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Biography & Autobiography. History. Politics. Nonfiction. HTML:In his major New York Times bestseller, Jimmy Carter looks back from ninety years of age and "reveals private thoughts and recollections over a fascinating career as businessman, politician, evangelist, and humanitarian" (Booklist). At ninety, Jimmy Carter reflects on his public and private life with a frankness that is disarming. He adds detail and emotion about his youth in rural Georgia that he described in his magnificent An Hour Before Daylight. He writes about racism and the isolation of the Carters. He describes the brutality of the hazing regimen at Annapolis, and how he nearly lost his life twice serving on submarines and his amazing interview with Admiral Rickover. He describes the profound influence his mother had on him, and how he admired his father even though he didn't emulate him. He admits that he decided to quit the Navy and later enter politics without consulting his wife, Rosalynn, and how appalled he is in retrospect. In his "warm and detailed memoir" (Los Angeles Times), Carter tells what he is proud of and what he might do differently. He discusses his regret at losing his re-election, but how he and Rosalynn pushed on and made a new life and second and third rewarding careers. He is frank about the presidents who have succeeded him, world leaders, and his passions for the causes he cares most about, particularly the condition of women and the deprived people of the developing world. "Always warm and human...even inspirational" (Buffalo News), A Full Life is a wise and moving look back from this remarkable man. Jimmy Carter has lived one of our great American livesâ??from rural obscurity to world fame, universal respect, and contentment. A Full Life is an extraordinary read from a "force to be reckoned with" (Christian Science Monitor… (more)
User reviews
Having never read any of Carter's previous books, I was surprised to see an extensive list of his previous works. I thought, "For a guy who has written so much about his
It's an interesting memoir, and it feels fully fleshed out. If you're interested in specific moments of his life, there is probably a book just for that!
I'm particularly
The book is informative, enjoyable, and above all, educational. It may not be a very easy read but it is definitely a book to be read and savored.
Carter has been called the most-successful ex-president our country has ever had. He founded the Carter Center at Emory University and has spend a lot of time coordinating efforts for peace, safe and fair elections, and global health. He has also spent a lot of time writing books. He writes with a great deal of clarity and precision of thought.
In this presentation, he is honest about his weaknesses and fair to those who have helped him – most notably his wife Rosalynn. Their marriage spans an era of change vis-a-vis our national view of women. Jimmy has successfully adjusted from being an authoritarian husband with a dependent wife into a more egalitarian co-leader. He details several big instances in his presidency where Rosalynn not only took the lead but also succeeded in ways that Jimmy himself could not.
Although a memoir written at ninety by a global leader is, de facto, interesting, this account seems to lack a great deal of depth. Perhaps it is because he is exploring the past instead of blazing a path for the future. Still, in order to have a greater appreciation for how the son a farmer in the deep South could become an American president, this book deserves attention and an audience.