by Bob Woodward, 2018, Simon & Shuster, New York

I was very disappointed in this book.  It is not much more than a recounting of conversations that occurred between Trump and his aides.  The book, although the events were chronological, jumped from topic to topic with no transition from one to the next and very little context.  It gives the appearance of being thrown together.

Another concern I have about the book is the author’s use of quoted conversations.  Woodward obviously wasn’t there during these conversations.  Did he obtain them from recordings or were they recounted by individuals who were there.  I have read some books that purported to be historical that used quotations to reconstruct conversations that most likely took place, and didn’t much care for this approach.  Unless a conversation was actually recorded in some way, quotes should be avoided, even if the quote purports to capture the tone and essence of the conversation.

While I didn’t appreciate how the book was written, if ten per cent of content of the conversations that were depicted is actually true, we are in big trouble as they show a person who has no capability for actually running a government.  I had a strong sense before I read this that Trump is a very poor manager of people.  The book reinforces that feeling but I am now convinced that he is probably the worst boss on the face of the earth.