A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety by Jimmy Carter

My friend Bob from Northwestern told me to read this book, and I do not take recommendations from friends lightly. I see them as marching orders. He said this was riveting and he couldn’t put it down, and I found it the same way. “A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety” was written by our 39th president as he looked back on a life well lived. Jimmy Carter died in December of last year at the age of 100, passing after his beloved wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in 2023. His four short years in The White House from 1977 to 1981 were significant but truly just a small portion of what his life was all about. This book explores his second and third acts, as well as his young life in the Navy and as a peanut farmer. Who knew about his career in the Navy as a submarine lieutenant who nearly lost his life twice? He writes about the influence his parents had on his life in rural Georgia, and how his marriage to Rosalynn became a true partnership that included incredible humanitarian efforts. After those four years in the White House, Carter was just 43 years old when he walked out having been defeated by Ronald Reagan. Carter had 57 years left to live, and that marks the longest retirement of any U.S. presidents to date. He did not spend those years watching television or playing golf. He dedicated his life to public service, and the establishment of the Carter Center in Atlanta which promotes human rights. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, and traveled around the world advocating for peace, the eradication of disease, as well as affordable housing with Habitat for Humanity. He is the only president who has ever lived to be 100 years old, and by all accounts he used his time wisely working long hours to help others. “A Full Life” describes a wonderful and admirable life indeed. Thank you, Mr. President for your service. To buy this book on Amazon click here.