His Very Best, Jimmy Carter, A Life by Jonathan Alter, A Book Review by Rebecca Moll
Having grown up a child of the 60s and 70s in a home that was politically vibrant, the fullness of this narrative fills in the gaps and cracks left behind in my child's mind. With each chapter, I remember, compare, and contrast what Johnathan Alter presents to my own adult assumptions and beliefs about our 39th President, the politics of our recent history, and his legacy that now has a life of its own. No historian or political guru am I, so I keep my devil’s advocate close, knowing that all humans are somewhat misunderstood and that, always, somewhere outside, inside, and/or surrounding my understanding, stands the truth.
A seeker of truth, Jimmy Carter was diplomacy, peace, dignity, and champion of the inalienable rights all human beings deserve: shelter and food, health and happiness, and the freedom to be the best person you can be.
It is a long narrative, but given time, the journey of Jimmy Carter deserves nothing less, the kind of reading I most enjoy, a little at a time, soaked in amongst what I have known, have recently learned, and will come to know as the pages turn and life marches on. This people-mover reading style allows for observing our ever-changing world while dabbling in some introspection and contemplation that haste always seems to lay waste.
And so, upon turning the last page I am forced to ask myself, what am I doing to make this world a better place? What small gesture can I do today to help others?
What rang true for Jimmy Carter just may be the answer. "Love your God and love the person in front of you." Simple, yet is it? For a man whom lived life to the fullest for a full century, he was no saint, something many of his adversaries are quick to point out. Yet, his moral tenacity and personal fortitude just may offer a solution to the evil and chaos of today. We are better than our sins. And so, everyday we get up and make up and try again.
"Love your God and love the person in front of you."
Good enough for Jimmy. Good enough for me.
A seeker of truth, Jimmy Carter was diplomacy, peace, dignity, and champion of the inalienable rights all human beings deserve: shelter and food, health and happiness, and the freedom to be the best person you can be.
It is a long narrative, but given time, the journey of Jimmy Carter deserves nothing less, the kind of reading I most enjoy, a little at a time, soaked in amongst what I have known, have recently learned, and will come to know as the pages turn and life marches on. This people-mover reading style allows for observing our ever-changing world while dabbling in some introspection and contemplation that haste always seems to lay waste.
And so, upon turning the last page I am forced to ask myself, what am I doing to make this world a better place? What small gesture can I do today to help others?
What rang true for Jimmy Carter just may be the answer. "Love your God and love the person in front of you." Simple, yet is it? For a man whom lived life to the fullest for a full century, he was no saint, something many of his adversaries are quick to point out. Yet, his moral tenacity and personal fortitude just may offer a solution to the evil and chaos of today. We are better than our sins. And so, everyday we get up and make up and try again.
"Love your God and love the person in front of you."
Good enough for Jimmy. Good enough for me.
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