Too Much and Never Enough

In Chapter 1, Trump provides an anecdote about her grandmother having a medical emergency, and her lengthy sickness afterward, when her aunts and uncles were young. What was the significance of the elder Mary Trump’s illness on her children, psychologically speaking?

How does Trump’s assessment of Donald connect to John Bowlby’s theory of attachment in psychology?

Discuss why Fred Sr., and later Donald, considered it such a betrayal when Freddy decided to leave Trump Management to become a professional airline pilot. Why was this a disappointing choice, from his family’s perspective?

Select 2-3 events from Donald Trump’s presidency and analyze them in light of the family background provided by the author. In what ways are Donald’s family dynamics or upbringing evident in his handling of these events?

In Chapter 7, Trump establishes how her grandfather created and promoted the illusion that Donald was a self-made and brilliant businessman in the 1980s. In what ways did the media support this narrative? Did the media push back against the narrative? Cite specific examples.

In what ways is the author a product of the family dynamics and upbringing she discusses throughout the book? How is her experience similar to other members of her family? How is it different?

Explain and discuss the reasons why Donald’s venture into casino ownership in Atlantic City failed. What impact did this failure have on Donald? How did it impact the rest of the family?

In Chapter 10, Trump includes an anecdote about the first time that she met Melania, in which Donald completely made up a story about her dropping out of college and developing a drug addiction. What were Donald’s reasons for lying? What effect did it have on the author?