This book is a mix of memoir and business advice, detailing Trump's professional and personal worldview. It outlines his approach to deal-making, including his eleven key elements for success, such as 'Think Big,' 'Maximize Your Options,' and 'Have Fun.' The book offers insights into Trump's business strategies, his interactions with various figures, and his approach to negotiating deals. It also provides a glimpse into his personal life and how he runs his organization[1][3][5].
In this book, Christopher Hitchens addresses a hypothetical young reader, offering advice on how to cultivate a contrarian mindset. He draws on historical examples of dissenters like Émile Zola, Rosa Parks, and George Orwell to illustrate the importance of questioning authority and challenging consensus. The book covers a range of topics including politics, economics, and religion, and encourages readers to seek out argument and disputation as a means of intellectual growth. Hitchens also critiques various forms of dogma and advocates for a life of critical thinking and moral courage[2][3][4].
Confidence Man is a comprehensive and detailed biography that explores Donald Trump's life, from his early days in Queens to his presidency and beyond. The book, written by Maggie Haberman, is based on extensive interviews with hundreds of sources, including Trump himself. It delves into the transactional relationships that shaped Trump's career, including those with significant figures like Roy Cohn, George Steinbrenner, and Rudy Giuliani. Haberman's work provides a nuanced portrait of Trump, highlighting his complexities, contradictions, and the broader societal context that enabled his rise to power. The book is praised for its meticulous reporting and its contribution to understanding one of the most consequential eras in American political history.
Actor Sebastian Stan has built a career out of shapeshifting.
This week, he joins us to discuss the process of transforming into Donald J. Trump in The Apprentice (8:27), his personal relationship to the American dream (15:35), and the extensive research that went into recreating 1970s-1980s New York City in the film (17:27). Then, we unpack Sebastian’s Romanian upbringing (29:00), the gift of his unconventional, nomadic childhood (34:40), and what the film represents in this post-Election moment (38:30).
On the back-half, we talk about the impact of the late director Jonathan Demme (50:45), Stan’s radical and stunning work in A Different Man (55:08), what both of his new films reveal about reality (59:14), and what the silencing of The Apprentice—and his Actors on Actors shutout—reveals about the entertainment industry (1:00:00). To close, a reflection about control and how Sebastian embraces everyday life (1:17:55).
Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com.
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Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso 
