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A Very Stable Genius

By: Carol D. Leonnig, Philip Rucker
Narrated by: Carol Leonnig, Hillary Huber, Philip Rucker
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Publisher's Summary

The definitive insider narrative and the most fully characterised account yet of the chaos, scandal and destruction of Trump's first term, from two Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post journalists.

Drawing on nearly three years of reporting, hundreds of hours of interviews and more than 200 sources, including some of the most senior members of the administration, friends and firsthand witnesses who have never spoken before, Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig take us inside some of the most controversial moments of Trump's presidency. They peer deeply into Trump's White House - at the aides pressured to lie to the public, the lawyers scrambling to clear up norm-breaking disasters and the staffers whose careers have been reduced to ashes - to paint an unparalleled group portrait of an administration driven by self-preservation and paranoia.

Rucker and Leonnig reveal Trump at his most unvarnished, showing the unhinged decision-making and incompetence that has floored officials and stunned foreign leaders. They portray unscripted calls with Vladimir Putin, steak dinners with Kim Jong-un and calls with Theresa May so hostile that they left her aides shaken. They also take a hard look at Robert Mueller, Trump's greatest antagonist to date, and how his investigation slowly unravelled an administration whose universal value is loyalty - not to country but to the president himself.

Grippingly told, A Very Stable Genius is a behind-the-scenes account of Trump's vainglorious pursuit of power in his first term - the rages and the frenzies, the dishonesty and the depravity - as his remaining loyal staffers eye the exits and he stares down the reality of impeachment.

©2020 Philip Rucker, Carol Leonnig (P)2020 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about A Very Stable Genius

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    5 out of 5 stars

A very important & timely book!

If you are at all interested in pulling back the curtain and getting the inside scoop of the preceding events that culminated in the clusterfuck that is the current American political and economic landscape, which let's be real has always been the leading indicator of the global political and economic landscape, then you need to pick up this book.

I just finished it and the level of narcissism, incompetence, malevolence, nepotism, corruption, authoritanianism, back-door dealing and outright criminal behaviours displayed by the Trump administration is still leaving me reeling.

Trump, and his brand of Trumpism, is one of the most divisive and dangerous political forces in the history of American politics and the destructive impact that it has had and is continuing to have on America and its people, and by extension the rest of us, cannot be understated. Just take a look at the rapidly escalating situation in Chicago, Portland and Oregon right now (all Democratic-run cities by the way) and I'm sure you can appreciate the gravity of the situation.

A very timely and important book about one of the most morally-bankrupt and manipulative leading figures the free world has ever seen. And that is no hyperbole.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

A superbly written and incredibly insightful, balanced and essential telling of the Trump Administration.

I cannot rave about this book highly enough. As one would expect from its authors, it is balanced, informed and offers incredible insights into Trumps time in office. It is essential listening for everyone to understand one of the most disturbing periods of modern American political history.

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3 people found this helpful

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Excellent insight into Trump's (very small) mind

Well worth listening to. Great insight into Trump's mind using lots of damning first-hand evidence.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Just the Facts

This book presents the facts through the timeline of Trump's presidency. It doesn't present opinion, speculation, or alternative facts but details actions and conversations. Despite the neutrality in which it is written, it demonstrates one ridiculous blow after another to the Rule of Law and The Constitution of the U.S. by the Trump Administration.

This audiobook was fascinating yet disheartening. I thoroughly recommend it not because of the pleasant story, but because of its important documentation of history and as a warning of the trajectory of the U.S. if there isn't a return to the values of honesty and integrity by the voting public.

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5 people found this helpful

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Horrifying and fascinating at the same time.

I enjoyed the facts and details but would have appreciated more back and forth between the two authors.

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2 people found this helpful

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  • Ian
  • 18-07-2020

Excellent

This real life horror story is addictively entertaining even though you can’t help recoiling from the continuous stream of ghastly revelations about Trump, his family and associates. Excellent narration. Highly recommended.

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2 people found this helpful

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Insightful

It has the feel of good, honest journalism and factual ness. It seems to jump around but overall they got good sources and it’s believable. 🙏

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2 people found this helpful

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Carol Leonnig Phil Rucker, Pulitzer Prize winners

As usual, excellent reporting!
Big fan of both of these reporters, well researched and nonpartisan reporting. Their story points out how President #45 is unhinged, corrupt and incapable of the job he's been elected to do. Disinformation, lies, manipulation and obstruction of justice, are absolutely confirmation of this 'Unstable Idiot'

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Terrible Narration

Detailed account, much of which is published elsewhere. It’s well researched and sourced, and may be well-written but it’s hard to tell from the audiobook due to the appalling narration. Sounds like an automated telephone message “dial 1 for...”. Baffling how it got published in this state.

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    1 out of 5 stars

Simple slander and libel.

I wrote a much more detailed review but it did not end up being posted. More than likely because I delved into the nature of the authors and their ideology.

To cut it down and make it less offensive the book is almost entirely fictional. It is made for weak minds and I can't imagine anyone having the will power to listen to 17 hours and 22 minutes of fiction and slander.

I returned this book, I wanted to listen to political punditry, not the whinging of an individual of exceedingly poor wit and intellect and too much time on their hands. These rather dim individuals spent a lot of time seething over these pages. Not one of them picked up that it was akin to a 2 year old calling someone a doodoo head for 17 hours and 22 minutes

Dry, so dry and unintelligible, not factual, packed full of outright lies or false insinuations. we get it, they are upset, I don't want to listen to them cry.

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8 people found this helpful

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