hilaryjsc's review against another edition
I just finished the Happiest Baby on the Block last night and I think I should send a copy to the team at the White House in case they find it helpful.
kindlereads's review against another edition
5.0
This book is incredibly informative, digestible and terrifying!
moseslh's review against another edition
4.0
Fear is a gripping portrayal of the chaos that was the Trump campaign and that is the Trump White House. The book is well-researched and provides fascinating insight on the president and his ever-changing inner circle. Trump comes off as childish, impulsive, manipulative, and ignorant. His senior staffers view him as a child who needs to be carefully supervised and controlled, swiping papers from his desk to prevent him from signing them and trying to talk him out of the ideas that pop into his head during the few hours a day he spends working.
Oddly, while Woodward's portrayal of Trump is far from positive, seeing the inner workings of the White House made me marginally more sympathetic to some of the characters there. Trump has a couple moments of something resembling empathy when Ivanka shows him pictures of child victims of chemical weapons in Syria, and Trump's staff (especially Rob Porter) seem to be doing all they can to protect America and the world from Trump's whims. But overall, this is a portrayal of a highly toxic, chaotic White House with a complete absence of leadership from the president. Cabinet and staff members work hard to undermine one another, united only in their goal of containing Trump's impulses, while the president himself stokes the flames, lies pathologically, refuses to read anything longer than a paragraph or pay attention to important briefings, refuses to follow established procedures, and spends 7-8 hours a day watching television.
Very impressed with Woodward's work here and the level of detail he provides. Would definitely recommend this book.
Oddly, while Woodward's portrayal of Trump is far from positive, seeing the inner workings of the White House made me marginally more sympathetic to some of the characters there. Trump has a couple moments of something resembling empathy when Ivanka shows him pictures of child victims of chemical weapons in Syria, and Trump's staff (especially Rob Porter) seem to be doing all they can to protect America and the world from Trump's whims. But overall, this is a portrayal of a highly toxic, chaotic White House with a complete absence of leadership from the president. Cabinet and staff members work hard to undermine one another, united only in their goal of containing Trump's impulses, while the president himself stokes the flames, lies pathologically, refuses to read anything longer than a paragraph or pay attention to important briefings, refuses to follow established procedures, and spends 7-8 hours a day watching television.
Very impressed with Woodward's work here and the level of detail he provides. Would definitely recommend this book.
sarag19's review against another edition
4.0
I should probably preface this review with I am not a Trump supporter in the slightest. This book will make your blood boil, whether you are a supporter or non supporter. Just for different reasons. This book focuses mostly on the interactions of Trump with his team in the White House and their interactions with each other. Most of them are intelligent folks, having to figure out how to talk to Trump so he understands. But its also a lot of competing egos.
Trump is presented himself as someone whos views belong to a previous time, he's unable to see his own flaws and and even when wrong, he's right. Although there are times that he is presented not sympathetic but someone who is capable of emotions and at least the illusion of empathy.
Sometimes it feels like the book jumps between even and that there should be more to a section but it just moves on to something else going on. The Mueller investigation is a running them that pops up from time to time but so often things feel like snapshots and not fully fleshed out moments.
Trump is presented himself as someone whos views belong to a previous time, he's unable to see his own flaws and and even when wrong, he's right. Although there are times that he is presented not sympathetic but someone who is capable of emotions and at least the illusion of empathy.
Sometimes it feels like the book jumps between even and that there should be more to a section but it just moves on to something else going on. The Mueller investigation is a running them that pops up from time to time but so often things feel like snapshots and not fully fleshed out moments.
whitmc's review against another edition
5.0
There is so so much going on in our country right now. I have spent nearly 2 years avoiding news, tired by the divide and sensationalism, while craving simple facts without opinion. But I want to look back in this time and tell my kids that I remember it, and I felt strongly about certain issues, and I was engaged in our country’s issues, and most importantly, did my job as a citizen to educate myself fairly on current events. So I have carved out specific news sources that I will dive into everyday, I engage in conversations with an open mind, and I go in depth. Because nothing is as simple as our mainstream media is making it out to be. When I learned at Bob Woodward had written a book on the first 2 years of the presidency, I was so happy. Bob Woodward dives in deep and doesn’t restrict himself to leaning to one side. He wants the facts and information, and his agenda is getting those facts known to the public in a meaningful way.
Woodward met his goals with this book. And I’m so happy he did. I feel so much more educated and less afraid (also more afraid, and disappointed). But I’m armed with information, and this is just the beginning.
Woodward met his goals with this book. And I’m so happy he did. I feel so much more educated and less afraid (also more afraid, and disappointed). But I’m armed with information, and this is just the beginning.
kurtwombat's review against another edition
4.0
This book was like drifting through a party of interesting people most of whom you don’t like and overhearing just parts of their conversation. Then your friend whispers a word or two of educated conjecture to fill in the gaps. You feel like you know what’s going on, and maybe you do, but the bull often piles up high at parties and no one is interrupting the chat to get at the facts. I don’t doubt that much of what I read in this book is true but I am willing to admit that part of the reason for that feeling is based on my personal expectations that the worst about Trump is likely true. There is a heaping helping of insider info here about the first year of the Trump presidency that should make anyone feel anywhere from uneasy to downright fearful about the future. This I suspect if one of the reasons for the title. Most likely the title refers Trump’s campaign strategy of scaring voters rather than appeal to the better angels of their character. The one-word title also stands as a stark demarcation between Trump and the previous administrations message of HOPE. When this book was published, much of the media coverage focused on how staffers working within the White House were guiding Trump away from trouble as best they could by maneuvering around him or taking advantage of his short attention span to simply remove items that might allow him to do harm. The book covers Trump’s first year in office and these activities are very much in evidence. Also, you can see the steady change of the guard around Trump as people are fired, resign or hauled off to the hoosegow. The climate grows more intemperate after these changes and the worst seems to be coming. This simmering angst inspired a nod to Hunter S. Thompson by wondering if the sequel to FEAR might not just be entitled LOATHING. This book reads fast--moving from one scandal to another pulling you along like the Lusitania looking for a torpedo. As often happens in life one is left with the hope of a strong cleansing rain that will eventually come and wash the mud from our faces, out of our eyes and away from us for good. But hold on, it’s going to be a minute.
paulgrostad's review against another edition
5.0
Great and important book, adding a lot of credibility to reports by the "Main Stream Media".
flufficorn's review against another edition
4.0
Giving this 4 stars. Great book. One star docked because HAWT DAMN this subject matter.
This was my first Bob Woodward book (and my first ever audio book listen!), and will likely be my last. I guess I am just not a person that needs these political truth books. Besides that, there was nothing said in this book that I didn't already know through the press coverage at the time.
I curse. Like a lot. I am okay with it. I know who I am. With that said, there is so much foul language in this book that it made me uncomfortable. I know why I curse. Cursing is the spice to language. But the way it was used, at least in the context of the conversations within this book, it struck me as nothing more than posturing. It was annoying. It was childish. It was some toxic masculinity bull shit. Moreover, it was a poor editing choice. It added nothing to the "story" or what "characters" there were.
The thing that struck me as most interesting in this book is learning about the downward slope of people around Trump first trying to resist him and how ridiculous he was, to eventually kowtowing to him. This book also confirms what a lot of us already knew in that Trump was learning about the politics and the political system of this country while on the job. He legit knew nothing. I am still not convinced he ever wanted the job in the first place, but that is a conversation for another time.
If you had your head under a rock from 2016-2020 and want to know what you missed in the political sphere of American politics, read this book. If you don't want you base blood pressure to be permanently higher, don't read this book.
This was my first Bob Woodward book (and my first ever audio book listen!), and will likely be my last. I guess I am just not a person that needs these political truth books. Besides that, there was nothing said in this book that I didn't already know through the press coverage at the time.
I curse. Like a lot. I am okay with it. I know who I am. With that said, there is so much foul language in this book that it made me uncomfortable. I know why I curse. Cursing is the spice to language. But the way it was used, at least in the context of the conversations within this book, it struck me as nothing more than posturing. It was annoying. It was childish. It was some toxic masculinity bull shit. Moreover, it was a poor editing choice. It added nothing to the "story" or what "characters" there were.
The thing that struck me as most interesting in this book is learning about the downward slope of people around Trump first trying to resist him and how ridiculous he was, to eventually kowtowing to him. This book also confirms what a lot of us already knew in that Trump was learning about the politics and the political system of this country while on the job. He legit knew nothing. I am still not convinced he ever wanted the job in the first place, but that is a conversation for another time.
If you had your head under a rock from 2016-2020 and want to know what you missed in the political sphere of American politics, read this book. If you don't want you base blood pressure to be permanently higher, don't read this book.