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A Very Stable Genius
Donald J. Trump's Testing of America
eBook - 2020
The instant #1 bestseller.
“This taut and terrifying book is among the most closely observed accounts of Donald J. Trump’s shambolic tenure in office to date."
- Dwight Garner, The New York Times
Washington Post national investigative reporter Carol Leonnig and White House bureau chief Philip Rucker, both Pulitzer Prize winners, provide the definitive insider narrative of Donald Trump’s presidency
“I alone can fix it.” So proclaimed Donald J. Trump on July 21, 2016, accepting the Republican presidential nomination and promising to restore what he described as a fallen nation. Yet as he undertook the actual work of the commander in chief, it became nearly impossible to see beyond the daily chaos of scandal, investigation, and constant bluster. In fact, there were patterns to his behavior and that of his associates. The universal value of the Trump administration was loyalty—not to the country, but to the president himself—and Trump’s North Star was always the perpetuation of his own power.
With deep and unmatched sources throughout Washington, D.C., Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker reveal the forty-fifth president up close. Here, for the first time, certain officials who felt honor-bound not to divulge what they witnessed in positions of trust tell the truth for the benefit of history.
A peerless and gripping narrative, A Very Stable Genius not only reveals President Trump at his most unvarnished but shows how he tested the strength of America’s democracy and its common heart as a nation.
“This taut and terrifying book is among the most closely observed accounts of Donald J. Trump’s shambolic tenure in office to date."
- Dwight Garner, The New York Times
Washington Post national investigative reporter Carol Leonnig and White House bureau chief Philip Rucker, both Pulitzer Prize winners, provide the definitive insider narrative of Donald Trump’s presidency
“I alone can fix it.” So proclaimed Donald J. Trump on July 21, 2016, accepting the Republican presidential nomination and promising to restore what he described as a fallen nation. Yet as he undertook the actual work of the commander in chief, it became nearly impossible to see beyond the daily chaos of scandal, investigation, and constant bluster. In fact, there were patterns to his behavior and that of his associates. The universal value of the Trump administration was loyalty—not to the country, but to the president himself—and Trump’s North Star was always the perpetuation of his own power.
With deep and unmatched sources throughout Washington, D.C., Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker reveal the forty-fifth president up close. Here, for the first time, certain officials who felt honor-bound not to divulge what they witnessed in positions of trust tell the truth for the benefit of history.
A peerless and gripping narrative, A Very Stable Genius not only reveals President Trump at his most unvarnished but shows how he tested the strength of America’s democracy and its common heart as a nation.
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Penguin Publishing Group
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Add a Quote“Others noticed that the president was obsessed with knocking down as inferior what his predecessors had built. ‘His whole DNA is, whatever anybody else has done is stupid, I’m smarter, and therefore that’s why he goes around breaking glass all the time,’ one senior Republican senator recalled. ‘He’s torn a lot of things. He likes to break things. But what has he put together yet?” - pp. 151-52
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Add a CommentThe Trump presidency was a horrific stain on our democracy.
Are these reviews intended to be from Hamilton Public Library readers? If so, why would there be a political commentary supporting Trump as "our president" instead of a book review.
Thank you for the excellent, clear reviews from people who actually read the book.
In fairness, I believe political opinions on the leadership abilities of Trump either supporting or criticizing him that are not part of an actual book review should be removed. Thank you.
I’ve read Fear, Bob Woodward’s exposé of the clear and present danger of a chaotic administration governed only by Trump’s short attention span and tantrums. It warned that someday the competent members of the administration might not prevent a temper-tantrum by the morally compromised president and his cohorts from getting out in the world. With publication of A Very Stable Genius, Rucker and Leonnig tell us that day has come. A Very Stable Genius captures the falsity, fraud, and infidelity that are the hallmarks of Trump’s brand in a readable narrative, makes the chaos clear without judgement and the consequences real without lecturing.
A very thorough, sad commentary on the Trump presidency. I got bored after awhile and wished the book had a better editor. That being said, there are things covered in this book that are beyond other books on Trump that I have previously read. What they should really do is update the book so that it covers the sad, pathetic end to his presidency. That would result in a reasonably good modern US history.
Forgot I had a hold. Please cancel if Hold still applicable. Thank you.
S. Gans
Yes, President Trump is one of the greatest President of America. I don't understand why people hate him that much. I just read a few chapters of this book and I understood the intention of the authors. Don't people understand that if it's not for this president, not for his common sense, that America would lose its power of economy to China? He has tried to keep the jobs in US, for us Americans. And the day that we give up the economic power to China, there is no turning point. President Trump has fought the fight that many US presidents before him didn't dare to do, didn't have the gut to do, didn't have enough the love for this country to do the fight. President Trump has really saved our economy and a lot of things else. He just like the parents doing the hard work to make thing easy for the children. I hope that maybe out there in our country there are still a lot of America people who love and appreciate President Trump but they are just tired to voice their thought, to go against the mainstream media ( our country is controlled by hard cord liberal media. It smears everything, everyone that tries to slow or block its whatever agendas)
An unmitigated "Hit Piece" attempting the besmirch one of the greatest of presidents.
Made-Up "Facts" and innuendoes, worse garbage, perhaps, than even CNN.
Meh. Another Kiss & Tell book.
Vigorously reported and easily consumed report on how the Trump White House managed its scandal- and crisis-ridden term (actually, the timeline stops little more than halfway through). It reveals a staff constantly working to save Donald Trump from his worst instincts (and he operates on little other than base instinct), until the most honorable among them are hounded out in humiliating fashion and nothing is left but the worst sort of yes-men. The self-created troubles and ethical failures of just two years are more numerous And consequential than those of any two-TERM presidency. And this book doesn’t even mention the ethical lapses of multiple members of Trump’s team, such as Tom Price, Ryan Zinke, Ben Carson, Rick Perry, Elaine Chao .....
Very frightening. He has none of the qualities of a leader or statesman.....only those of a bully and narcissist. In this pandemic it is really scary.....once he decides what he wants, he doesn't care about anything else.....people die that didn't need to. In Alice in Wonderland when the queen was in a twit.....heads would roll......but this is real life, not a fairy tale. His rhetoric inspires / riles people to violence. He cares not. I'm terrified of sending kids back to school......and then everyday....when they go home.....what do they take with them that could endanger their family......and the next day what do they carry to school. The man is dangerous to us all.
I only wish Cuomo was in the running.