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“From Alter’s book, you get the whole life—the upbringing, the training, the religious background, the self-improvement impulse. The other important thing about Carter is the post-presidency. Carter’s presidency was partly successful and partly unsuccessful. But there’s no question that he is the greatest ex-president the United States has ever had. One of the things I like about Alter’s treatment is that he gives a lot of attention to the building of the Carter Center at Emory, the way Carter involved himself in global health and election monitoring, the way Carter used his stature, his background, his connections and his prominence to do something constructive. Other presidents either fade into quiet retirement and paint watercolors, like George W. Bush, or hit the lecture circuit, like say Barack Obama or Bill Clinton. Carter didn’t do either of those things. In keeping with what we know about his character, he did his best with the opportunities presented by the post-presidency.” Read more...
Robert Lieberman, Political Scientist
