The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump Audiobook By Dan P. McAdams cover art

The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump

A Psychological Reckoning

Preview
Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump

By: Dan P. McAdams
Narrated by: Matthew Josdal
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.49

Buy for $21.49

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump provides a coherent and nuanced psychological portrait of Donald Trump, drawing upon biographical events in the subject's life and contemporary scientific research and theory in personality, developmental, and social psychology.

Renowned psychologist Dan P. McAdams examines the central personality traits, personal values and motives, and the interpersonal and cultural factors that together have shaped Trump's psychological makeup, with an emphasis on the strangeness of the case - that is, how Trump again and again defies psychological expectations regarding what it means to be a human being. The book's central thesis is that Donald Trump is the episodic man. The chapters, structured as stand-alone essays each riffing on a single psychological theme, build on each other to present a portrait of a person who compulsively lives in the moment, without an internal story to integrate his life in time.

With an emphasis on scientific personality research, rather than political rhetoric, McAdams shows that Trump's utter lack of an inner life story is truly exceptional. This book is a remarkable case study which should be of as much interest to psychologists as it is to listeners trying to reckon with the often confounding behavior and temperament of the 45th President of the United States.

©2020 Oxford University Press (P)2020 Kalorama
Politicians Politics & Activism Presidents & Heads of State Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Psychology & Interactions Nonfiction
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_T1_webcro805_stickypopup
All stars
Most relevant  
Wish I had read this years ago. I would have saved myself a lot of trouble.

This book is not only about Trump but also about his unique appeal to his followers and exactly why they are impervious to reason. It’s one thing to call them a cult and another to break down the specific aspects of the cult that make it peculiar. This book does that.

It also fulfills its primary purpose masterfully, breaking down Trump’s singular characteristics as a human being in a methodical and painstaking fashion. He’s done a lot of research and given his subjects a lot of thought.

You won’t look at Trump or MAGA in the same way after reading this.





Important in 2025

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

The topic is engaging & the author offers a thoroughly explored opinion on Trump but I also was annoyed at times as the author has a habit of exhaustingly repeating the same point 50 different ways

Great book, but definitely could be shorter

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This was brilliant, a must read or listen for anyone and everyone. Very thorough and intriguing.

McAdams at His Best

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

it goes pretty expansively into don ts history and up-bringing and how that effects who he is today. honestly, i think it could be a few hours shorter but still an interesting and insightful book.

good book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This book has helped me understand Mr. Trump and made him more predictable for me.

The ideas in this book will last.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I found it full of interesting historical facts and social ideals, but was largely one person's take on what makes President Thump who he is. Many points are well taken & I enjoyed the narrative.

Interesting & insiteful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I think this book offered a really valuable insight Not just into Trump and people like him but it caused me to think about my own development and that of my children.

Enlightening and not just about Trump!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

not very good. waste of a credit. I was expecting a much different book. finished 1/2 and stopped.

not what you think it is

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.