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Ramin Setoodeh
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Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass Hardcover – June 18, 2024

by Ramin Setoodeh (Author)
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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From the editor in chief of Variety and author of the New York Times bestseller Ladies Who Punch, the never-fully-told, behind-the-scenes story of Donald Trump and The Apprentice, the long-running reality series that catapulted him to the White House.

Here for the first time is the definitive untold story of Donald Trump’s years as a reality TV star. Trump himself admits he might not have been president without The Apprentice. Now, just as he uncovered the chaos inside the daytime favorite The View in his bestselling Ladies Who Punch, Ramin Setoodeh chronicles Trump’s dramatic tenure as New York’s ultimate boss in the boardroom, a mirage created by Survivor producer Mark Burnett and NBC boss Jeff Zucker. With unprecedented access, including hours of interviews with Trump, his boardroom advisers George Ross and Carolyn Kepcher, Eric Trump, and some of the most memorable contestants, and writing with flair and authority, Setoodeh shares all the untold tales from this legendary show that has left its mark on popular culture, shaped the legend of its star, and ultimately changed American history.

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  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harper
  4. Publication date
    June 18, 2024
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.86 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0063139901
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0063139909
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“[A] witty, dogged and often sobering analysis of the “Apprentice” franchise and Trump . . . . What’s fascinating here is how effectively Setoodeh demonstrates that Trump is still drunk on celebrity nostalgia . . . . In the end, Apprentice in Wonderland does the impossible: It makes me pity Donald Trump.” — Ron Charles, The Washington Post

“For his deeply reported and revealing look at the pivotal moment in the former President’s career, Setoodeh interviewed Trump six times between 2021 and 2023 and talked to a wide swathe of the industry professionals and celebrities all circling the show’s orbit.” — Rolling Stone

“The journalist who has interviewed Donald Trump more than any other since Trump left office isn’t Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, or that guy who’s dating Marjorie Taylor Greene. It’s Ramin Setoodeh . . . . What Setoodeh instantly found most remarkable was how obsessive Trump himself was about the show and how eager he was to talk about it: Setoodeh would end up doing six interviews with Trump about The Apprentice, interviews that typically went for hours with Trump watching and narrating old clips deep into the night.” — Will Leitch, New York Magazine

“[Ramin Setoodeh’s] new book explores the twisted alliances, nutty gambles, and reality TV distortions that—for better or much, much worse—brought Donald Trump roaring back into the public eye.” — Vanity Fair

“A new book about The Apprentice reveals how the 45th president was shaped by tawdry reality-TV culture.” — McKay Coppins, The Atlantic

“Apprentice in Wonderland, examines the reality TV rise of the man who went on to be 45th president and the cultural impact of the show—with plenty of celebrity anecdotes along the way.” — New York Post

About the Author

Ramin Setoodeh is Variety's co-editor in chief and the author of the New York Times bestselling book Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of "The View." In 2018, Setoodeh was named entertainment journalist of the year by the Los Angeles Press Club. He previously worked as a senior writer for Newsweek and the Daily Beast. He lives in New York. 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper (June 18, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063139901
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063139909
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.86 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

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Ramin Setoodeh

Ramin Setoodeh

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4 out of 5 stars
384 global ratings

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9 customers mention "Content"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the content interesting and insightful.

"...He observes Trump keenly and has a knack for capturing telling details." Read more

"This book is really interesting. I've read many books and stories about Trump and his cheating at golf, taxes, on his wives, you name it...." Read more

"...The author also gives great insight into the ex, and Solovey nailed the ex’s personality...." Read more

"Overall the book has lots of information, but I found it to be disjointed. At times this made it challenging to follow...." Read more

3 customers mention "Author"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the author brilliant.

"...insiders who obsessively follow the news in Variety—Setoodah is a good writer. He observes Trump keenly and has a knack for capturing telling details." Read more

"THIS BOOK WAS A REAL EYE OPENER. GREAT AUTHOR. WELL WRITTEN. HARD TO PUT DOWN." Read more

"...I finished it in one night!! Ramin Setoodeh is a brilliant writer...." Read more

Details. Details that build and strengthen meaning
5 out of 5 stars
Details. Details that build and strengthen meaning
We hear 'deranged' and the like to describe DJT, but this is the first book which captures what we see going back 20+ years and confirms it in DJT own words. Narcicist? You decide. Then decide if you want to be governed this way by those around him who know how to gain favor with him. Another reviewer panned and could not find value. I could not put down. I watched debate eith this as filter. The immense mistruths get him talked about. This book makes clear that is sole aim: being talked about. Attention.
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Top reviews from the United States

Christopher Adams
5.0 out of 5 stars Details. Details that build and strengthen meaning
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2024
Verified Purchase
We hear 'deranged' and the like to describe DJT, but this is the first book which captures what we see going back 20+ years and confirms it in DJT own words. Narcicist? You decide. Then decide if you want to be governed this way by those around him who know how to gain favor with him. Another reviewer panned and could not find value. I could not put down. I watched debate eith this as filter. The immense mistruths get him talked about. This book makes clear that is sole aim: being talked about. Attention.
Customer image
Christopher Adams
5.0 out of 5 stars Details. Details that build and strengthen meaning
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2024
We hear 'deranged' and the like to describe DJT, but this is the first book which captures what we see going back 20+ years and confirms it in DJT own words. Narcicist? You decide. Then decide if you want to be governed this way by those around him who know how to gain favor with him. Another reviewer panned and could not find value. I could not put down. I watched debate eith this as filter. The immense mistruths get him talked about. This book makes clear that is sole aim: being talked about. Attention.
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12 people found this helpful
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Fiona Webster
4.0 out of 5 stars surprisingly compelling, uneasily amusing
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2024
Verified Purchase
By grounding his portrayal of Trump in his role as a reality TV star, Setoodah nails something Trump's other chroniclers have missed: Trump is *still* a reality TV star—one who now, in summer of 2024, is angling to get renewed for another season.

With the exception of a few passages where he gets lost in the weeds of "splits" of money between this revenue stream vs. that one, who was running which network and why—topics only of interest to Hollywood insiders who obsessively follow the news in Variety—Setoodah is a good writer. He observes Trump keenly and has a knack for capturing telling details.
21 people found this helpful
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Bob Canning
3.0 out of 5 stars Not great but a fast, entertaining summer read
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2024
Verified Purchase
Author Ramin Setoodeh interviewed Donald Trump quite a number of times for his best-selling book, "Apprentice in Wonderland” over a 20-year period. In the early 2000s many viewers were entertained and amused by "The Donald’s" showmanship on NBC’s “The Apprentice” and "The Celebrity Apprentice." They were my favorite must-see TV shows as my career was in advertising, marketing and show business (Disney Studios for 15 years). The challenges on those shows were like the World Series to me.

Nowadays far more people are horrified and revolted by the despicable dishonesty of the convicted felon he is today and will be forever more. Yet, MAGATs and Evangelicals still blindly believe "the pretend ruler" (Setoodeh's words) won the 2020 election because he told them ad nauseum that he believed he won.

However, in a recent follow-up interview for the book with the convicted felon about Geraldo Rivera on "The Celebrity Apprentice," Setoodeh writes on Page 191:

"When I ask Trump whether they're still on good terms, he tells me a story. 'After I lost the election...,' Trump says. These words come tumbling from his mouth, almost against his will, and he winces in surprise. It's a moment of candor that catches Trump off guard; even he can’t believe he said it. The spin artist takes immediate control, trying to erase this humiliating gaffe of speaking the truth, one that could alienate his base and cost him his pride.”

The convicted felon “corrects” himself and repeats the Big Lie yet again. And later in the book, while several WHITE former Apprentice contestants claim Trump isn't a racist, Arsenio Hall would beg to differ with them.

The author better keep those tapes well hidden and locked up, because if this dangerous and mentally imbalanced dictator wannabe goosesteps back into office, he'll send his lickspittle stormtroopers to get those damning tapes.
6 people found this helpful
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Sheri Joyce
5.0 out of 5 stars Getting real with a man who's anything but...
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book is really interesting. I've read many books and stories about Trump and his cheating at golf, taxes, on his wives, you name it. This was different. This author really gets to the heart of the fact that Trump is an empty shell of a human being, but I really appreciate this approach. It makes me realize there really is zero depth to this guy, and again, not the one who should be holding the nuclear codes.
12 people found this helpful
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amazon customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A washed-up Borscht belt insult comic.
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2024
Verified Purchase
This may be the last Trump book I need to read. I have been voraciously consuming all the books on trump in search of an answer as to why so many voters support him, and how he came to occupy such a central place in American politics and culture. This book traces the trajectory from schlocky New York real estate nepo-baby with a need to be accepted by the in-crowd to reality tv star, first on The Apprentice and when the ratings for that show fell, on the re-designed version, Celebrity Apprentice. The Celebrity Apprentice was a successful attempt to take a former hit show (The Apprentice) and infuse it with a new hook to re-capture lost audience and waning ratings. When celebrity apprentice had run its course, a presidential campaign was the next reality project to keep its fame-hungry attention-seeking central character in the spotlight by fueling fans’ obsession with tabloid publicity stunts. Now it all makes sense.

I have never seen the Apprentice, barely know what it is. I didn’t know his three oldest children also starred on the show. Anyone who watched the show could not have been surprised to see him bring these kids along with him to the White House for the next version of made for tv reality. He is a showman, not a statesman. It’s only coincidental that he is in politics. It could have been any field that fed his ego and need for attention and fame.

No wonder he is obsessed with crowd size and ratings. No wonder he is forever responding to late night talk show hosts and commenting on the professional life of stars. That is his milieu – these are his people. He is a reality tv star, not a politician. He just plays one on TV. Throughout the book, we see his chronic insecurity, his racism, misogyny and 1950 celebrity ethos. He reminds me of a washed-up Borscht belt insult comic.

His father owned twenty-seven thousand apartments in NY; this is the real estate empire that became his destiny despite that fact his chosen field was entertainment. Originally, he wanted to be a producer and did share that role with Mark Burnett, the man who created the Apprentice. In fact, when he was President, he was still credited as producer on Celebrity Apprentice because of contracts that were still in effect when Arnold Schwarznegger replaced him as host.

From reading this book, I was able to see that when in the White House, he ran it the way he did the Apprentice, pitting staffers against each other for the sake of the drama that is his sustenance. He exercised his “you’re fired” signature catch phrase repeatedly just as he did on the show, resulting in unprecedented turnover in his cabinet because he thought that was the way the show was supposed to go. And he fired people in the most dramatic ways possible (think Jim Comey) rather than operating as a dignified leader and statesman. His years on tv showed him how to capture and keep audience attention. Note the way he is handling the selection of a vice president; he is keeping the spotlight on himself while planning a big reveal. For ratings, of course, because that is what you do. In his mind, that is the measure of success.
44 people found this helpful
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Ms Curiosity
5.0 out of 5 stars Funniest book ever!
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2024
Verified Purchase
Author did a great job exposing the grump. I laugh at all grump’s quotes, knowing every one of them is a lie. The author also gives great insight into the ex, and Solovey nailed the ex’s personality. Also, you get to know grump’s weak, frail persona and why he feels the need to retaliate by reflecting his weakness onto his enemies. This book is well worth the price and the read. Thank you, Ramin Setoodeh! You saw right through him!
I also like that on Kindle, I can highlight my favorite parts in ORANGE, to match the subject of the book.
48 people found this helpful
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