“Melania” by Melania Trump (2024) is an autobiography that I borrowed from the library (I was #31 on the waitlist and it took three weeks before it was available!). The reason this book made it on my blog is because of the underpinning messages of personal development and self-help.
Overview: The autobiography is a quick read (182 pages) and starts out with two chapters that orient the reader to major life events for Melania – 1) when she arrived in the USA to work and live in New York as a model in 1996 and 2) when her husband Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016. She proceeds to then talk favorably about her childhood in Slovenia, her global career adventures, then meeting Donald Trump and becoming a mother to Barron, and her major initiatives while serving as first lady of the United States. She ends the book with a letter to the American people directly following her husbands attempted assignation while campaigning for a second term presidency in July 2024. She asks for unity among a divided people.
Key Message: I believe the key message of Melania’s book is unapologetic confidence. She sees herself as a success due to her parents’ ‘strong work ethic, commitment to family, and passion for creativity’ and she shares her life through antidotes applying those foundational pillars to inspire her readers to be the success they want to be.
Supplemental Information:
Where it Falls Short:
Overall, the read had select vivid memories that took me into her life (Modeling thief in Italy, Christmas with the soldiers abroad and White House room renovations), but the writing was dry and lacked warmth. The style was rigid and it made me wonder if she has many friends. It would have been better suited written chronologically rather than jumping back and forth between decades, but I’m assuming her editors supported her decision.
Overall Assessment & Why: I rate it a 6.5 out of 10 in terms of a personal development book. To her credit, she wasn’t writing it to be published as a self-help book. It’s listed as #1 best seller in US Presidents on Amazon. I think the message is positive and can be inspiring and even motivational to some, but most will just want to know a little bit more about her (and check out the glossy pictures in the middle of the book). The writing isn’t strong or warm, so I would recommend the number 1 personal development takeaway to be “unapologetic confidence.”