Trump: The Art of the Deal

Trump: The Art of the Deal combines Donald Trump's business philosophy with accounts of his major real estate deals and negotiations from the 1970s and 1980s. The book details Trump's approach to business, development projects, and deal-making through eleven core principles he claims brought him success. Each chapter focuses on a specific development project or business venture, from Trump Tower to Atlantic City casinos to the Wollman Rink renovation. Trump narrates the challenges, strategies, and outcomes of these deals while explaining his negotiation tactics and management style. The narrative moves between Trump's daily work routine, his interactions with New York power players and politicians, and his perspectives on various business sectors including real estate, entertainment, and sports. He discusses his media strategy and provides his views on leveraging publicity and managing relationships. This memoir-meets-business-manual presents Trump's version of how wealth and influence operate in American business and politics. The book became a template for Trump's public persona and foreshadowed themes that would later define his political career.

Readers view this book as part memoir, part business advice manual. Many online reviewers note its straightforward writing style and behind-the-scenes details of Trump's early real estate deals. Positive reviews highlight: - Practical negotiation tactics and deal-making principles - Entertainment value of the business stories - Clear explanations of complex real estate transactions Common criticisms: - Self-promotional tone - Questions about accuracy and embellishment - Lack of depth in business advice - Ghost-writer Tony Schwartz later disavowed the book Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (35,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (4,800+ reviews) One reader noted: "The deals described are interesting, but the advice is basic." Another wrote: "More autobiography than business manual." The book attracts both business readers seeking negotiation tips and those interested in Trump's early career, though many recent reviews focus on political aspects rather than the content itself.

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🔹 Although Donald Trump is credited as the author, ghostwriter Tony Schwartz spent 18 months shadowing Trump and wrote the entire book. Schwartz later expressed regret for his role in creating what he called a "mythical image" of Trump. 🔹 The book spent 48 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list, reaching the #1 spot in 1987, and has sold over one million copies. 🔹 Tony Schwartz received a $500,000 advance and 50% of the royalties for writing the book—an unusually generous deal for a ghostwriter at the time. 🔹 The book's famous opening line, "I don't do it for the money. I've got enough, much more than I'll ever need," was written during a period when Trump's businesses were actually experiencing significant financial difficulties. 🔹 The publisher, Random House, originally planned to title the book "The Art of the Deal," but Trump insisted on adding his name to make it more marketable, resulting in "Trump: The Art of the Deal."