A review by johndiconsiglio
His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life by Jonathan Alter

3.0

Biographer Alter guides us through the greatest hits & biggest bombs of POTUS 39—from triumphs like Camp David & the Panama Canal treaty to failures like, well, where to begin? Hostages in Iran? Soviets in Afghanistan? The “Malaise” speech? The attack of the killer swamp rabbit? Relying partly on interviews with Carter himself, Alter makes a spirited defense for the Georgia peanut farmer as a visionary on human rights & the environment while candidly exploring his leadership flaws, early compromises on race & cantankerous personality. A readable but also fairly standard-issue addition to the prez bio shelf.