"The Dangerous Case Of Donald Trump" Edited by Bandy Lee, M. D.---Book Review

 Lee, Bandy, M. D.; M. Div. Editor. The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump (New York, Saint Martin's Press, 2017)

Today I finished reading the most important book in America, "The Dangerous Case Of Donald Trump", edited by Bandy Lee, M. D.; M. Div. and written by 27 of the best, most distinguished psychiatrists in America.  In today's world, I cannot imagine a more important book for any reader to read, devour, memorize, talk about with friends and acquaintances, and pass on to the next reader who might not be able to afford their own copy.  This book arose from a Duty To Warn Conference at the Yale University School of Medicine on April 20, 2017, the transcript of which can be found at this internet address.  I would encourage my readers to not only read the book but also read the conference transcript.  

The conference came about because Dr. Lee and many of her professional colleagues were deeply concerned about the obvious manifestations of serious and dangerous mental illness they were seeing in Donald Trump, whom I generally refer to as TRAITOR & International Terrorist Trump.  Every since 1973, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals with diagnostic certifications had been bound by the Goldwater Rule which is found in Section 7 in the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Principles of Medical Ethics.  In fairly simplistic words, the Goldwater Rule states that members of the APA may not make public statements or give public diagnostic opinions about the mental health of public figures without having had a formal diagnostic interview with the person in question and having been provided with a release of information giving those professionals permission to make the findings of such a diagnostic interview public.  Dr. Lee and her associates were also deeply concerned about their legal, moral, and ethical obligations under another important concept in American mental health practice, the Duty To Warn, which mandates that a qualified mental health practitioner must take actions to warn potential victims and appropriate law enforcement authorities in the event that they are aware of an individual who has expressed intent to harm others.  The duty to warn arises when a patient has communicated an explicit threat of imminent serious physical harm or death to a clearly identified or identifiable victim or victims, and the patient has the apparent intent and ability to carry out such a threat. Duty to warn arose from a famous legal decision in a liability case known as Tarasoff vs. Regents of the University of California.  In that case, four mental health practitioners had knowledge that a patient intended to harm Tatiana Tarasoff and did nothing to warn Ms. Tarasoff or the local police.  Ms. Tarasoff was murdered by the patient and the practitioners and the University were held liable for her death.  Since that time, every mental health practitioner in America has been bound by the Tarasoff Rule, otherwise known as Duty To Warn.  Hence, Dr. Lee and her colleagues all across America were facing a serious dilemma as to whether or not to warn America and the world about the serious degree of danger they were seeing in Donald Trump as he made more and more serious threats toward various groups of people and individuals including his general election opponent, Hillary Clinton.  Therefore, the Yale Duty to Warn Conference was held, the best psychiatrists in America participated, expressed their opinions, and the most important book in America today was published containing more than twenty of the major articles whose foundations had been presented at the conference.  

Since the publication of the book, "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump", Dr. Lee has met with a large contingent of the US Congress in Washington to discuss the book, its findings, and the need for congress to intervene.  The book has been well received in professional circles and among a large contingent of the well educated and well read public.  But it has not received anywhere near the degree of sales, support, and readership it should.  Much of the content is concerning at least and terrifying at worst.  What I consider to be the most important paragraph in the book was written by Diane Jhueck, L. M. H. C.; D. M. H. P. and I have excerpted it below:

"As the ultimate representative of our nation, Donald J. Trump is normalizing previously outrageous behaviors, negatively impacting everyone from leaders of other nations to our own children.  From the outset of his presidency, although clearly absent a mandate from the population he now governs , he has repeatedly declared himself "the greatest", or "tremendous", or "knowing more than anyone", and other statements consistent with narcissistic personality disorder, with regard to an expectation of being viewed as superior without commensurate achievements" (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 669)  He exhibits extreme denial of any feedback that does not affirm his self-image and psychopathic tendencies, which affords him very limited ability to learn and effectively adjust to the requirements of the office of president.  Rather, he consistently displays a revenge-oriented response to any such feedback.  Holding this office at once feeds his grandiosity and claws at the fragile sense of self underneath it.  His patterns of behavior while in the role of president of the United States have potentially dire impact on ever individual not only in this nation but across the entire globe.  The earth itself is in peril, both from the urgent issues that are not being addressed while an unstable man sits in the Oval Office and by the new urgencies he creates.  Mr. Trump is and has demonstrated himself to be a danger to others--not just one person or a few, but possibly to all others."  The Dangerous Case Of Donald Trump, p. 193

If those words do not strike terror in the heart of the reader, if they do not cause the reader to spring into action in support of America and American Democracy, if those words are not enough, coming from a professional psychiatrist, Diane Jhueck, who is also a recognized expert in the field of assessing dangerous individuals, then  far too great damage has already been done to the American psyche by Donald Trump.  He is a seriously and dangerously mentally ill individual.  He presents the greatest danger to the world in the world today.  Read the book.  Come to understand what these highly credentials are telling you as they practice their Duty To Warn you, me, and the entire world.  Literally, the well-being, the lives of all of us and the entire planet earth depend on it.