Book Review: Too Much and Never Enough

It has been a while since I've written a book review here. I've been reading a lot and blogging less. I hope to add more in the coming weeks. But this was worth writing about. This week, I read "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man" by Mary L. Trump. 

I had not been very aware at all of President Trump's past so when I heard about this book I was intrigued. Our childhood stories have so much to do with how we handle our current relationships and how we see life. Mary L. Trump is Donald Trump's niece and a psychologist so she carries some unique perspectives to his childhood and how that created the man we see today. I will say that the bias she carries as the daughter of Freddy Trump who died young and was seemingly the black sheep of the family is highlighted throughout her writing, but the relationship between brothers does reveal a lot about President Trump's character.

I jokingly told Chris, "If you need motivation to be a good parent (showing empathy and being present for your kids), read this!" Meaning it tells the story of what can happen when both parents are absent (physically, emotionally or mentally). Also, how dangerous it is to have a "favorite" or compare your children to each other.

Fred Trump didn't like what he saw in his son Freddy; he only spoke critically, offering no praise or support. Donald watched this and quickly learned how to be "the best" and ignore anyone who said otherwise. Although several years younger than Freddy, Donald saw himself as better than Freddy from early on. And very quickly became is father's favorite. 

The book goes on to describe how Fred ignored behavioral issues and essentially encouraged Donald to bully others to get what he wanted. His whole family believed that Donald got what he wanted, so there was no reason to stir the pot or disagree. And in his current role, he has surrounded himself with people who will agree with him or risk being fired for challenging him. He has been this way since childhood.

I was also shocked (and outraged) by how many millions of dollars he has lost in his business and how his father kept bailing him out. How banks supported his failing businesses because of the publicity it brought them with the Trump name. And how he and his family have gotten away with tax evasion for decades. And he sees nothing wrong with that. 

I wish no disrespect for our President; there are certainly things I wish would have been handled differently. Knowing his story (albeit from someone else's perspective) helps paint the bigger picture of why he makes the choices he makes. I will continue to pray for the decisions on his shoulders and that he would see those around him as equal, valuable humans. I wish his father would have seen his children that way.

It has been a while since I've written a book review here. I've been reading a lot and blogging less. I hope to add more in the coming weeks. But this was worth writing about. This week, I read "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man" by Mary L. Trump. 

I had not been very aware at all of President Trump's past so when I heard about this book I was intrigued. Our childhood stories have so much to do with how we handle our current relationships and how we see life. Mary L. Trump is Donald Trump's niece and a psychologist so she carries some unique perspectives to his childhood and how that created the man we see today. I will say that the bias she carries as the daughter of Freddy Trump who died young and was seemingly the black sheep of the family is highlighted throughout her writing, but the relationship between brothers does reveal a lot about President Trump's character.

I jokingly told Chris, "If you need motivation to be a good parent (showing empathy and being present for your kids), read this!" Meaning it tells the story of what can happen when both parents are absent (physically, emotionally or mentally). Also, how dangerous it is to have a "favorite" or compare your children to each other.

Fred Trump didn't like what he saw in his son Freddy; he only spoke critically, offering no praise or support. Donald watched this and quickly learned how to be "the best" and ignore anyone who said otherwise. Although several years younger than Freddy, Donald saw himself as better than Freddy from early on. And very quickly became is father's favorite. 

The book goes on to describe how Fred ignored behavioral issues and essentially encouraged Donald to bully others to get what he wanted. His whole family believed that Donald got what he wanted, so there was no reason to stir the pot or disagree. And in his current role, he has surrounded himself with people who will agree with him or risk being fired for challenging him. He has been this way since childhood.

I was also shocked (and outraged) by how many millions of dollars he has lost in his business and how his father kept bailing him out. How banks supported his failing businesses because of the publicity it brought them with the Trump name. And how he and his family have gotten away with tax evasion for decades. And he sees nothing wrong with that. 

I wish no disrespect for our President; there are certainly things I wish would have been handled differently. Knowing his story (albeit from someone else's perspective) helps paint the bigger picture of why he makes the choices he makes. I will continue to pray for the decisions on his shoulders and that he would see those around him as equal, valuable humans. I wish his father would have seen his children that way.