Robert Slater
No Such Thing as Over-Exposure
Inside the Life and Celebrity of Donald Trump
FT Prentice Hall, 2005
Aperçu
By courting publicity and TV, Donald Trump has made his name into a brand that adds value to his skyscrapers and casinos.
Recommendation
This admiring biography of real estate billionaire Donald Trump begins with a reference to Trump’s “swept-back blonde mane” – although his thinning forward comb-over is probably the most famous weird hairdo in America. Perhaps author Robert Slater picked up a bit of his subject’s tendency toward what Trump calls “truthful hyperbole.” Slater’s writing is interesting and accessible, in a breathless sort of way. However, despite being based on 150 interviews, this biography doesn’t contain a lot of information that Trump has not already disseminated through his books, TV show and softball press interviews. Slater seems to regard Trump’s exaggerations as charming foibles and, given tremendous access, apparently accepts Trump’s self-assessment that he is a skilled negotiator, shrewd investor and efficient administrator – even when the author’s own anecdotes show Trump in another guise: as a bullying micro-manager. Of course, the insight that negative publicity isn’t always a bad thing is a primary theme. getAbstract recommends this close-up meeting with Trump to general readers who find that his outsized ego, lifestyle and accomplishments hold a certain fascination and to businesspeople who just want to know how he always lands on his feet. (Hint: he delivers the goods.)
Summary
About the Author
Robert Slater has written for Time and Newsweek. He is the author of numerous business books and profiles, including: Jack Welch and the GE Way, Microsoft Rebooted, Soros: The Unauthorized Biography, The Wal-Mart Decade, Saving Big Blue, Get Better or Get Beaten! and 31 Leadership Secrets from GE’s Jack Welch.
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