, but it just focused on the family. As Mary Trump is a psychologist, I am a little disappointed that she kind of just left that question of 'why do people love him so much' as a baffled I don't know. That's something I was hoping would be more illuminated here in later chapters. Still good though.

Photo of Fiona Coffey
Fiona Coffey@bibliofi
3 stars
Dec 17, 2021

There’s nothing wrong with this book. I just realized partway through that I actually don’t give a shit about this man. So why bother giving him my attention? It was interesting to hear about him from an insider perspective however.

Photo of Kim
Kim@skullfullofbooks
3 stars
Nov 15, 2021

I'm not a Trump supporter, but if Mary Trump thought she could get me on her side with this book, she was wrong. 😂 She is just as entitled as the rest of the lot. I could do a rant review but it's all living people and that doesn't seem right to me. The book itself was an easy read and nothing was really off in the writing. I wanted to put it down a few times because the subject was kind of boring. A bunch of family feuds, people wanting to leave but wanting money more, narcissistic family members being hurtful to regular people, rich people lying about income and wealth to get more rich, etc. The typical rich family drama you would expect Read if you want some background on why Trump is the way he is, though it mostly focuses on her father, as that is the story she knows best. But it really just reads like "I was born into a rich family, but they're not very nice so you should pity me."

Photo of Jillian Slindee
Jillian Slindee@jslindee
2 stars
Nov 3, 2021

The Trumps are something else... there is no doubt about that... I probably would have a little more respect for the book if the author wasn’t so obviously bitter and vengeful.

Photo of Chelsea Breher
Chelsea Breher@cheezyreads
3 stars
Sep 27, 2021

** spoiler alert ** God I hate this man.... Borrowed this out of pure curiosity as I absolutely refuse to pay for a book about this man. There is nothing overly shocking/surprising in this book it just confirms how horrible this family is overall, it provides a background into how Donald was raised and how he became such a horrible person.

Photo of Senta
Senta@senta_eastwood
3 stars
Jan 25, 2023
Photo of behringlukas
behringlukas@behringlukas
5 stars
Jun 15, 2022
Photo of Kattia
Kattia@kattia
4 stars
May 27, 2024
Photo of Emma Bose
Emma Bose@emmashanti
5 stars
Mar 3, 2024
Photo of Beth Seaton
Beth Seaton@bethseaton
4 stars
Nov 7, 2023
Photo of The Rabid Geek
The Rabid Geek@therabidg33k
5 stars
Jul 21, 2023
Photo of Andrew Louis
Andrew Louis@hyfen
3 stars
Feb 6, 2023