Trump: The Art of the Deal

Trump: The Art of the Deal – Donald Trump

First published in 1987, Trump: The Art of the Deal became one of the best-known business books of its era and introduced millions of readers to the deal-making philosophy of Donald J. Trump, then a prominent New York real estate developer, years before his entry into politics.

Written with journalist Tony Schwartz, the book offers an inside look at a typical week in Trump’s business life, from phone calls and meetings to negotiations over major projects. It then recounts how he got his start in his father’s real estate business in Queens and Brooklyn before moving into Manhattan, and tells the stories behind high-profile deals of the time, including the redevelopment of the Commodore Hotel into the Grand Hyatt, the construction of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, ventures in Atlantic City casinos and the renovation of the Wollman Rink in Central Park.

Along the way, Trump lays out the principles he says guided his approach, such as thinking big, protecting the downside, maximizing your options, knowing your market, using leverage, getting the word out and fighting back.

Whatever readers’ views of its author, the book is a significant document of 1980s American business culture and a revealing self-portrait of one of the most talked-about figures of recent decades.

Trump: The Art of the Deal will interest readers of business memoirs, students of negotiation and real estate, and anyone curious about the early career and outlook of a man who would later become President of the United States.