Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again
by Donald J. Trump
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Threshold Editions; 1st edition (November 3, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1501137969
Kindle: 18384 KB
Publisher: Threshold Editions (November 3, 2015)
ASIN: B015ND2B0K
Available in Hardcover and Kindle on Amazon
Trump Makes the Sale to Skeptics
I read this in two days. It's fairly short, and language is conversational, in fact I could imagine Trump's voice as I read it. So it's an easy read. But it's not a lightweight book. In 170 pages Trump is able to make the case that America is in a deep mess and that he, alone among the presidential field, is the one person uniquely qualified to lead the country back to greatness.
This book, says Trump, is designed to give the reader a better understanding of him and his ideas for the future. Trump starts off disarmingly, by talking about how he picked a cover photo of himself that is "so angry and so mean looking." As a reader I relax and think, eh, I guess this book won't be too serious. Then he starts talking about all the reason to be angry about the state of the country. He talks about how America needs to start winning again, then he starts talking about why he is the guy that can make that happen. He knocks down objections to his candidacy, calling out media detractors like Megyn Kelly and Hugh Hewitt by name.
He talks about his policy directions, not plans, because "the last thing we need are more plans that evaporate after the elections." What he has are principles and practical ideas which, he says, his record of business success shows he knows how to to get done. He ties in his business accomplishments as he talks about those policy principles. I'll mention two areas. On immigration, he loves legal immigration, hates illegal immigration, and will work to end birthright citizenship which "even Harry Reid" admits is insane. He will build a wall with "a big beautiful door" that people can enter or leave legally and runs through different ways Mexico can pay for it.
On foreign policy, his principle is "Operate from strength." He would build up the military, but refrain from conflict engagement unless there is a direct threat to our interests. In the Middle East, he would bomb ISIS oil fields to cut off their fund source. "And then we'd hit them again and again until ISIS ceased to exist as a threat to anybody." He calls out China as an enemy that we need to stand up to and then sit down with to renegotiate into an equitable relationship. "There is no one-size-fits all foreign policy. ... Everything begins with a strong military. Everything."
Trump also cover Education, Energy, Health Care, Economy, Gun Rights, Infrastructure, and Taxes. He also talks about himself, his leadership experience, his values, his patriotism, and his family. In a rare moment of humility he admits that he was admits to working too much to be present as a husband, but he says that for his kids it is a different story and that he is always there for them. He praises his own father a lot throughout the book and I get the sense that fatherhood is a very important aspect of his life.
There is no soaring rhetoric in this book, neither is there any dry lecturing. Instead there are practical ideas and anecdotes from Trump's life. There are also color photographs of himself as child, with his parents, with his children, and of his landmark skyscrapers and properties. I guess the buildings are also his children, in a way. He's very proud of the properties he took from old and failing to renewed and successful. I get the feeling that he sees America as the biggest turnaround project opportunity of his career. By the time you finish reading the book you may very well agree.
Crippled America is available in Hardcover and Kindle from Amazon.
He talks about his policy directions, not plans, because "the last thing we need are more plans that evaporate after the elections." What he has are principles and practical ideas which, he says, his record of business success shows he knows how to to get done. He ties in his business accomplishments as he talks about those policy principles. I'll mention two areas. On immigration, he loves legal immigration, hates illegal immigration, and will work to end birthright citizenship which "even Harry Reid" admits is insane. He will build a wall with "a big beautiful door" that people can enter or leave legally and runs through different ways Mexico can pay for it.
On foreign policy, his principle is "Operate from strength." He would build up the military, but refrain from conflict engagement unless there is a direct threat to our interests. In the Middle East, he would bomb ISIS oil fields to cut off their fund source. "And then we'd hit them again and again until ISIS ceased to exist as a threat to anybody." He calls out China as an enemy that we need to stand up to and then sit down with to renegotiate into an equitable relationship. "There is no one-size-fits all foreign policy. ... Everything begins with a strong military. Everything."
Trump also cover Education, Energy, Health Care, Economy, Gun Rights, Infrastructure, and Taxes. He also talks about himself, his leadership experience, his values, his patriotism, and his family. In a rare moment of humility he admits that he was admits to working too much to be present as a husband, but he says that for his kids it is a different story and that he is always there for them. He praises his own father a lot throughout the book and I get the sense that fatherhood is a very important aspect of his life.
There is no soaring rhetoric in this book, neither is there any dry lecturing. Instead there are practical ideas and anecdotes from Trump's life. There are also color photographs of himself as child, with his parents, with his children, and of his landmark skyscrapers and properties. I guess the buildings are also his children, in a way. He's very proud of the properties he took from old and failing to renewed and successful. I get the feeling that he sees America as the biggest turnaround project opportunity of his career. By the time you finish reading the book you may very well agree.
Crippled America is available in Hardcover and Kindle from Amazon.
Excellent review, makes me want to read the book!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I think its' a good read. It's a lot like hearing him speak, except in the book he stays on topic throughout each chapter. In speeches he tends to jump to the next topic on his mind before tying up the current topic. I guess that's the way his mind works.
DeletePS You are my first commenter! I wish I had a prize to give you. :)
Thanks VM. I bought this for my dad when it came out but didn't plan to read it myself. Now I will! :-)
ReplyDeleteAwesome!
DeleteGreat review. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWow. He is so right on some things nobody from either party ever seems to get right. This is another piece of evidence that's got me thawing to him lately.
ReplyDeleteI think the DC insiders have a kind of blindness - they only know what they know and they are not intellectually curious enough to learn more. Trump comes from an entirely different, practical, world so he sees what is obvious to a lot of outsiders but is invisible to DC.
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