This is a preformatted review I did through GoodReads about TRUMP's BOOK, How to Get Rich

Trump: How to Get Rich by Donald J. Trump

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Donald Trump is one of those fascinating people I can't understand why I think he's fascinating. I'm sure I don't like him. I'm sure that he is a mean-spirited man who yells at people and micromanages them and destroys because he can. I don't think I would want to count him as a friend.



When I read his book, though, I could not help but think to myself, "if I were more like him, I would hate myself, but I would be rich." I also found myself saying things like, "if my father had been a millionaire, I might be a billionaire right now if I were the right kind of jerk."



Trump is like John Gotti. He's a celebrity criminal who's flamboyant enough to make books like this interesting enough to get through. His arrogance makes up for his lack of writing talent, and his short chapters are like a James Elroy homage or something.



This tasteless beast who builds golf courses and rides limos through the McDonald's Drive-Thru and stars in their commercials is hard not to psycho-analyze. . . and surely he's counting on that. So, all you amateur psycho-babblers, have at him. And while you're shaking your head at how horrible his mother and father must have been, you'll find yourself raising your eyebrows at the very few pearls of business wisdom sprinkled like scatter shot in this book.



Also, the title is bull shit. . . a joke or a marketing curve ball. And that's funny.



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Think Little in Real Estate

In a meeting, a smart woman mentioned Wendel Berry's Think Little essay in regards to what we're doing with Queen City Marketplace in Staunton. I hadn't read the thing, so I looked it up and did; I loved it. I think I'd like to think about this essay more in respect to real estate. What do you think? Think little and kick ass?

Here's the essay. Maybe you have ideas on what it means to Think Little in real estate.

Trump thinks I should think big. I'll have to read his book to see what he really means. Sometimes his books have titles that aren't exactly what his books are about.

Creative Real Estate and Reading Donald Trump

One of the things I love about real estate so far is that it excites the creative parts of my brain. I've been involved in the arts for most of my life, and that's where I've worked and wallowed for most of my time between heaven and earth.

I'm reading some Trump books. Donald Trump likes to say that what he does is an art form. It's hard to believe at prima facie, but I'm coming around to the idea very quickly. I never know if I like Donald J. Trump, but I'm starting to do that, too, methinks.

I'd like to make enough money to live comfortably and help make the world a better place while remaining an artist. I don't think it's childish to want to stay artistically stimulated, even in my profession. Although it might seem like a stretch from time to time while I'm digging in the GIS for data on rental properties and visiting the tax assessor for info on sales histories and going rates, haven't I always started the artistic process with research and info/inspo mining? Don't I trawl books filled with artists who have come before to see what they've accomplished before setting out to try my own? The days of the gold rush are over, and we must follow in the footsteps of others, but that doesn't mean there aren't ways to be creative in our chosen fields.

Anyway, I found this short article that I liked about creative real estate. It's not the best-written thing I've seen online, but I like the sentiment.

Also, Donald Trump is selling his home in Palos Verdes; the wine room sells it for me. Holy crap I'd love to fill a wine room like that!!!