The author, a historian, interrogates the life of Donald Trump and the rise of Trumpism in U.S. politics by elevating recent history to the level of scripture. Calder (signified by the title “the scribe”) begins with the story of Donald J. Trump’s rise to becoming one of the most recognizable figures in real estate, finance, and popular culture. The author acknowledges the role of the art of making the proverbial “deal” (which the subject has often boasted about mastering) in Trump’s success. As Calder clarifies, “the deal is not primarily about money,” but messaging. What matters is the story told by the major players in any negotiation, and, as Trump learned very early on, control of the story means eventual success. This theme underlies the rise of Trumpism in politics as well—the author documents Trump’s unexpected success as a presidential candidate by citing the many times when Trump gained the upper hand through persistence, the projection of gravitas, and keeping control of the story. At the end, the work pauses to let the scribe rest with this thought: “Chronicles do not conclude. They stop because the scribe must stop, and the events continue without the scribe.” From the outset, Calder is clear about the intention to satirize all sides of the story, which makes for exceptionally smart and notably unbiased depictions of the many instances in which the American public has underestimated Trump’s will, overestimated his scruples, or simply stood transfixed by his peculiar charisma. The prose evokes the sense of loftiness evident in many religious texts and deftly captures the qualities of an epic tale. Calder’s choice to present the facts of various scenarios without commentary allows readers to uncover the comedy, irony, and outright absurdity of each situation on their own, landing this chronicle a spot among the great literary satires.