My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another reviewer already captured my initial reaction to this book perfectly by stating, “If one has fallen asleep in 2015 and woke up in 2019 and did not know what has happened in the past three years, this would be the perfect book to read.”
I have been a voracious consumer of Trump-era books this last year. Some are more substantive than others, some are more memoirs with a dash of Trump, some try to dissect how we got where we are. It’s probably not a healthy habit, to constantly delve into the depths of our country’s current crisis and our democracy at risk. I need to mix in some more escapist reading, some more fiction to provide a needed escape.
But like the other reviewer said, if I were to recommend just ONE book to someone who wanted to gain a big picture understanding about the Trump campaign and presidency so far, and exactly how Russia successfully attacked our Democracy, then this is the one book I would recommend. Written by a Washington Post reporter who wrote many of these stories when they first broke in the news, this book allows him to now weave them altogether, layering on still more information revealed since they were originally reported. It’s a fast and unnerving read.
And of course, this story’s far from over. I’m writing this review two days before the 2018 mid-term elections, one in which ALL agree is a real referendum on Trump, regardless of the fact that he’s not himself on the ballot. Will voters endorse his lies and hate mongering? Or will they instead vote for a Congress that will serve as a check on Trump? Will there be any indication that Russia has again attacked our elections, and cast doubt on any of the results? And with the election over, what will come next from the Mueller probe? So yes, read The Apprentice to refresh your memory and strengthen your grasp on recent events, then pay close attention every day to the news, because the first draft of the sequel is being written every day.