Really, I'm trying, though this didn't help. Newt Gingrich is an intelligent man, and I thought he might have some insight into Trump that might help me stomach the remaining 3 years. I was prepared for his party line and obvious slant, but not for the full scale sellout this book embodies. Gingrich wrote this right after Trump took office, and I have to wonder if a year later, it would still be as gushing. Many of the key players he lauds are already past history (Rex Tillerson for one) and some of the behavior that was justifiably explained then is indefensible now. I'm marking this here and now with the on-off North Korea summit, just to see what another year brings. Moreover, this book is written at a grade-school level with simplistic concepts. Here's the gist: "Donald J. Trump has a very clear set of guiding prinicples that informs the positions he takes and the way he governs as president. These principles are best illustrated by imagining a four-sided table. One side of the table is anti-Left, one is anti-stupid, one is anti-political correctness, and the fourth is pro-American. No matter what action Trump takes, you can be sure it falls somewhere on the table." (24). Another example, that takes up the majority of the book after the initial defense of Trump's rise to power is the 4 boxes of Trump's government:(the Safety Box, the American Competitive Box, the Health Box, the Making-Government-Work Box, verbatim) This is the model Gingrich proposed to Trump and I have to believe it was in these exact terms. Really, this book is more about Gingrich's vision and how he would like Trump to adopt it, though I wonder how he feels that's working out for him to date. Gingrich is enamored of an essay (he even includes it in the appendix) by Nassim Nicholas Taleb that puts forth the idea of "The Intellectual Yet Idiot" and he references this "amazing term" at every turn. These are people who are "highly qualified on paper but bereft of real practical intelligence." (63) I will concede that Trump definitely doesn't fit this mold, and that there is a large group of politicians, policy-makers, lobbyists, etc. who do and who have had power for far too long. However, appealing to people's baser instincts and name-calling, fear-mongering, and tweeting insults and taunts isn't the remedy. Then all we are left with is "idiot." Gingrich needs to assert his own leadership instead of writing Trump apologetics. ( )

Good, if long-winded, summary of the case for Donald Trump. If you’ve never confronted a well-considered, intelligent argument for why Trump won the Presidency and how he might actually “make America great again”, this is a worthwhile read.

On the other hand, much of it feels like a sycophantic hagiography (the intro is written by The President’s son) and it was written in April 2017, so some of it is dated (the healthcare debate, for example). ( )

I happen to think Newt Gingrich is brilliant and reading Understanding Trump has validated my opinion. The book is organized brilliantly. The first half details Trump the man, what motivates him and his strategies on his rise to celebrity. The second half neatly outlines four main areas of concern for the future and Newt’s advice on how to successfully overcome and resolve the issues. I only hope Mr. Trump reads this and follows Newt’s advice. ( )

This is the first book I have read that specifically deals with President Trump. I was inspired to read Newt Gingrich's book, Understanding Trump, after seeing him on Fox News and being very impressed with his analysis of the President's agenda. Speaker Gingrich is an incredibly smart man and has an impeccable reputation as a no-nonsense kind of conservative politician. Understand Trump is very clearly organized into two main sections: understanding Trump and the "four box model for the Trump agenda".

The first half of the book helps readers get to know the President as the man he really is. Gingrich describes the obstacles that Donald Trump had to overcome as a real estate developer in New York City. The story about Trump's revival of Wollman Rink in NYC was the perfect example of how I view the President.

The second half of the book describes what Gingrich calls "the four-box model for the Trump agenda". This is the safety box, the american competitiveness box, the health box, and the making government work box. In these sections, the author gives specific remedies to President Trump's many political obstacles that he will encounter. The chapter dealing with healthcare is especially long and detailed, showing Gingrich's personal mastery of the topic.

I would recommend this book to anyone, especially people who are against or on the fence about President Trump. Newt Gingrich portrays Trump as a real person and his insights are genuine and fascinating. ( )

Not a bad book, decent writing, but the information within I'd already read before, so it kind of dragged for me.

If you want to get a better understanding of the current President of the US, I'd highly recommend "The Art of the Deal", which shows the underlying beliefs of Donald J. Trump. ( )