"[5] TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald is divided into chapters, each one presented out of chronological order and devoted to a part of Trump's personal and professional life.

Trump's business dealings with associates of the American Mafia, as well as a bailout by his siblings that prevented him from going bankrupt, are also included in the book.

O'Brien also stated that Trump was once asked by boxer Mike Tyson if he had an affair with his wife, Robin Givens.

The 2016 edition included a new introduction by O'Brien that criticized Trump and made note of his 2016 presidential campaign.

[13] Michelle Archer of USA Today criticized the book's chapters for not being presented in chronological order: "Compartmentalizing Trump's endless endeavors—from real estate to casinos to TV—makes sense, but it muddies the timeline of the rise and fall of Trump's fortune.

"[1] Jose Lambient of The Palm Beach Post wrote, "Sarcastic at times, hilarious and irreverent at others, the book demystifies the star of The Apprentice as the poor man's rich man and portrays him as a potty-mouthed P. T. Barnum with a bad comb-over.

"[14] Publishers Weekly wrote, "Sometimes hilarious quizzes summarizing the main points of each chapter demonstrate Trump's audacity, itinerant poor judgment and the kind of hubris one can only stand back and watch with astonishment and a sort of clandestine admiration.

[…] O'Brien's reportorial style, peppered with wit and irony, is the perfect base to Trump's acidic persona; he is the straight man to this contemporary P.T.

"[15] Kirkus Reviews called the book, "A bemused, entertaining portrait of a gold-toned incarnation of the American dream, plus some believable financials for anyone who wants to know the real fiscal story", while stating that, "O'Brien gets down and dirty—in the most good-natured way—to craft a myth-busting biography of the real-estate developer."

Kirkus Reviews noted that "it is surprising" that Trump "appears to have cooperated with the author, despite having declared O'Brien a 'whack job' to the press.

According to a witness, Kasowitz approached O'Brien's signing table and quietly told him to stop promoting the book or else "we're going to get you".

Kasowitz declined to comment when asked if he was at O'Brien's book signing, and denied that he made such a statement to anybody.

"[9] Trump's attorneys stated: "The obvious purpose of that malicious scheme and those vile statements is to embarrass Trump, to damage him in his business and professional dealings and to create publicity in order to increase sales of O'Brien's newly released book.

[17] Martin Garbus, a First Amendment expert who was not involved with the case, said, "I think the book is totally protected.

[21] The Washington Post later wrote, "It appeared that Trump had exaggerated the lows, to make his comeback seem even more impressive.

"[19] On May 18, 2009, O'Brien and his attorneys requested that the lawsuit be dismissed, stating that the book did not slander or damage Trump's brand name.

Ceresney said that O'Brien made such statements during radio interviews and at book signings, which he said were "intimate settings" that did not damage Trump's reputation.

O'Brien said, "I'm deeply grateful that the court's decision has vindicated the reporting in 'TrumpNation,'" while Trump said, in regard to his net worth, "We've proven our case.

The appeals court noted, "Nothing suggests that O'Brien was subjectively aware of the falsity of his source's figures or that he had actual doubts as to the information's accuracy.