Talk about washing one’s family laundry publicly. This is what comes to mind as I listen to Mary L. Trumps new book Too much and Never Enough – How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man. Yet if I say that, it also implies that I am disapproving Mary L. Trump discussion her uncle Donald Trump and her extended family so openly. I don’t admit implying that, as it all raises mixed feelings and thoughts in me. And hope that that is true too. What is true though is that Mary L. Trump discusses her uncle Donald Trump seemingly very openly. She draws on her experiences as a member of the Trump family and comes up with a clinical analysis drawing here on her professional background as a clinical psychologist.
One has to always bear in mind that how you see things and what you say or do, is coloured by your own experiences and history. So what Trump family may have done to Donald Trump is not in isolation. We could also discuss the effects on all other members and even Mary L. Trump – as it was her father that suffered possibly most as the oldest son. Mary L. Trump grew up as a daughter of this ‘black sheep’ of the family and then lost her father at sweet sixteen – when her parents were already separated. She later had to fight for a more rightful share of her grandfather’s estate and face a betrayal even by her grandmother Mary Trump. These things leave a mark and she has certainly proved a dangerous woman for her uncle. But let some other clinical psychologist draw parallels between these two adversaries. Mary L. Trump should not and I am not one, though I am qualified to teach psychology, so do find this all interesting. Suffice to say that listening to Mary L. Trump read her book could be very revealing to the pertinent listener.
Family Trump is reaping now what they have been sowing. There are many reasons why sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles fight over estates. It is not only money, but love and power are also at play here. It does seem though that money in ones own pocket has been of a very high importance in dealing with the estates of Fred and Mary Trump. Could a different kind of deal have prevented all the tensions that we now learn about in quite a detail? Could a little bit of love along the way have prevented a massive, public and national family laundry taking place?
Too Much and Never Enough is a sad book. It is very topical and it will be read widely. It might even make a difference in the coming elections. It will certainly bring cash to the author (and the publisher). It will also bring fame. This all is sad really. It seems that both uncle and niece really just needed love, acceptance and security. All that money. Such a waste. Or perhaps not quite. They have both achieved much in their lives, even if this might be denied by some. The sad thing too is, that society has been quite happy for all this to take place. And indeed what does that say for our society? Who do we encourage to look after our common affairs, who do we trust, what do we allow people to say/write and it all is still fine?
STARS: 3/5
I give Too Much and Never Enough three stars as it was interesting enough but too much beauty was missing.
graphicgrub 