Obama on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President

Obama on the Couch presents a nuanced and even-handed portrait of former President Obama, turning to his writings, speeches, and persona to determine the origins of both his facilities and his deficiencies as a world leader. I did not read Dr. Frank's other books about Presidents Bush and Trump before reading this one. While I found Obama on the Couch insightful in some ways, after reading it, I don't want to read the others. Unfortunately, Dr. Frank's inquiry finds its basis in outmoded Freudian concepts whose veracity I question. Besides, I don't need a book to tell me that Trump was and is seriously ill. After reading this work, I do feel that I understand much better why Obama was such a disappointing figure for me. However, many of the book's biggest revelations appear speculative, especially with the author's limitation of being unable to speak to the subject of his study (Dr. Frank is open about this limitation). Perhaps it's worth a read, but only because a more evidence-based psychological profile of Obama, written by one of his own therapists, will almost certainly never become available.