2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump.


Pages: 225 pages


Length: 1 Month (March)


Participants: Alyana Pearl, Nicole, Lynn, Cristina .


Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

I have my copy in hand, but won't get to it until mid-March.

Hi, I'll probably start this next week.

I started this last night.

Lynn wrote: "I started this last night."

I will start this in a day or two. I'm just waiting for my hold to be available from the library :)

I started this morning.

(view spoiler)[ Despite of all the things he did for this country, I decided to read the book just to know how his family raised a monster like him. He grew up in Jamaica Estates, Queens. I live just a few blocks from their house and the apartment building we are living in was owned by Donald's father according to my nice neighbor. As I am listening to Mary retell, I can somehow picture it easily. (hide spoiler)]

I am trying my best not to be biased here but it doesn't change how I see this man who almost destroyed our democracy and killed hundreds of thousands of American people.

Alyana wrote: "I started this morning.

[spoilers removed]

I am trying my best not to be biased here but it doesn't change how I see this man who almost destroyed our democracy and killed hundreds of thousands ..."
Wow. That's amazing where you live! That must make it seem all the more pertinent, I would think!
Regarding your spoiler: (view spoiler)[Yes, he is monster. But he always has been. That was my opinion with what little I read about him in the past, and this book only confirmed that. However, I do admit to having sympathy for any person who basically was abandoned at 2 1/2 years old with absolutely no one to truly care for or about them. That is such a crucial time of life in so many ways. That said, I believe my main anger lies with those who enable and continue to support him, particularly the Republican politicians who do so. I despise them all. IMO, they're all sociopaths as well as DJT and his father... (hide spoiler)]

I was surprised by some of the revelations. Let me know when you have more comments to make as you read. I finished it. I have a lot of respect for Mary and her brother.

Can I join this group? I read this book last year and found it very interesting. The information about family relationships was good to know. The author is a psychologist and her diagnosis of Trump being a sociopath is convincing.

Dorothy wrote: "Can I join this group? I read this book last year and found it very interesting. The information about family relationships was good to know. The author is a psychologist and her diagnosis of Trump..."

Hi Dorothy! Welcome!

Lynn wrote: "Alyana wrote: "I started this morning.

[spoilers removed]

I am trying my best not to be biased here but it doesn't change how I see this man who almost destroyed our democracy and killed hundred..."

I finished it yesterday.
(view spoiler)[
Mary Trump tells the story with precision to complete a psychological profile that finally makes sense. She fills in the blanks where I finally understand his behaviors. His father completely shaped him, his creation on every level.

Ms. Trump narrates her own story exceptionally well. In addition to the family dynamics, she provided an astonishing chronicle of exactly how they structured the family business and distribution of Fred’s estate to swindle the state and federal governments. This is more than sour grapes about what Ms. Trump did or didn’t receive. It’s a comprehensive forensic analysis of the financial transactions and structuring.

In summary, I believe this should be read by everyone, no matter what your political stand is or thoughts about Ms. Trump. It is telling that, to date, no one from the Trump family has disputed the facts of the book and I now understand why they took such extreme measures to block its printing and distribution. It will give you ideas to decide for yourself the measure of Donald Trump from someone who was there on the inside.
(hide spoiler)]

Alyana wrote: "Lynn wrote: "Alyana wrote: "I started this morning.

[spoilers removed]

I am trying my best not to be biased here but it doesn't change how I see this man who almost destroyed our democracy and k..."
(view spoiler)[This says it all:
"This is more than sour grapes about what Ms. Trump did or didn’t receive. It’s a comprehensive forensic analysis of the financial transactions and structuring." I keep wondering what will/could happen if Deutsche Bank reveals their records. Though I imagine they cover their money laundering for the Russian mob well by creating false records? I don't know how all that works, but I had read over 20 years ago that DJT was being financed by the Russian mob through that bank. My hope is that the man and his companies (perhaps his children, too) are eventually brought to justice. (hide spoiler)]

Hi guys I know im a quite late in here but only just managed to finish the book. As someone who isn't American I was still really interested in the psychology aspect and understanding how Trump was able to gain a position of such immense power.

(view spoiler)[ The book made it more obvious that it wasn't Trump but those around him that allowed this to happen. I found the last chapter to be one of the most interesting, when Mary points out people can benefit from manipulating a man that knows as little as Trump does, and that he spends most of his energy trying to convince others and himself that he is capable.

I do agree though! As much as this book helps to explain why it was almost inevitable Donald would have grown up to be a pretty awful person due to his upbringing this does not excuse him from the choices he has made! Nature vs nurture kind of thing I guess. (hide spoiler)]

I would really be happy if I see him and his children in an orange jumpsuit