It's in very plain easy to understand language. The author does his best to describe his feelings and perspective as he speaks about the protagonist that sent his life into a downward spiral. I believe this book was written to explain why and how the author did what he did. More importantly, however, I believe the most important take away is the warning that Mr. Cohen is trying to give his readers. This book is a good read and I highly recommend it. ( )

If you had any doubt that Trump is a liar, a con man, a sexual predator, a tax cheat, a charlatan and crook, read this book. Mr Cohen was there from the beginning and knows where and how the bodies were buried and he tells all. He doesn't sugar coat anything and lays it all out there for America and the world to read. Many, many, many times words and phrases that he associates to Trump can be heard every time he speaks in public. Words such as losers, suckers and more. America has been and continues to be deciwvwd by the single worst POTUS in our history and the single most unqualified human being to ever occupy the office of the presidency. ( )

Disloyal is very well-written and informative. Michael Cohen has absolutely bared his soul in this tell-all-memoir, including his own participation in lying and covering for his boss's despicable manipulation of the American people. I found the author's life story growing up in Manhattan fascinating. After watching the news and reading several other books on the subject, I wasn't surprised by Cohen's description of Trump's bad behavior. Still, I was mortified by some of DJT's racist behavior toward former President Obama, who is generally considered one of the most respected Presidents of all time. Disloyal is a must-read for those who like to be informed, no matter where your loyalties lie. ( )

Disconcertingly insightful and a Terrifying recounting of Past and Potential Future Events

It is hard not to feel for Michael Cohen despite his admitted complicity in the rise of Donald J. Trump's reign of terror.

As many of the facts covered in Disloyal have come to light, the importance of this book lies in the insight Cohen is able to clearly state regarding the clear and present danger Trump represents to the continuation of American Democracy.

Through his own self examination, Cohen is able to put his finger on the very traits that mesmerize, confuse and engender undeserved loyalty from Trump supporters.

It is sickly fascinating reading to watch both Cohen's and America's seduction by this absolutely amoral sociopath. In hindsight, it is difficult to comprehend how such a corrupt person could become so powerful, so quickly.

Cohen states it well when he says he became a willing victim of the Stockholm Syndrome. What is the excuse for the rest of the country? And what will happen when Trump refuses to leave office as Cohen so vehemently insists will happen? ( )

I didn’t learn anything new about Trump
and his shenanigans from this book. Cohen was a willing participant and knew exactly what he was doing throughout his Trump lackey career. He comes off as a greedy, self-absorbed creep who carelessy put his family through a great deal of pain. Cohen also blames the SDNY for his conviction and fails to show true remorse for his crimes. He is a common crook. Quick read and was entertaining, though. ( )

Bad News from the Inside

Think of all the damning adjectives to describe Trump—liar, cheat, petty, traitor, self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing, unethical, insecure, hateful, revengeful, cruel, etc.—and you’ll find ample and multiple examples of Trump’s confirming behavior in Michael Cohen’s first-hand account. Cohen should know because for years he served as Trump’s fixer and muck cleaner. From Cohen’s perspective and experience, only one thing truly motivates Trump: money. For example, why does Trump have such an affinity for Putin? Because he regards the dictator as the richest man in the world, able to harness all of the resources and labor of Russia for his personal gain. And, of course, Trump naturally wanted a piece of the action in the form of the long desired Trump Tower in Moscow.

Readers who already know that Trump is in it for his own personal gain, that he fears losing because of his own insecurity and because now he fears ending up disgraced and imprisoned will delight in the inside story of the many now infamous Trump transgressions. Loyal followers will naturally carp that Cohen’s a crook himself, and besides, it’s all a crock told by a man cut by and trying to hurt Trump. That’s assuming they read the book, which they won’t.

Something often wondered about and never sufficiently answered is why normal, intelligent people will not only work for Trump but will do extreme things and tell obvious lies in his defense. Cohen addresses this regarding himself. Cohen grew up on Long Island and came from a well off immigrant family. He wasn’t a particularly enthusiastic or good student. He was more a go-getter, someone who thrives on action, always on the hunt for a moneymaking deal. As a youth, he hung with gangsters and enjoyed the thrill of it all. He got a law degree from one of the lowest ranked schools in the nation to put the word “Counselor” after his name. He knew instinctively the word and the idea he was a lawyer would open doors for him, and he seems to have been right. When he first became involved with Trump, Cohen was a multimillionaire on his own with his taxi medallion business and a spot in a respected law firm. But it all seemed kind of small time to him, so when Trump called to ask for his help on a Trump World Tower dispute, he took the bait. And Trump reeled him in, appealing to his ego. Once in, the high took over and like a drug proved too hard to kick, regardless of what anybody advised, including his wife and children. With Cohen, it was psychological satisfaction, and perhaps it is the same with others, as well as the prospects of monetary gain in the future, and maybe even in the present in sideline deals. While it doesn’t fully explain why so many are willing to make the Faustian deal with Trump, it’s nonetheless insightful.

While readers will find most of what Cohen relates familiar, he does reveal a few things not widely known. (Which, of course, leads you to wonder just how much he’s holding back.) Back in 2014, CNBC was conducting a poll to see whom people thought were the 25 most important and influential businesspeople of the day. When Cohen told Trump he was 187 out of 200 on the list, Trump took extreme umbrage and charged Cohen with fixing the situation. Cohen did by contacting a friend in IT at Liberty University who devised a scheme involving purchasing IP addresses and then voting until Trump appeared in the top 10. Petty, for sure, but illustrative of the lengths Trump would go to feed his ego, and Cohen would do to ingratiate himself to the boss. Incidentally, though the cost of buying the IP addresses was small potatoes, in classic Trump cheapness, he refused to pay for services rendered. It’s one of those moments in the book when you exclaim out loud, “Who knew?” Who knew you could so easily manipulate the system and who knew anybody could be so small and shabby.

Much has been written about Trump and much of it is pretty good. So, saying Disloyal is among the better books is saying something. If you think Trump loathsome, well, you don’t know the half of it, and Cohen leaves you wondering how much more there is to know. ( )

18 chapter eBook checked out from the county library. An account by Michael Cohen, one of the New York attorneys of Donald Trump about the deeds he carried out for Trump over the years and what finally put in in jail. All Trump supporters should read this book. ( )

⭐️1/2
BOOK REVIEW: .@MichaelCohen212 Disloyal ‬
‪Recommendation: Don’t bother. An utter waste of time and money. He reveals absolutely nothing new or noteworthy. As a reader, I hoped to finish the book having learned a few new things. MC writes this to declare Trump is an abhorrent immoral character all the while fully embracing mea culpa. We know all that. But his apology is the rich man’s journey to heaven through the proverbial eye of the needle.

The writing is adolescent, wholly sloppy, and disorganized as to time, place, and event.

In spite of all Mr. Cohen has gone through and all the mea culpas he writes, it’s crystal he still fails to accept responsibility for the criminal actions he took. Like Trump he mitigates his despicable crimes and clings to a pathetic liturgy of victimhood. Page after page, Cohen luxuriates under the sycophantic Trump spell of “catch, kill and twist” and ‬ “Deny, deny, deny. Accuse, accuse, accuse. Never, ever, ever concede defeat or admit weakness. But with a twist (by creating additional chaos promoting more scandal, lying, fabrication, throwing sand in the gears.).”

The dumbfounding question MC asks and implies throughout the book is “Every thing I did, I did for Trump. Why has such a good boy, like me, having to pay for Trump’s crimes?” In another time and age we saw this same defense used: the Nuremberg trials.

Hey Michael? Given this countries currently compounding catastrophes—go try your defense on your ancestors of WW2 yore. I don’t think they’ll fall for it either.

It is obvious Mr. Cohen is still Trump’s rapt cult captive. He doesn’t see it. If he meant to come clean and really write a book from the heart—this isn’t it—readers will be disappointed—poor tortured Mikey has a very long journey ahead of himself. Trust that MC could care less so long as he gets the book royalties for this lousy piece of work.

I suspect if MC were to really write as “Queen for a day” —legally—his account would land Trump, his children, and himself in prison for a very long time. Still Cohen’s ego remains defined by glamorizing the NYC gangster stereotype; aspiring to call Don Trump “the Boss” and “strutting...talking in ‘dems and ‘dos like a Brooklyn mobster.” Like his former “Boss” Michael Cohen is a total con man and fraud.

MC’s short stint at Otisville by his own account was like a “bad summer camp” with tennis courts, a kosher Sabbath meal every weekend, and 300 minutes per month of telephone time. Not exactly roughing it.

As Trump’s acolyte, he learned his trade well and is nothing more than a well heeled carnaval barker—don’t buy his mea culpa B.S. or his damn book. Perhaps I shouldn’t be so judgmental but a guy like poor Mikey just shouldn’t make money off of yet another grift. @KatoJustus4 ( )

Cohen's main defense is both mental illness and that he was addicted to chump like heroin or cocaine. Also that while he did do it, it's an unfair and biased that he was charged.

'It wasn’t just as if I was an alcoholic or a drug addict refusing to get help. It was exactly that.'

While plainly revisionist history, I think it's a valiant attempt on his part to rescue his and his families/loved ones reputation even though at this point it's doubtful his can ever be salvaged.

Cohen is a self identified fixer, that's his skill and not the law. This book is clearly an attempt 'to fix' the damage caused by his behavior and association with chump.
Cohen's father is a Holocaust survivor. He heard chump say that neo-nazi's who chanted, 'jews will not replace us' were 'fine people'. He treated this behavior, a hate crime, like it was a reasonable difference of opinion.
He knew better than most how dangerous world leaders who behaved that way were and still he did it, defended it and even gloried in it.

'Trump stepped up on the makeshift stage we’d installed and he let rip in an hour-long tirade that was breathtaking in its lack of structure, compassion, or coherence.
Trump was spewing things that I found repulsive. Mexicans were rapists...
For an hour I listened as I cringed, inwardly, but swelled outwardly...'

After completing 2 free projects for chump, Cohen accepts a position in which he makes LESS money than he was making before.
For the life of me I can't figure out why employees like Cohen and others want to give labor and cash to billionaires?????????
Make it make sense ( )

This is a tale of a man who came under the spell of one who later became the 45th President. The author frequently acknowledges that his actions were not honorable, as he worked for the benefit of his employer.

He knows that readers, after hearing of lies the author heard and lies he himself had said in the service of his client, might feel that this is a tale told by an unreliable narrator. He confessed to lying to Congress. So, in Chapter 12, he quotes a footnote in the Mueller Report that noted that his testimony to them was corroborated by other sources as well. In other words, he appears to be telling the truth now. there are also over 50 pages at the end with documentation: emails, letters, and photographs.

This book appears to be an exercise in catharsis for the author. He does not deny that he was an active participant in the sh***show. For instance, on p. 240, “… but I was performing my loyal duty, as two old white male sexual predators decided how (her) life would play out, or not, which personified so much of what was fundamentally wrong about the campaign that I was cheering for so ardently.” Then he added, “Let me add this: there were three douchebags on that call, not two. I was enabling two fat, rich, old, disgusting creeps as surely as a drug dealer sliding a complimentary fix of heroin or Oxycodone across the bar to a drug addict would be.”

Cohen's writing is very readable, even conversational. Even so, I also learned a couple new terms: "white shoe law firm", repeated several times, and "louche," used once very accurately. There is some coverage of his part in the Stormy Daniels story, which is probably what the author is best known for. The first half the book or so is about his relationship with the real-estate developer and his family, including the attempts to put together a Russian real estate deal. The second half is about himself and the President. He also downplays the likelihood of some of the more salacious rumors about his boss.

It is telling that the one-word title, which seems to refer to himself, may not. The only occurence of that word in the book is from a conversation Cohen has with his wife. On p. 266, he writes, " That is what a decade of sycophancy to Donald Trump got me: absolutely nothing." Then he quotes his wife saying, "Maybe now you can see his true colors. It's time for you to quit. He appreciates no one. He's the most disloyal person."

Fascinating reading. It gives an insider portrait of the character of the bigger-than-life man who would be President. It is not a flattering portrait, but one based on the knowledge of an insider and from the viewpoint of a recovering acolyte. ( )

Tough read. I am inclined to believe that Michael Cohen was drawn into a game he did not realize he was playing, until he lost. He was so sure this was going to be his path to the White House, that he did not see the reality, or listen to his wife and children tell him to walk away from Trump. Find something else. Michael Cohen paid the price for not listening to his family, and for his crimes. Trump never will.
Michael Cohen is one of the few that remained loyal and took the fall for Trump. In many ways, he paid for Trumps crimes, and inappropriate demeanor. And he still is.
Mr. Cohen starts by telling us about the Trump Mortgage Co. Then, in the 1990's, Trump Taj Mahal, and his Atlantic City casino, and the Trump Network, that sold vitamins and health products. None were successful, losing more money than they made. Many of the people who worked there went unpaid, but Trump doesn't believe in apologizing or admitting responsibility for failure. He does believe in free labor.
Michael has seen many instances, where Trump would seek out sensitive topics and divisive issues, that he could exploit. He likes to appeal to a base of people with prejudices, because they are easier to win over. This has been the Trump strategy throughout his life. His most sensitive topics are his hair, his numerous bankruptcies and his perceived wealth. His long standing hatred of the Obama's is central to all his decision and his belief that gays and religious people are worthless unless he can get their vote, is how he approaches these topics.
Most interesting to me, was the Stormy Daniels, Hope Hicks and Karen McDougal stories. They really give us an example of the kind of man he is, and of his attitude towards women, in general.
Michael Cohen thinks Trump is shallow, childish and incapable of empathy or of taking responsibility for his own actions, as he never has had to in his life, yet. With many around him to afraid to say anything except "Let Trump be Trump", it reminds us how dictators and authoritarian governments began. I am thankful he is a one and done president.
I commend Michael Cohen for his bravery and honesty. I think working with Trump has changed him, in many ways, as well as how he thinks and sees the world. It has opened his eyes, and he is so fortunate to have a wife and children who always support him, even when they know better.
Recommended. ( )

More interesting than the nieces book.
Let you see the real side of trump. ( )

I could feel Michael Cohen's epiphany over his attachment to Trump - that is, until 3/4 way through, I actually had to read a couple of sentences that he wrote, twice, when he writes he still cares for him. Totally didn't expect that after all the labelling and name-calling. Whaaat?

Here is Trump - yet from another angle, as depicted by his personal attorney who was part of his inner circle. I'd say Cohen is as ruthless towards himself as towards Trump in this self-deprecating memoir, referring to himself as "a demented follower" of Trump. It reads almost like John Grisham, but the scariest part is that it is all true - not fiction. The hideous details shock you - even though we have been shocked and disgusted time and again with this president... ( )

Sadly, M. Cohen is preaching to the choir, I am sure, with the people who read this book---definitely including me. I actually appreciated this closer view of Trump than Woodward was able to elicit with Rage. Michael Cohen covers a decade of time with Trump, a lot of which has been in the news but he adds the behind-the-scenes comments that show that Trump is all about money and power, starving constantly for attention. The frightening aspect of all of this is that he has been served to the public by the media, as Cohen points out---nothing but continual free publicity----it doesn't matter what it is, it's just constant....and it doesn't seem to matter to a chunk of the public who "love" him and have "drunk his Kool-aid." We are living in frightening times if he is allowed to continue in office. We have been warned. ( )

By now, most people have already read or heard a great deal regarding DISLOYAL by Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen. They have also heard about Trump’s financial policy of cheating on his taxes and selling overpriced condos to Russian oligarches, probably paid by Putin.
I found it an interesting read, starting with why Cohen was attracted to Trump’s world despite his family’s strong opposition.

“Bullying people to do things was not attracted to her (his wife) at all.… She wasn’t going to give me praise for pushing someone else around. We didn’t talk a lot about business and my work. She let me go my own way. But I wasn’t going to be admired at home for things I was doing for Trump, and I knew it. As our children grew older, they came to feel the same way They would beg me to quit working for Trump, but I didn’t listen. It seemed to them that I wouldn’t listen to anyone, not even the people who loved me the most, as I gradually gave up control of my mind to Trump.”

Cohen soon learned that Trump didn’t know much about finances, especially the global crisis that hit hat hit the real estate industry and affected his real estate holdings. .
He also witnessed several occasions on which Trump severely blasted his oldest son in front of others. After one such incident, Cohen asked Jr. If he was okay. The response, “I’m all good. We have a tortuous relationship. It’s not the first time he’s said that and it won’t be the last.”
After college, Jr. worked as a bartender, enjoying his work and the separation from his father. He would have preferred raising cattle and hunting buffalo but his father said he had to either work for the family business or be cut off entirely. He tried to continue following his interests, by going on safaris. One famous one in Zimbabwe got his father’s attention. He and Eric posted pictures with wild animals they had shot. Trump swore at him for dragging Eric into it and posting the pictures, throwing him out of his office. As to the animals, Cohen reveals “He fed a village for half a year. None of those animals went to waste.”
Trump was able to discover people’s deepest prejudices and fear and exploit them for his own benefit. He didn’t care if the charges were true, e.g., birtherism, Ted Cruz’s father being with Lee Harvey Oswald the morning of JFK’s assassination, or Arabs celebrating in New Jersey on 9/11. None was true. The more divisive, the better, but he knew the media would fall for it and give him millions of dollars of free air time while they attacked Hillary Clinton. According the Cohen, “He cared more about what the Times said than the opinion of his wife or children.”
He set up his supporters to seduce them. He held a meeting with large group of evangelical leaders. They prayed with him and performed a laying of the hands. Afterwards: Trump said, “Can you believe people believe that BS?”
After Trump cut him out for criticizing him and he ended up going to prison, Cohen used his time analyze what happened and why. He wrote this book, partly as an apology, partly as an explanation, careful to protect it from being destroyed, knowing that he had broken Trump’s greatest demand: Loyalty.
DISLOYAL is well-written and annotated. At the end are legal documents, letters, and tweets about the cases. And it answers the question of why would someone become involved with the Donald Trump. ( )

This reads like a novel….a well written mobster novel. It seems the more and more that comes out, the more and more Cohen is very believable. In fact, there is information in the book that just recently is proving to be true. As sleazy as he has been in the past, I do believe him. And, who would know better than Trump’s personal “fixer”? Despite the sleaze, this is a worthwhile read. Unfortunately, the people who SHOULD be reading this, won’t. Did State TV even let their viewers know that Cohen wrote a book? ( )

A blatantly trashy memoir from one of 45's most obsequious sycophants. Ostensibly true, though he admits to having lied to Congress, this is the story of a so-called POTUS' women, deals, buildings, failed businesses and immoral family. We see the underbelly of the beast that rules his followers by alternately praising them and insulting them. This is a racist, a sad pathological liar and a vain, balding old man who is a poor excuse for a human being. We find out just how desperately poor he really is and how he makes lies seem true by repeating them over and over again. The most pathetic thing about him is the pyramid of hate that he constructs because he is jealous of President Obama. Reasonably amusing autobiography with some major reveals about a man unable to carry out his office as POTUS. ( )

Disloyal; a Memoir, The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump was written by Michael Cohen not to justify his selling himself to the "Devil" but how it happened. One's complete devotion to another person, lying on behalf of the person, defending illegal behavior by the person, etc. is not something that is easy to identify with, understand, feel compassion for or forgiveness. It is all backed up with court documents, telephone calls, photographs, business dealings, friendships, etc. so the reader knows it is all true. This book is both interesting and unsettling. ( )

The "fixer" attorney hired by Donald J. Trump, Michael Cohen has published his "memoir" of a nightmare as the personal attorney for the creature in the golden tower. This is a well-written, historically-corroborative biography of Donald Trump and his sons and daughter, as well as a detailed description of the operations of numerous fake "businesses" operated by Trump. Cohen provides uncontroverted particulars from the inside of the fact that Trump operates a marketing scam. Even the "campaign for President" is described as a colossal marketing projection, without any real intention to serve as President of the United States.

Cohen is candid about his own service as one of Trump's personal lawyer/fixers. Mea Maxima Culpa. One newspaper describes the book, accurately, as proof that Trump is "a cheat, a liar, a fraud, a bully, a racist, a predator, a con man, and amoral." Here is evidence--documents, details, times, places and people-- that gives proof of many lies of Trump and his fake administration.

Interestingly, Cohen played a direct role in helping Jerry Falwell Jr. cover up a blackmail attempt over a photograph taken by the "Pool-boy" who had sex with him and his wife. Cohen remains a friend of the Falwells. Ironically, Cohen takes credit, not repudiated, for the fact that Falwell shocked the Christian community with his full-throated political endorsement of a serial abominator during and after the 2016 Election.

Surprisingly, Cohen also documents the fact that no one in the Trump family practices Christianity. Trump is often contemptuous of religion in general and Christianity in particular. For example, Trump is quoted, "Can you believe people believe that sh*t?" We can no longer entertain doubt about these facts. Christians are taught by Saint Paul to be "known by our works", and Trump is a cheating, lying, bullying, adulterer.

The extremely ugly Racism of Trump is also documented by Cohen. Trump regularly and frequently bursts into spontaneous belittlements of other people, with particular nastiness for those who are of color, or vulnerable. Trump derided Nelson Mandela, calling him "no leader." As for President Barack Obama, Cohen describes how Trump hired an Obama impersonator to sit in a chair so Trump could berate him for 10 minutes and then "fire" him.

We find several examples of Trump's adoration of dictators. Cohen describes Trump swooning over Vladimir Putin. Cohen presciently explains that Putin runs Russia as if it were his own personal business, and it is this usurpation of all governmental functions as his own which is the model Trump lusts after.

This book will have a huge, very huge, and enduring impact. Those of us who love America, and have an informed appreciation for how Our Government was cobbled together, will long remember the Naqba (disaster) of the 2016 Election, and how a wanna-be dictator seized control of Power. Most citizens who reflect for a moment KNOW that Americans will not quietly or thoughtlessly hand over more of their sovereignty to Putin. ( )

Disloyal by Michael Cohen is a very good behind the scenes look at what goes on in the real Trump world. He is as corrupt and nasty as he appears to be. His hold on people and the way he can make people follow him is amazing! How can someone like Cohen, smart and rich, drink the kool-aid? Cohen tells us how. Very interesting. I truly hate Trump and reading about him wore me out! He is such a stressor! ( )