244 pages
This business history / memoir is not something I’d ordinarily read, given that when my reading brushes business it’s usually in connection with something like food, energy, or IT. Howeverrrrrrr, since Trump went out of office and now he’s going back in, I couldn’t resist. Well, I could have, but that’d be less fun and missing a once-in-a-lifetime joke-post opportunity. The Art of the Comeback is essentially a memoir about Trump’s business dealings in the late 1980s and early-mid 1990s — mostly involving real estate, but also touching on other enterprises like his airline shuttle as well as as random things like his chapter on prenups. I would classify this as more of a memoir than a business book, frankly, because Trump doesn’t introduce principles and then illustrate them with scenes from his past: rather, he’s writing about his deals, his brawls with New York red tape, his relationships, etc and occasionally throwing out an observation. Some of these are universally applicable, and some….not. (“Get your zoning in a bad economic climate, and begin building in a good one.”) The book is replete with photos of architecture, which he appears to take very seriously, himself with celebrities, and — interestingly — cartoons mocking him taken from newspapers of the period. I’m sure it will astound and appall readers, but the memoir is frequently self-congratulating, as are some of the photos. (Possibly my favorite caption: “Oh, that’s Kissinger and me walking off the plane after a serious discussion of geopolitical security. He hung on my every word.”)
I can’t say this has much, if anything for readers looking for business insights, except perhaps for some inspiration that comebacks are possible. Anyone reading this now is presumably reading it for the personality of the author — and while he has a ghostwriter, this book sounds like Donald Trump, “believe me”. While much of the content didn’t interest me, I was surprised by his actual passion for architecture: I tend to associate him with the Atlantic City properties, which I regard as garish, but he sounded positively scandalized that 40 Wall Street’s then-owners wanted to gut it to make an atrium of the bottom levels. (It’s now his.) I enjoyed this, but not for the intended reasons: seeing Trump chumming it up with the Clintons and making comments that he wouldn’t do well in politics because he’s too controversial and blunt are hilarious 25 years on.
“The problem is, I think I’m too honest, and perhaps too controversial, to be a politician. I always say it like it is, and I’m not sure that a politician can do that, although I might just be able to get away with it because people tend to like me. Honesty causes controversy, and therefore, despite all the polls that say I should run, I would probably not be a very successful politician.”
2:00 P.M. People from B’nai B’rith come in. I have agreed to give a speech to their organization that night at a major hotel. They tell me the place is going to be packed, and they want to go over what I’ll be saying. I tell them I really couldn’t tell them what I’ll be saying because I haven’t given the speech any thought yet, but that I will start thinking about it —approximately five minutes before I speak!
Reading Freely 
Good Luck with the next 2 years… I think its going to be quite the ride……. [snigger]
I hope he goes Milei on DC, but we’ll see.
Well, going from previous experience I’d say 75% of what he said he was going to do before he got elected was a lie and the other 25% will either be watered down or be unlawful, impossible or unconstitutional…. But it’s going to be quite ‘entertaining’ to watch from over here.
I’m cautiously optimistic about some members of his team, especially Vivek Ramaswamy. He was impressive in the GOP primary debates. Tulsi, too, is someone I was watching back when she was a Democrat. Amused that she may soon be heading the same department that was harrasssing her for being anti-war.
Thank goodness you’re making jokes and not having a meltdown. I’ve seen more adults this past week act like 2 year olds having temper tantrums than I care to admit.
Almost makes me wonder why they don’t listen to libertarians and lessen the power of POTUS it’s not so scary when someone they don’t like is in office.
These old book covers are often amusing. Is he holding a snow globe??
With NYC in his hands, I think!
I don’t think I could make it very far into this without being sick on its pages. The biggest joke is that he thinks he’s honest. LMAO.
it works if you read “honest” as “blunt” because he does say what’s on his mind and much to my hilarity. Interestingly, even in this book he chronicles himself being disingenuous during business deals so he can make a move later.
Yeah I suppose blunt is the better word to describe him. It’s interesting because he’s happy to admit he’s disingenuous because he just wants to show off how ‘clever’ and rich that makes him.
Regarding his interest in architecture, one of his EOs is for [new] federal buildings (like we need more federal buildings) to be built in the classical, traditional style.) Of course, that also includes remodels. He has a great taste for beauty, but there are going to be major conflicts between those who rather see the design coming from the community not the federal, and frankly, the community (the world) has very strange notions of beauty these days.
It still exists a bit in Europe — I follow a page on facebook that documents when Europeans build something in traditional style, or better — remove something hideous and replace it with beauty. The pages are Architectural Revival and Architectural Uprising, for anyone who’s curious.
Oh, I like a lot of the new stuff… But I’m still a fan of the older stuff too (as you’ll appreciate from my Blog). I certainly don’t think we should be stuck in the past (however much I like neo-classical architecture) but I also think that we shouldn’t be getting rid of buildings simply because their old (or considered ugly to be honest – fashions and opinions do change over time after all….).