Too Much and Never Enough Book Summary

Book Summary

15 min

Audio available

Brief Summary

The Trump family was wealthy and privileged, but they were also very dysfunctional. Donald Trump’s mother was absent, and his father was controlling and authoritative. He wanted his children to fulfill his expectations, and when his eldest son, Freddy, failed to live up to his high demands, he turned his attention to Donald, whom he openly favored over Freddy. Fred Sr. encouraged Donald’s bullying, egoism, and greed, and Donald was always seeking his father’s approval. This has shaped him into the person he is as an adult and as a president.

About the Author

Mary Trump is a clinical psychologist, businesswoman, and bestselling author. She is the founder and CEO of The Trump Coaching Group.

She holds a B.A.in English Literature from Tufts University, and a master's degree in English Literature from Columbia University. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University.

Trump lives on Long Island, New York, with her daughter.

Topics

Biography & Memoir Politics

Too Much and Never Enough Book Summary Preview

What You’ll Learn

The dysfunctional Trump family dynamic that helped shaped Donald Trump’s personality
How Fred Sr., the patriarch of the Trump family, influenced and controlled the lives of his two eldest sons, Freddy and Donald
Details on Donald Trump’s business failings
An account of how the Trump family cut Freddy’s line out of their family fortune
Information regarding the Trump family finances and the tax fraud expose

Who Is This For

Individuals who are interested in psychology and generational dysfunction
People who want to learn more about President Donald Trump’s life and family history
Fans of current events, politics, and tell-all books

Key Insights

Mary Trump, President Donald Trump’s niece, uses her background in clinical psychology to explain the dysfunctional Trump family dynamic that shaped Donald Trump into the man he is today. The author delves into the family’s history and psychology. She explains how Donald inherited many of his negative qualities from Fred Sr, his father, who she believes was a high-functioning sociopath. Fred Sr. favored Donald over his other sons and encouraged these types of behaviors in him.

At the same time, he was overbearing and overly critical of his eldest son, Freddy, the author’s father. He had high expectations for Freddy and wanted him to take over the family business, but Freddy wanted to make his own way in life and become a pilot. Fred Sr. wanted to control everything, including his children’s lives. This dysfunctional dynamic drove a wedge between Donald and Freddy, and ultimately drove Freddy to alcoholism and early death.

Freddy’s side of the family was cut out of the Trump family fortune. Mary Trump later served as an anonymous source for an expose on the Trump family’s tax fraud. She decided to write this tell-all book because she believes that, in light of his handling of the COVID-19 crisis, Donald Trump being elected to a second term would be very bad for American democracy.

The Trump Ancestors

Mary Trump is President Donald Trump’s niece. She is the daughter of Fred Trump, Jr., Donald’s brother. Mary Trump’s paternal grandmother, named Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, experienced complications while giving birth.

The Trump family was privileged and wealthy enough to afford the best physical care for her during labor, but she had to undergo multiple surgeries that rendered her absent from her young children. Even when she was physically around, she was emotionally absent, and this created a void in her children’s lives.

With Mary sick, the children’s father, Fred Trump, was the only parent they had to care for them. However, Fred Trump was not a nurturing parent. He was distant and uninvolved. As a result of their mother’s absence and their father’s emotional neglect, the children began to feel useless, unwanted, and unloved.

Donald Trump, the fourth oldest child and second son, dealt with his parent’s absences by using hostility and indifference as a defense mechanism.

Donald Trump’s paternal grandfather was named Friedrich Trump. He immigrated to America from Germany in 1885, to avoid the German military draft. Friedrich moved to the Northwest and opened up restaurants and brothels. His businesses were...