Book Review: Too Much and Never Enough

Isaiah Castillo
Sep 30, 2020
4 min read

Updated: Nov 24

Need to better understand how I review books? You can review my book review criteria here.

Overview

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

Author: Mary L. Trump, PH.D.

Genre: Biography

Themes: Biography, Politics

Publish Year: 2020

ISBN-10: 1982141468

Amazon: Buy Here

Utility: 1/5

Readability: 4/5

Storytelling: 4/5

Literary Quality: 3/5

Pace: 4/5

Impact: 2/5

Favorite Excerpt/Quote

"It's easy to sound coherent and somewhat knowledgeable when you control the narrative and are never pressed to elaborate on your premise or demonstrate that you actually understand the underlying facts. It is an indictment (among many) of the media that none of that changed during the campaign, when exposing Donald's lies and outrageous claims might actually have saved us from his presidency" (Trump, 203)

Review

Too Much and Never Enough is an account of Donald Trump's upbringing as seen through the eyes of his niece and author of the novel, Mary L. Trump. Trump frames her account through the relationship between her grandfather Fred Trump and his children—Fred, Maryanne, Robert, Elisabeth, and Donald. Through the telling of this relationship, Trump highlights Donald's personality, his propensity for reassurance, his narcissistic nature, and the Trump family's financial dealings. Too Much and Never Enough gives the reader insight into the family dynamic that shaped the President into the celebrity and now political figure we all see today. However, Trump's resentful tone along with the contentious nature of the novel renders the account useless as a tool of persuasion to change the public perception.

Too Much and Never Enough flows chronologically, moving through the growth of the Trump children and the family business. The dynamic of Donald's childhood sheds light on his need for validation, grandeur, his bully-like approach to personal relationships, and his transaction view of the world. The illustration of the divisive nature of Fred reflects Donald's current propensity to divide the nation along party lines to achieve his agenda. Much of the dynamic the author focuses on aligns it to Donald's behavior as a politician and leader.

The author then turns focus to Trump as a businessman and his professional relationship with Trump Management and his father. Trump's account reinforces the narrative of an unsuccessful businessman who was supported by the safety net of his father and his father's money. The author points to Donald's many professional blunders, relationship with lenders, and the idea that Donald's success is a facade, reinforced by his ability to control the narrative and distract the public from reality thus supporting the rationalizations used to create the Trump brand and image many came to believe in.

Finally, the author wraps up the biography by touching on the relevancy of her account and the role Donald's upbringing has played in creating the leader and person we see today. Her analysis gives the reader insight into the psychological and rhetorical mechanisms that guide Donald and his behavior as a businessman, politician, and person.

However, the book's nature—along with the current polarized political climate—diminishes its utility. The author's acute focus on the relationship between Fred and her father, along with her affairs involving Fred's will and assets owed to her and her brother, turns the focus to her personal conflicts with Donald and Fred. This distracts from the book's overall tone, turning the attention towards her and her personal feelings rather than on Donald. This diminishes the book's credibility, especially in the eyes and minds of dissenters. Yet, it doesn't really matter in the long run, for in today's day and age of identity politics, Trump supporters will likely dismiss the author's accounts regardless of its credibility or tone. On the flip side it's likely Trump opponents have already accepted these narratives about the president and the evidence in the book will change little about their opinions.

The second issue with Too Much and Never Enough is the lack of scientific evidence presented by the author. Throughout the novel, Trump makes broad claims about Donald's psychology and how certain mechanisms shaped his flaws. However, the author provides little scientific linkage between her accounts and the psychological evidence that supports her assumptions. As a reader with knowledge in the field of psychology, I could pull from my learning experiences and understand the links. But for readers without such experiences and predisposed dissenters, the lack of scientific evidence creates a larger opportunity to dismiss the author's claims and analysis, thus harming her credibility.

Overall, Too Much and Never Enough is a brave account given the ramifications of such a publication. It's an easy read that is both intriguing and relevant to the events of today. However, the lack of evidence and focus on her personal financial stake harm the book's persuasive and evidential utility. My suggestion is if you choose to read this book, do so with an open mind and take it with a grain of salt.