I do not normally do book reviews on this blog, as an author myself I think it best to generally keep the hats of reviewer and creator on different heads but since this book is so far afield from what I write it is acceptable to give it a brief review.

Fear: Trump in the White Houseis Bob Woodward’s reporting on the first eighteen months of so of the Trump Administration. Woodward, who shot to international fame for his part in reporting and exposing Nixon’s criminal activities surrounding his 1972 reelection, utilizes his narrative style with deep but undisclosed sourcing.

The report touches on very lightly on the scandals that dominate our current news coverage. Whatever Woodward knows or has learned about those he has kept close to vest undoubtedly to protect the investigation and as material for more publications. So do not read this if you are looking for insight into the tangled terrible mess concerning Russian and their penetration into our election processes. Our only peeks into those affairs take place in the final chapters and those scenes focus on the chaos and deception that is endemic to Trump.

The central take away from the reporting is that Trump is obsessed with money but yet has an ignorant understanding of how modern economies actually function. His inability to see past trade imbalances even obscures potential upsides such as our trade deals with South Korea that help smooth the military agreements that cut out warning time of a North Korean launch from 15 minutes to a mere 7 seconds. Repeatedly in the narrative Trump has to be talked out of or even sabotaged by his own advisors to keep from throwing aside such a tremendous benefit in favor of his goal of destroying free trade agreements.

Of course the book recounts the nearly endless instances of his lies, to the public and to his own people. With an attention span better suited to a schoolchild Trump is constantly veering from topic to topic unable to remember what even he himself wanted from just a few days previously.

The book takes it title not from the fear felt by the populace but rather from Trump personal philosophy that it the best way to get what you want is to instill fear in others, that real power is fear.

The book paints a portrait of a man who is narcissistic, obsessed with images of strength, lacking in any conviction other than his own well-being and above all things, a liar.