A Very Stable Genius

Donald J. Trump's Testing of America

By: Philip Rucker, Carol Leonnig

Narrated by: Hillary Huber, Carol Leonnig, Philip Rucker

Length: 18 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

The instant number-one best seller.

“This taut and terrifying book is among the most closely observed accounts of Donald J. Trump’s shambolic tenure in office to date." (Dwight Garner, The New York Times)

Washington Post national investigative reporter Carol Leonnig and White House bureau chief Philip Rucker, both Pulitzer Prize winners, provide the definitive insider narrative of Donald Trump’s presidency

“I alone can fix it.” So proclaimed Donald J. Trump on July 21, 2016, accepting the Republican presidential nomination and promising to restore what he described as a fallen nation. Yet as he undertook the actual work of the commander in chief, it became nearly impossible to see beyond the daily chaos of scandal, investigation, and constant bluster. In fact, there were patterns to his behavior and that of his associates. The universal value of the Trump administration was loyalty - not to the country but to the president himself - and Trump’s north star was always the perpetuation of his own power.

With deep and unmatched sources throughout Washington, DC, Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker reveal the 45th president up close. Here, for the first time, certain officials who felt honor-bound not to divulge what they witnessed in positions of trust tell the truth for the benefit of history.

A peerless and gripping narrative, A Very Stable Genius not only reveals President Trump at his most unvarnished but shows how he tested the strength of America’s democracy and its common heart as a nation.

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

Critic reviews

"[Rucker and Leonnig] are meticulous journalists, and this taut and terrifying book is among the most closely observed accounts of Donald J. Trump’s shambolic tenure in office to date.... Their newspaper’s ominous, love-it-or-hate-it motto is ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness.’ A Very Stable Genius flicks the lights on from its first pages." (Dwight Garner, New York Times)

"Richly sourced and highly readable... It is not just another Trump tell-all or third-party confessional. It is unsettling, not salacious." (Lloyd Green, The Guardian)

"Imagine, for a moment, a high-octane courtroom prosecutor summing up for the jury a case built on the vivid testimony of multiple eye-witnesses.... You could scarcely ask for more capable advocates. Leonnig won a Pulitzer Prize for her reporting on the U.S. Secret Service in 2015, then joined Rucker and others on a team awarded the Pulitzer for stories on Russian interference in the 2016 election. Their new, collaborative account...walks readers step by step through the first 30 months or so of a presidency like no other. They leave little doubt that they and many of their sources regard that presidency as an unmitigated and deepening disaster - a threat to American government as we have known it. Whatever may happen to that impeachment effort in the weeks and months ahead, it creates a moment of intermission in the Trump saga and a chance to consider how the landscape has already been altered by this president. A Very Stable Genius offers a harrowing companion narrative to be read during intermission." (Ron Elving, NPR)

Finally the real story without the daily interfere

Clearly written, great research, and well recorded. It is finally a delight to hear what is really happening without the daily barrage from the president and white house that muddy the waters. His lying is too much and get to the core of his term in office really helps me know what I will be voting for in the future.

Worth going back in time...

Reflecting on this information "in print" after hearing so much on cable news, it's stunning to hear it now in such detail - it is beyond amazing that this country is functioning at all. I can't help but feel that many people working there haven't had to strength to leave and talk, but instead have kept quiet and still continue to do so. I very much respect Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig's reporting, but I wish it was one or both of them narrating the book. I'm sorry to say Ms. Huber's voice is just not doing it for me in general, but when she "acts" the tone of the various players I want to stop listening; If it wasn't for me wanting to keep learning all the gory details I would not finish listening to this book.

Clearly biased but very believable

This will scare any American. well researched and narrated well. story moves along quickly.

Exhausted

Very well written and great chronological order of the Trump’s presidency’s to date. I’m exhausted reliving Trump’s unbelievable behavior throughout his term to date! I’m sure he will go down in history as the worst president of all time!

Details are scary. Must read.

I’ve read MANY tRumpian books and this is one of the top reads. Easy to understand and confirms everything I’ve seen and heard. tRump needs to go NOW so they can arrest him.

Thanks for the book

Very informative book. I’ve read many nightmarish books about the Dictator Trump.

As we know he was acquitted. We see many dishonest and ruthless monsters in America. All I want is for Trump NOT to be re-elected and thrown in jail for the rest of his life. My Dream!

Profound!

Attention to pertinent details and the good sense to provide context makes this a treasure to read and contemplate. It’s a window into the social, psychological political and media wars in play during the reality tv show called the Donald Trump presidency.

The Truth

I've felt that many of what this book describes is true simply by watching and listening to honest reporting.

Very interesting.

How can anyone read this book, listen to the actual news, see his actions and read his own Twitter posts, and still want this man as their president? Everyday, I am dumbfounded by the fact that there are still people who back him up. This is a very interesting piece of work and I commend the brave people who wrote and provided interviews for it.

For the Love of America

This is a must “read!” Philip Rucker & Carol Leonnig have created a work that will echo through the ages. For those Americans who wish to know the truth regarding Donald J. Trump, Sr. and his administration, A Very Stable Genius is a tour of the insanity, disfunction, and divisiveness of Trump’s administration and, sadly, the divisiveness he engendered in the land we all love. Take the time to read this with an open mind. I hope it will be eye (and mind) opening. It was for me.