by Bandy X. Lee
First published 2017
Twenty-seven psychiatrists and psychologists abandon professional neutrality to examine Donald Trump's psychological state. The mental health professionals argue their duty to warn the public outweighs the Goldwater rule that prevents diagnosing public figures from afar. Philip Zimbardo and Rosemary Sword analyze Trump's impulsivity through the lens of extreme present hedonism. Craig Malkin explores how pathological narcissism mixes lethally with political power. Gail Sheehy examines distrust levels that surpass paranoia. Lance Dodes discusses sociopathy while Robert Jay Lifton warns of malignant normality taking hold when psychiatrists remain silent. The contributors document how Trump's mental state creates widespread psychological consequences, from trauma experienced under his administration to cult-like behavior among his supporters. The book presents their collective conclusion that his condition poses clear danger to national and individual wellbeing.
Genres: mental-health, american, political-science, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, current-affairs, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
360 pages · Hardcover · Thomas Dunne Books
Content warnings: mental-illness