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rebeccabateman 's review for:
A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety
by Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter is a saint.
I don't care how you feel about his politics. And I don't care how you feel about his evangelicalism.
Jimmy Carter is a good, good man.
He served under some pretty tough circumstances that he may or may not have poorly handled. But in every situation, I believe, he sought to do the right thing for the right reason. The United States has had some men who were successful presidents, but I doubt that there were any in the 20th Century who were as pure in heart as was Jimmy Carter.
Have I extolled him enough yet?
This autobiography, while not compelling, is insightful. He lays out each of his accomplishments in a matter-of-fact way—never with bragging or embellishing—knowing that, when they were good, they were good and he was proud of them. When speaking about his failures, you get the sense that he did everything he could to turn them around, and his humility allows him to swallow them down and move on.
Perhaps he wasn't liked because he wore his Christianity on his sleeve. It's who he was. He carried his missionary work into the cabinet meetings, the diplomacy table, and, later, into building homes. He was completely nonjudgemental of the simple father with the beer who opens his home to hear the gospel, and to the villainous despot who opens his heart to the idea of peace. He said that he felt like his life was "in the hands of God."
He speaks candidly about his relationships—with his father, Roselyn, Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama—he speaks honestly about race and civil rights, and he offers insights into major historical events of his time: one of my favorites was his struggles with Menachem Begin at Camp David and, after saying a prayer and putting on his best suit, he approached an ill-tempered Begin with the question "what can I do for you?" to which Begin requested some signed photos of the historical event to take back to his grandchildren. Carter personalized each one, touched Begin's heart, and changed the course of events. His natural inclination was always to smooth out relationships and invite the insights and help from others.
He followed the lesson he learned from his missionary companion: "You only have to have two loves in your life: for God, and for the person in front of you at any particular time." Using this as his motto, he was able to walk with both royalty and the common man. He built houses for the poor and peace centers for the powerful.
* A few notes:
Had it not been for the competitive jealousy of Ted Kennedy, the country would already have universal health care implemented by Carter back in 1979.
Jimmy Carter installed 36 solar panels at the White House, but they were removed by Ronald Reagan. (This seems petty and without any foresight.)
I don't care how you feel about his politics. And I don't care how you feel about his evangelicalism.
Jimmy Carter is a good, good man.
He served under some pretty tough circumstances that he may or may not have poorly handled. But in every situation, I believe, he sought to do the right thing for the right reason. The United States has had some men who were successful presidents, but I doubt that there were any in the 20th Century who were as pure in heart as was Jimmy Carter.
Have I extolled him enough yet?
This autobiography, while not compelling, is insightful. He lays out each of his accomplishments in a matter-of-fact way—never with bragging or embellishing—knowing that, when they were good, they were good and he was proud of them. When speaking about his failures, you get the sense that he did everything he could to turn them around, and his humility allows him to swallow them down and move on.
Perhaps he wasn't liked because he wore his Christianity on his sleeve. It's who he was. He carried his missionary work into the cabinet meetings, the diplomacy table, and, later, into building homes. He was completely nonjudgemental of the simple father with the beer who opens his home to hear the gospel, and to the villainous despot who opens his heart to the idea of peace. He said that he felt like his life was "in the hands of God."
He speaks candidly about his relationships—with his father, Roselyn, Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama—he speaks honestly about race and civil rights, and he offers insights into major historical events of his time: one of my favorites was his struggles with Menachem Begin at Camp David and, after saying a prayer and putting on his best suit, he approached an ill-tempered Begin with the question "what can I do for you?" to which Begin requested some signed photos of the historical event to take back to his grandchildren. Carter personalized each one, touched Begin's heart, and changed the course of events. His natural inclination was always to smooth out relationships and invite the insights and help from others.
He followed the lesson he learned from his missionary companion: "You only have to have two loves in your life: for God, and for the person in front of you at any particular time." Using this as his motto, he was able to walk with both royalty and the common man. He built houses for the poor and peace centers for the powerful.
"...Our government should be known to be opposed to war, dedicated to the resolution of disputes by peaceful means, and whenever possible, eager to accomplish this goal. We should be seen as the unswerving champion of human rights, both among our own citizens and within the global community. America should be the focal point around which other nations can rally against threats to equality of our common environment. We should be willing to lead by example in sharing our great wealth with those in need. Our own society should provide equal opportunity for all citizens and assure that they are provided the basic necessities of life. It would be no sacrifice in exemplifying these traits. Instead, our nation's wellbeing would be enhanced by restoring the trust, admiration, and friendship that our nation formerly enjoyed among other peoples."
* A few notes:
Had it not been for the competitive jealousy of Ted Kennedy, the country would already have universal health care implemented by Carter back in 1979.
Jimmy Carter installed 36 solar panels at the White House, but they were removed by Ronald Reagan. (This seems petty and without any foresight.)