New Yorkers may be taking Donald Trump and his presidential campaign more seriously than you'd think.
The real estate magnate's 1987 book, "Trump: The Art of the Deal," has been in such demand among members of the New York Public Library that the library collections team ordered 15 more copies, an NYPL spokesperson told DNAinfo. As of Thursday evening, there were 64 holds on the first copy returned of the 15 2005 edition copies delivered Oct. 9; there were five readers on the waiting list for the four 1988 edition copies the library previously owned.
Prior to the first Republican presidential debate in August, NYPL members had never shown as much interest in Trump's first book; there's no previous record of holds on any of the four original copies, the spokesperson said.
"The Art of the Deal" has kindled significant interest among readers from readers in Brooklyn and Queens, too. The Brooklyn Public Library's online catalogue revealed that 29 of its card holders were waiting to borrow a copy of the book as of Thursday evening. And at the Queens Public Library, there were 16 people waiting for one of the library's four print copies, a library spokesperson said in an email.
A memoir offering readers a guide to business success in 11 steps, "The Art of the Deal" made a big splash when it was first published. It spent 51 weeks on the New York Times' bestseller list and landed its author on magazine covers and the late night talk show circuit.
On the campaign trail, Trump has frequently called the book his second-favorite in the world, after the Bible. In his opening statement at the second Republican presidential debate, the candidate, whose braggadocio and penchant for spectacle have become signatures of his campaign, plugged "The Art of the Deal" as one of his primary qualifications for the Oval Office.
That prompted New York Times correspondent Josh Barro to read it with an eye toward Trump's views on government. Barro concluded that "The Art of the Deal" isn't an anti-government or pro-free-market text. Its author, with his experience managing public involvement in large construction projects, obviously believes in business, but he doesn't appear to share some conversatives' distrust of government engagement.
We assume that New Yorkers are borrowing Trump's first book to examine for themselves the embryonic political views of a Republican candidate running neck-and-neck in the primary with Dr. Ben Carson, according to a new survey by Quinnipiac University.
For further research, they can watch him host "Saturday Night Live" this weekend.
And for further reading, may we suggest other Trump memoirs featuring the legend himself on their covers, such as "Trump: The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received" and "Trump: Think Big and Kick Ass"?
