Think Big and Kick Ass
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Think Big and Kick Ass: In Business and in Life'' is a non-fiction book by
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
, then head of
The Trump Organization The Trump Organization is a group of about 500 business entities of which Donald Trump is the sole or principal owner. Around 250 of these entities use the Trump name. The organization was founded in 1927 by Donald Trump's paternal grandmother ...
and later
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
, and Bill Zanker,
The Learning Annex The Learning Annex is an American education company based in New York City. It was founded in 1980 by Bill Zanker in his New York City studio apartment with a $5,000 investment. It is considered the largest adult education company in North Ame ...
entrepreneur, first published in hardcover in 2007 by
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
. Another edition was subsequently published in paperback in 2008 under the title ''Think Big: Make It Happen in Business and Life''. Trump and Zanker had prior business ventures together before writing the book; Zanker's company helped gain Trump speaking engagements around the world with large audiences. In ''Think Big and Kick Ass'', Trump advises the reader to create large goals for themselves, citing his future political opponent
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
as an example of success. Trump focuses a chapter "Revenge" on the importance of retribution, recounting his feud with
Rosie O'Donnell Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American comedian, television producer, actress, author, and television personality. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series ''Star Search'' ...
and criticism of
Mark Cuban Mark Cuban (born July 31, 1958) is an American billionaire entrepreneur, television personality, and media proprietor whose net worth is an estimated $4.8 billion, according to ''Forbes'', and ranked No. 177 on the 2020 ''Forbes'' 400 list ...
. The book describes Trump's romantic exploits, and he muses that an unknown quality gave him success with women. Coauthor Zanker describes Trump's history with The Learning Annex, saying his business partner gave a significant amount of earnings to charity. Trump discusses his debt difficulties with banks in the 1990s, and criticizes the banks for unwisely investing with him. Trump promoted the book on ''
Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles s ...
'', at a cash giveaway in New York City, and in a speech at the
Wharton School The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania ( ; also known as Wharton Business School, the Wharton School, Penn Wharton, and Wharton) is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private Ivy League research university in P ...
. The book's 2007 printing was for 400,000 copies. Becoming a bestseller in 2007, the book was the highest selling
personal finance Personal finance is the financial management which an individual or a family unit performs to budget, save, and spend monetary resources over time, taking into account various financial risks and future life events. When planning personal fi ...
work on
Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...
in 2015. ''
Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...
'' wrote positively of the book, and fashion designer
Emilia Wickstead Emilia Wickstead (born June 1983) is a New Zealand-born fashion designer based in London, England. In 2014 she won the Red Carpet Designer of the Year Award at the Elle Style Awards, and her clients include Samantha Cameron, and the Princess of W ...
said it inspired her to become an entrepreneur. ''
Real Estate Weekly ''Real Estate Weekly'' is a weekly American real estate magazine primarily covering New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in t ...
'' called the book "the icon of everything Trump". ''
London Review of Books The ''London Review of Books'' (''LRB'') is a British literary magazine published twice monthly that features articles and essays on fiction and non-fiction subjects, which are usually structured as book reviews. History The ''London Review of ...
'' wrote that it capitalized on consumers' dreams. The work was negatively received by two reviews in ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
'', and by ''Real-World Economics Review'', and the ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
''.


Background

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
cowrote ''Think Big and Kick Ass'' with
The Learning Annex The Learning Annex is an American education company based in New York City. It was founded in 1980 by Bill Zanker in his New York City studio apartment with a $5,000 investment. It is considered the largest adult education company in North Ame ...
entrepreneur Bill Zanker. Prior to their collaboration on the book, Trump and Zanker had entered into a business relationship through The Learning Annex. Zanker's company performed marketing services for
The Trump Organization The Trump Organization is a group of about 500 business entities of which Donald Trump is the sole or principal owner. Around 250 of these entities use the Trump name. The organization was founded in 1927 by Donald Trump's paternal grandmother ...
and Trump's
brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
. The Learning Annex helped arrange speeches around the world for Trump. The speeches by Trump were billed as part of a series called the Learning Annex Wealth Expos. Zanker's efforts helped garner crowds of 80,000 in attendance at some of Trump's speeches. After their collaborations including The Learning Annex and ''Think Big and Kick Ass'', Trump and Zanker cofounded a crowdfunding website called FundAnything in 2013. Trump's role included placing monies into the company, investing in donation drives, and marketing his donations via
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
. Trump parted with FundAnything in December 2014. Trump said of his business ventures with coauthor Zanker, "We really have had great success together."


Summary

''Think Big and Kick Ass'' emphasizes the importance of maintaining large goals for oneself. Trump elaborates on his think big thesis, saying bravado and playing to people's fantasies can excite people who do not think big themselves. He advises budding business careerists to have an optimistic outlook, crediting his positive attitude for his success. Because those who seek out their passions in life will find financial success, he tells readers to devote two hours a day focusing on how to generate money. The book talks about the importance of concentration on the task at hand, but cautions against narrow-mindedness and inflexibility. Trump describes his expectations of loyalty from his employees, writing, "I try to hire people who are honest and loyal. ... I put the people who are loyal to me on a high pedestal and take care of them very well. I go out of my way for the people who were loyal to me in bad times." Trump cites
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
as an example of an individual with "the ability to think big". He warns about repercussions for disloyalty, saying a lack of respect will lead to struggles. The chapter "Revenge" focuses on achieving retribution against perceived enemies. It begins by recounting a long-running argument between Trump and actress
Rosie O'Donnell Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American comedian, television producer, actress, author, and television personality. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series ''Star Search'' ...
. Trump then criticizes businessman
Mark Cuban Mark Cuban (born July 31, 1958) is an American billionaire entrepreneur, television personality, and media proprietor whose net worth is an estimated $4.8 billion, according to ''Forbes'', and ranked No. 177 on the 2020 ''Forbes'' 400 list ...
's television persona and appearance. He goes on to praise
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
's courage and criticizes
Mario Cuomo Mario Matthew Cuomo (, ; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party, Cuomo previously served as t ...
's lack of it. Trump advises readers who have been wronged to "screw them back in spades" and reap any possible benefits. He elaborated on the measure of revenge by saying he responds to wrongs by retaliating in the same manner, but with more severity. Trump cautions readers against being complacent and trusting in civilization because the world is cruel and ruthless. Trump writes that those who do not seek revenge are remiss and calls them "schmucks". Trump recalls some of his romantic exploits, claiming to have secretly been with "Beautiful, famous, successful, married" women. Trump reflects on how he would be filled with disbelief during these exploits, surprised at his own success. He explained that he was successful in his endeavors with women due to some unknown quality he possessed. Coauthor Bill Zanker writes in the work about the importance of
brand name A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
power for Trump, saying Trump's worth comes from his passion and ability to connect with people. Zanker gave his company,
The Learning Annex The Learning Annex is an American education company based in New York City. It was founded in 1980 by Bill Zanker in his New York City studio apartment with a $5,000 investment. It is considered the largest adult education company in North Ame ...
and its business relationship with Trump as an example, saying Trump earns more from speaking engagements than just the nominal amount on his paycheck when one factors in advertising and promotion. Trump concurs with Zanker's assessment and notes that he donates his monetary income from speeches to charity. Trump discusses his 1990s conflicts with finance companies regarding debt management in the work, saying the banks accepted some of the blame. He tells the reader that economic depressions are beyond a borrower's control and reminds them that banks fear lawsuits.


Genre

''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' and ''
Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...
'' placed ''Think Big and Kick Ass'' in the genre of
self-help book A self-help book is one that is written with the intention to instruct its readers on solving personal problems. The books take their name from ''Self-Help'', an 1859 best-seller by Samuel Smiles, but are also known and classified under "self-im ...
s. ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
'' and '' Bookseller + Publisher Magazine'' said it was part of a trend of business books. ''The Economist'' noted that during successful periods of the
stock market A stock market, equity market, or share market is the aggregation of buyers and sellers of stocks (also called shares), which represent ownership claims on businesses; these may include ''securities'' listed on a public stock exchange, as ...
more finance books were published. Author and academic John Lubans wrote about the business genre, "And there’s a subset of the business fad industry: books. Not about a system of work, but titles written by celebrity leaders like Donald Trump, Jack Welch, and others bent on explaining how they got to be as good as they decidedly are and how you too, if you follow their advice, can make it to the top. Mr. Trump’s latest, ''Think Big and Kick Ass'', probably defines the genre." Jeffrey L. Buller wrote in ''Change Leadership in Higher Education'' that the book was part of "a school of thought that says when it comes to success in life or at work, leadership requires people to become aggressive, assertive, and at times even abusive in order to achieve their goals. ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...
'' marveled that subsequent to
Trump's inauguration The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States marked the commencement of Donald Trump's term as president and Mike Pence as vice president. An estimated 300,000 to 600,000 people attended the public ceremony held ...
, the work joined the pantheon of presidential memoirs.


Release and sales

''Think Big and Kick Ass'' was first published in 2007 in hardcover format by
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
. An audiobook was released the same year. An audiobook was released under the same title again in 2008. The work was first published under the title ''Think Big: Make It Happen in Business and Life'' in paperback format in 2008. HarperCollins gave it additional print releases under this title, in 2010 and 2012. In November 2007 there were 400,000 print copies of the work. Must Read Summaries published a summary of the book in 2014 and 2016. Trump marketed the work with an interview on the
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
program ''
Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles s ...
'', and at appearances in New York City. He promoted sales of the book by doling our currency. At an event in New York City, Trump personally handed out one-hundred-dollar bills to the first 100 purchasers of the book. Trump gave a presentation about the book at the
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania ( ; also known as Wharton Business School, the Wharton School, Penn Wharton, and Wharton) is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, a Private university, private Ivy League rese ...
in an event hosted by
MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
on January 2, 2008. During a 2008 lawsuit involving
Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank AG (), sometimes referred to simply as Deutsche, is a German multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York Sto ...
, attorneys for the finance company quoted from the book as evidence about Trump's views on loan relationships with banks. According to ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
'', the book became a bestseller in 2007. In July 2015, the book was the highest selling work in the category of
personal finance Personal finance is the financial management which an individual or a family unit performs to budget, save, and spend monetary resources over time, taking into account various financial risks and future life events. When planning personal fi ...
on
Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...
. Trump declared revenues of less than $201.00 from the book in 2016.


Critical reception

''
Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...
'' journalist Ochereome Nnanna wrote positively of the book in 2016, saying her impression of Trump was as "a very imaginative, straightforward, practical person". Fashion designer
Emilia Wickstead Emilia Wickstead (born June 1983) is a New Zealand-born fashion designer based in London, England. In 2014 she won the Red Carpet Designer of the Year Award at the Elle Style Awards, and her clients include Samantha Cameron, and the Princess of W ...
told the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'' in 2014 that the book inspired her to become an entrepreneur in her twenties. ''
Real Estate Weekly ''Real Estate Weekly'' is a weekly American real estate magazine primarily covering New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in t ...
'' wrote in 2015, "''Think Big And Kick Ass'' is the title of one of Trump's books and the icon of everything Trump." ''
London Review of Books The ''London Review of Books'' (''LRB'') is a British literary magazine published twice monthly that features articles and essays on fiction and non-fiction subjects, which are usually structured as book reviews. History The ''London Review of ...
'' said the work was a way to capitalize on the aspirations of consumers in 2016. In 2015, ''
The Washington Free Beacon ''The Washington Free Beacon'' is an American conservative political journalism website launched in 2012. The website is financially backed by Paul Singer, an American billionaire hedge fund manager and conservative activist. History The ' ...
'' rated the cover art as the second best among Trump's books and said the book exemplified "The Trumpean Ideal". ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
'' had two reviews of the book in 2007. One was critical of the advice imparted in the work, and the other wrote, "Donald Trump is a Wharton alumni, but you would not guess it from his new bestseller ..with its street-fighter's advice to always get even and never marry without a prenuptial agreement."
University of Hawaii A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
business history professor Robert R. Locke compared Trump's principals for self-enrichment to robber barons in the
Gilded Age In United States history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1877 to 1900, which was sandwiched between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and Weste ...
in a 2017 article on Trumponomics for ''Real-World Economics Review''. In 2015, Carlos Lozada wrote in ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' that he found most of Trump's advice to be obvious or useless. ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'' was critical of the book in 2016, calling it "self-aggrandizing" and, "extolling little other than a brash,
Gordon Gekko Gordon Gekko is a composite character in the 1987 film '' Wall Street'' and its 2010 sequel '' Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps'', both directed by Oliver Stone. Gekko was portrayed by actor Michael Douglas, whose performance in the first fil ...
-like pursuit of money and real estate holdings." ''
The Economic Times ''The Economic Times'' is an Indian English-language business-focused daily newspaper. It is owned by The Times Group. ''The Economic Times'' began publication in 1961. As of 2012, it is the world's second-most widely read English-language bus ...
'' commented upon the work in 2017, saying it gave a window into Trump's views on deal-making. ''
Bloomberg News Bloomberg News (originally Bloomberg Business News) is an international news agency headquartered in New York City and a division of Bloomberg L.P. Content produced by Bloomberg News is disseminated through Bloomberg Terminals, Bloomberg Televi ...
'' and ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' observed in 2016 that the work formed part of a collection of works which were profitable for Trump in collaboration with
ghostwriter A ghostwriter is hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are officially credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and political leaders often h ...
s.


See also

*
List of autobiographies by presidents of the United States Many presidents of the United States have written autobiographies about their presidencies and/or (some periods of) their life before their time in office. Some 19th-century U.S. presidents who wrote autobiographies are James Buchanan and Ulysses ...


References


External links

* {{Authority control 2007 non-fiction books American memoirs Biographies about businesspeople Books about companies Books about Donald Trump Books by Donald Trump Finance books HarperCollins books Self-help books Books written by presidents of the United States