Learn more about David Desmond

 
Born in New York City, David Desmond is the grandson of famed real estate developer Fred Trump, the nephew of the celebrated entrepreneur Donald Trump, and the son of Judge Maryanne Trump Barry of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

David’s experience as a psychologist and his bird’s-eye-view of life in the fishbowl of the rich and famous fuel his flair for writing novels that involve characters with slightly twisted personalities. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago with a degree in the Behavioral Sciences and he received his Master's and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fordham University in New York. Most recently, Desmond was a member of the faculty of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons based at the Neurological Institute of New York, where he published numerous articles as the principal investigator of the Stroke and Aging Research Project.

The Misadventures of Oliver Booth, Desmond’s first satirical novel, is set in Palm Beach and Paris, and the title character was created as a composite of the various personalities that shine and shimmer among the social elite. “In my everyday life, I get inspiration for characters from the people I meet and know in both those cities,” says Desmond. “However, my training as a clinical psychologist and researcher helped form the title character, Oliver Booth, whose behavior is driven by quite an extreme narcissistic personality disorder, which gets him into all sorts of trouble.”

Currently, David resides in Palm Beach and Paris with his wife of 17 years, Lisa, and their 13 year‑old son Robert. He is finishing his second novel, which will follow the continuing misadventures of Oliver Booth in the world of high-end real estate in Palm Beach and Manhattan, and he writes a weekly humor column for the Palm Beach Daily News.