You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.25 AVERAGE
3.25 AVERAGE
Much what you would expect. Entertaining and dramatic in the way that a good soap opera is. Summary, no one knows what they’re doing and Trump just wants to be liked. Overall fun read
Well, things are just as terrible as many of us fear, according to this book. A narcissistic egomaniac with no plan and no ideas of his own sits in the White House, while people around him plot and scheme to achieve their own agendas while stabbing others in the back. The pride of "anti-establishment" means that nobody knows what they're doing and they don't even know what they don't know, and blindly tell those who to to fuck right off and leave them alone. Sigh.
This was a hard read, as even as I know what's going on it's really hard to have it confirmed in a book like this one. I think it's important for everyone to read and understand, however, to see what has really happened to our country under the false promises of the republicans and their "dear leader" in charge. Ignorance and hatred are the leading talents of the day, followed with a hefty sprinkling of collusion and capitalism.
No writing issues, book was solidly written. I wish the sourcing were a little better, so four stars for that.
This was a hard read, as even as I know what's going on it's really hard to have it confirmed in a book like this one. I think it's important for everyone to read and understand, however, to see what has really happened to our country under the false promises of the republicans and their "dear leader" in charge. Ignorance and hatred are the leading talents of the day, followed with a hefty sprinkling of collusion and capitalism.
No writing issues, book was solidly written. I wish the sourcing were a little better, so four stars for that.
I normally don't get sucked into the hype, at most once or twice a year I hop on the bandwagon just to see what all the hoopla is about. With Fire and Fury, the hype is somewhat deserved. Many of the things that were mention in the book most people already knew, but as the last sentence in the book states: It's one hell of a ride.
Not the type of book I would normally read, but when I heard Donald Trump was suing to prevent it's release, I immediately put it on my must read list. I have a soft spot for banned books and the Streisand effect. This book turned out to be unputdownable. Quite an enlightening and enjoyable read.
This is a difficult book to review, since it's already been a lightning rod for controversy. Given the extensiveness of quotes and depth of description to intimate conversations, one can't help but wonder whether Wolff has added a touch of embellishment to his narrative of his 12 months semi-embedded in the Trump camp. Tracing events from the month before the 2016 election through the early fall of 2017, Wolff displays a stunning amount of access to the deepest reflections and venting of most, if not all, key Administration figures. If you're wondering what Jared Kushner thinks of Steve Bannon behind his back, or what sorts of names Trump calls his senior staff to their face or behind their backs, Michael Wolff offers red meat in bundles. To be clear, much of this book reads like the fan-fiction of a salivating liberal's wildest dreams of incompetent, bungling, malcontents in the West Wing.
Whether the book is entirely factual or not, there's plenty that reads as perfectly verifiable and plausible. Given his access, it's impossible that much of what Wolff says isn't true, if not in specific wording than certainly in meaning and intent. But beyond what's written, it's striking to see both what is and isn't included.
What is - it's striking just how much more damning the direct quotes are than Wolff's conjecture. If one pays attention to the sourcing of his anecdotes and attributions, the directly-attributed quotes are often the biggest revelations. And it's Trump's public words - the inclusion of a curated selection of tweets and public speeches - that are the most damning about his state of mind. I hadn't read the transcript of Trump's CIA speech before. It's seriously insane, and Wolff lets the whole thing speak for itself to drive home a point in an early chapter.
What isn't - overt attempts to collude with Russia. Wolff paints a compelling picture of a campaign and administration that was too incompetent to orchestrate a campaign of collusion with a foreign power, much less hold a secret meeting that wouldn't ultimately be leaked to the press. This isn't a group of political savants, and the fact that Wolff never whiffed a word of intentional collusion in his nine months in the White House - especially considering all the foul smells he certainly did whiff - is telling. It's not like anyone Wolff talked to could keep a secret. It seems more and more likely that whatever crimes the Trump cronies have committed - and Wolff surmises that there are still plenty - collusion may not be one of them. And Wolff does demonstrate some restraint in pushing the case that there was any foul play with Russia aside from basic incompetence.
Bannon uses the word treason at one point - and that's capturing a lot of the early headlines. But even he makes the case that it was treason by incompetence, the result of Don Jr. being too dense to realize what he was doing. But if the Russia investigation leads to a broader look at Trump finances, Wolff seems to make clear that there are many in the Administration who stand to be very nervous.
It's still important to read the book for what it is - an impression of conversations with key stakeholders in the Trump Administration, many of whom are documented liars and opportunists. Wolff makes no guarantee that what Bannon tells him is truth; in fact, one should go into the book with a high degree of skepticism.
There are two facets of the book that leave lasting impressions beyond the juicy quote. First, Wolff's overall assertion that it is the polarization of our media and not our politics that led to this current moment and that define American politics moving forward. Time and again, whether through the use of hindsight or through conversations with Roger Ailes and Steve Bannon, Wolff shows that the oppositional nature of conservative media to any mainstream reaction to this President that drives his popularity and empowers his irrational behavior. It's a scheme in which truth does not matter - right and wrong are defined purely by your sources of information. Let Trump be Trump - and if the liberal media goes nuts, it's proof positive that he must be doing something right.
Second, Trump's undying need to be loved. Wolff uses a plethora of examples to show that Trump demands in his minions unyielding support, and that his loyalty is exhausted the moment he perceives someone else gaining at his expense. He calls the mainstream news media fake purely because he is aggrieved that they do not adulate him; if they would only pour goodwill on him, he would cease his admonishments and heap praise like he does for Fox News. In fact, Wolff makes a compelling case that Fox News' praise means little to Trump, who craves the unattainable positive attention of those sources he truly respects. If he can win over the NY Times, he will have been a success. Much of his Presidency - and his tweets - can be explained by his frustration and confusion over the cold reception in the news media to much of his agenda. He craves nothing so much as deference - it's why he feels rapport with the Saudis and aloof about Britain; why he incessantly bashes the terrible New York Times but continually grants exclusive interviews to their White House reporters. There is no Trump governing philosophy; there is only his narcissistic need to be loved.
What a world. What a book.
Whether the book is entirely factual or not, there's plenty that reads as perfectly verifiable and plausible. Given his access, it's impossible that much of what Wolff says isn't true, if not in specific wording than certainly in meaning and intent. But beyond what's written, it's striking to see both what is and isn't included.
What is - it's striking just how much more damning the direct quotes are than Wolff's conjecture. If one pays attention to the sourcing of his anecdotes and attributions, the directly-attributed quotes are often the biggest revelations. And it's Trump's public words - the inclusion of a curated selection of tweets and public speeches - that are the most damning about his state of mind. I hadn't read the transcript of Trump's CIA speech before. It's seriously insane, and Wolff lets the whole thing speak for itself to drive home a point in an early chapter.
What isn't - overt attempts to collude with Russia. Wolff paints a compelling picture of a campaign and administration that was too incompetent to orchestrate a campaign of collusion with a foreign power, much less hold a secret meeting that wouldn't ultimately be leaked to the press. This isn't a group of political savants, and the fact that Wolff never whiffed a word of intentional collusion in his nine months in the White House - especially considering all the foul smells he certainly did whiff - is telling. It's not like anyone Wolff talked to could keep a secret. It seems more and more likely that whatever crimes the Trump cronies have committed - and Wolff surmises that there are still plenty - collusion may not be one of them. And Wolff does demonstrate some restraint in pushing the case that there was any foul play with Russia aside from basic incompetence.
Bannon uses the word treason at one point - and that's capturing a lot of the early headlines. But even he makes the case that it was treason by incompetence, the result of Don Jr. being too dense to realize what he was doing. But if the Russia investigation leads to a broader look at Trump finances, Wolff seems to make clear that there are many in the Administration who stand to be very nervous.
It's still important to read the book for what it is - an impression of conversations with key stakeholders in the Trump Administration, many of whom are documented liars and opportunists. Wolff makes no guarantee that what Bannon tells him is truth; in fact, one should go into the book with a high degree of skepticism.
There are two facets of the book that leave lasting impressions beyond the juicy quote. First, Wolff's overall assertion that it is the polarization of our media and not our politics that led to this current moment and that define American politics moving forward. Time and again, whether through the use of hindsight or through conversations with Roger Ailes and Steve Bannon, Wolff shows that the oppositional nature of conservative media to any mainstream reaction to this President that drives his popularity and empowers his irrational behavior. It's a scheme in which truth does not matter - right and wrong are defined purely by your sources of information. Let Trump be Trump - and if the liberal media goes nuts, it's proof positive that he must be doing something right.
Second, Trump's undying need to be loved. Wolff uses a plethora of examples to show that Trump demands in his minions unyielding support, and that his loyalty is exhausted the moment he perceives someone else gaining at his expense. He calls the mainstream news media fake purely because he is aggrieved that they do not adulate him; if they would only pour goodwill on him, he would cease his admonishments and heap praise like he does for Fox News. In fact, Wolff makes a compelling case that Fox News' praise means little to Trump, who craves the unattainable positive attention of those sources he truly respects. If he can win over the NY Times, he will have been a success. Much of his Presidency - and his tweets - can be explained by his frustration and confusion over the cold reception in the news media to much of his agenda. He craves nothing so much as deference - it's why he feels rapport with the Saudis and aloof about Britain; why he incessantly bashes the terrible New York Times but continually grants exclusive interviews to their White House reporters. There is no Trump governing philosophy; there is only his narcissistic need to be loved.
What a world. What a book.
This book was fine. You can read all the juiciest excerpts online. I learned nothing I didn't already know -- DJT is a complete idiot/megalomanic/wanna be sociopath who has a dysfunctional white house with competing factions vying for his ear/power.
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
Before I read this book, I saw reviews call it a sort of literary fast food—satisfying in the moment, but doesn't leave you feeling better afterward. Now that I've just finished the book, I'll second that take.
It was entertaining, as gossip can be. But don't expect it to challenge an mainstream assumptions. And I have no doubt there's some sensationalization happening in here, but if even a fraction of the content here is spot-on, well then that's just unsettling, really. The Trump administration is a complete shitshow and this book gives you one angle of behind-the-scenes context in what we see play out on the main stage.
It was entertaining, as gossip can be. But don't expect it to challenge an mainstream assumptions. And I have no doubt there's some sensationalization happening in here, but if even a fraction of the content here is spot-on, well then that's just unsettling, really. The Trump administration is a complete shitshow and this book gives you one angle of behind-the-scenes context in what we see play out on the main stage.
This book - as is the reality it describes- is convoluted and exhausting to read. Partly because I felt so disheartened by the actions of the key individuals who should be focused on the job at hand rather than the petty politicking & one-upmanship of each other that consumes their lives. You cannot help but despair for the future of the United States with a buffoon in the highest position of political power and a bunch of clowns running around in circles wasting taxpayers money in the White House.
Seriously, this book needed photos of the key individuals and a flow chart covering who was in which position when, given all the sackings & resignations. I was constantly cross referencing online to make sense of it. Now I understand why the "House of Cards" writers claim they couldn't come up with a new series when nothing could be crazier than the reality of the Trump administration.
Seriously, this book needed photos of the key individuals and a flow chart covering who was in which position when, given all the sackings & resignations. I was constantly cross referencing online to make sense of it. Now I understand why the "House of Cards" writers claim they couldn't come up with a new series when nothing could be crazier than the reality of the Trump administration.