Beyond the White House: Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope

by Jimmy Carter

This is the story of President Jimmy Carter's post-presidency, the most admired and productive in the nation's history. Through The Carter Center, which he and Rosalynn Carter founded in 1982, he has fought neglected diseases, waged peace in war zones, and built hope among some of the most forgotten and needy people in the world.

Serving in more than seventy nations, Carter has led peacekeeping efforts for Ethiopia, North Korea, Haiti, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Uganda, and Sudan. With his colleagues from The Carter Center, he has monitored more than sixty-five elections in troubled nations, from Palestine to Indonesia.

Carter's bold initiatives, undertaken with dedicated colleagues, have eliminated, prevented, or cured an array of diseases that have been characterized as "neglected" by the World Health Organization and that afflict tens of millions of people unnecessarily. The Carter Center has taught millions of African families how to increase the production of food grains, and Rosalynn Carter has led a vigorous war against the stigma of mental illness around the world.

"Immersing ourselves among these deprived and suffering people has been a great blessing as it stretched our minds and hearts," Jimmy Carter writes. "The principles of The Carter Center have been the same ones that should characterize our nation, or any individual. They are the beliefs inherent in all the great world religions, including commitments to peace, justice, freedom, humility, forgiveness or an attempt to find accommodation with potential foes, generosity, human rights or fair treatment of others, protection of the environment, and the alleviation of suffering. This is our agenda for the future."

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Memoir, Audiobook, Autobiography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2007

About the author

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

James Earl Carter, Junior, known as Jimmy, the thirty-ninth president of the United States from 1977 to 1981, creditably established energy-conservation measures, concluded the treaties of Panama Canal in 1978, negotiated the accords of Camp David between Egypt and Israel in 1979, and won the Nobel Prize of 2002 for peace.

Ronald Wilson Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter, the incumbent, in the presidential election of 1980.

He served and received. Carter served two terms in the senate of Georgia and as the 76th governor from 1971 to 1975.

Carter created new Cabinet-level Department of education. A national policy included price decontrol and new technology. From 1977, people reduced foreign oil imports one-half to 1982. In foreign affairs, Carter pursued the second round of strategic arms limitation talks (SALT). Carter sought to put a stronger emphasis on human rights in 1979. People saw his return of the zone as a major concession of influence in Latin America, and Carter came under heavy criticism.

Iranian students in 1979 took over the American embassy and held hostages, and an attempt to rescue them failed; several additional major crises, including serious fuel shortages and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, marked the final year of his tenure. Edward Moore Kennedy challenged significantly higher disapproval ratings of Carter for nomination of the Democratic Party before the election of 1980. Carter defeated Kennedy for the nomination lost the election to Ronald Wilson Reagan, a Republican.

Carter left office and with Rosalynn Smith Carter, his wife, afterward founded the nongovernmental center and organization that works to advance human rights. He traveled extensively to conduct, to observe elections, and to advance disease prevention and eradication in developing nations. He, a key, also figured in the project of habitat for humanity. Carter particularly vocalized on the Palestinian conflict.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/jimmyc...

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like this was a good companion to his later book A Full Life. I'm not all that interested in foreign policy, so I have to admit I didn't really pay much attention to those sections. It was enough to know that he got the Nobel Peace Prize for all the effort he put into bringing out about peace between many nations. He was probably more effective at diplomacy than any of the ambassadors or presidents that came after him. I still say he was the only president who was demonstrably NOT racist and that he was possibly one of the most productive presidents we've ever had. The oil crisis/Iran hostage situation really sullied his reputation at the end and his chances of reelection, but until then, he had an excellent batting average.

More than the politics, I really appreciated all he did for humanity worldwide. I loved that he lifted up women, worked tirelessly to improve health and healthcare around the globe, and was truly partnered with his wife Rosalynn. Part of me wonders if he had the capacity to be generous and compassionate because he was privileged enough not to have to worry about money or the quality of healthcare he got. (Yeah, he probably had the smallest net worth among the modern presidents, but he was still an eight-digit multimillionaire). If he was still alive, he'd probably be the first to admit that might be true. He'd also say it's because it's how he practices his Christian faith. I'm pretty jaded about Christians, but if ever there was a couple who lived up to the ideals of Jesus Christ, it would've been Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.

Speaking of Rosalynn, she got to insert her voice in the book too. It was nice to read what an active role she took in the Carter Center. It was nice to see him step aside and let her take the spotlight for a few pages. I can't remember if it was before or after this section (I already returned the book to the library), but I wanted to jump up and applaud when he started listing out all the women he admired and the important accomplishments they contributed (even citing Roe v Wade, which was a surprise given his personal stance on abortion has always pro-life, which got more and more conservatively pro-life as he aged).

I got a good laugh right off the start when he talked about how he was the youngest president to leave office since Taft and was trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life, given he expected to live another 45 years afterward. He got it almost right. He was 56 when he left (only three years older than me!) and was off only be a year.

He will always be my favorite president probably. I was so sad when he died. I felt like he was the beating heart of any goodness that remained in US politics, and now, we just all suck rotten eggs without him. I'm also really sad that the young people in my life - my niece, nephews, and godchildren only know him from Wikipedia, textbooks, or some other reference source that they may or may not learn about in school, that their only frame of reference for politics is 2016 MAGA vs Democrats who lack any strategy and too easily concede to MAGA. Who will take his place as the beacon of political hope in the US?

4.5 (4 stars for the writing and 5 stars for his being the most decent person that walked this earth for the last 100 years).

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am impressed of the contributions Jimmy Carter made after he left the Presidency. He has done more than any other President has after leaving office. Worth reading.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read. While it took me a while to get over the name-dropping and general comfort Carter has with speaking about and celebrating his own accomplishments, once I got past it I found myself respecting the guy more and more. The Carter Center's work eradicating tropical diseases is particularly impressive, but even just generally hearing about an ex-President who has clearly devoted his life to helping others is inspiring.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jimmy Carter is an absolute hero to me. The work that's he's done through and with The Carter Center is nothing short of amazing. This book does an excellent job of illuminating exactly what goes into the progress that The Carter Center has effected.

There were at least half a dozen times that this book caused me to think, "My God, Jimmy Carter is more amazing than Batman." I'm not joking.

I listened to the audio version of this book, which is read by Carter himself. I've always admired the way he speaks. Even though his words are devoid of lofty rhetoric, his passion for the well-being of others is evident in his voice.

Here's what strikes me most about Carter's reading: On one hand, the text steers far, far clear of any emotional appeals that feel cheap or manipulative -- Carter trusts that he and the reader share similar values, including the importance of the well-being of others. His work uses a logical rather than an emotional appeal to those shared values, and this is reflected in his even-keeled, level-headed speaking style. There's none of the urgent tempo or rising crescendos that I tend to associate with "gifted" orators. But the normally even-keeled and molasses-paced speaking lends an incredible gravity to the barest expressions of emotion. (And yeah, I realize the inherent irony of the non-emotional appeal actually increasing the emotional appeal of the argument.) There is one passage in particular whose reading I found very moving:

"We had copies of a number of genuine tally sheets, each one carefully filled out and signed by at least ten polling officials and party observers. The ones now being used were partial, containing only numbers in the totaled slots, and most with only two or three signatures, often in the same handwriting. Noriega's candidates were being announced as winners by a two-to-one margin. I was very angry and climbed onto the stage. In Spanish, I shouted, 'Are you honest officials or thieves? You are stealing the election from the people of Panama.' Soldiers forced me off the stage and ushered me to my hotel, which was across a broad street. I was informed that I could not return to the election headquarters, where dozens of local and international news reporters were assembled."

First: "I was very angry and climbed onto the stage" is a sentence worthy of Hemingway.

Second: Because of Carter's soft-spoken nature and tendency to avoid easy emotional appeals, hearing him say "I was very angry" carries much more weight than the same statement from, say, Bill O'Reilly. The slight inflection in the line "You are stealing the election from the people of Panama" communicates how strongly Carter feels about the importance of free and fair elections. There is something about his subtle change in pitch that laments the injustice not from a standpoint of self-righteousness, but from a perspective of sadness and confusion.

Third: I have a hard time imagining another American president doing the same thing in this situation. I have a hard time imagining *Batman* doing the same thing in this situation. (I have no idea why I kept thinking of Batman; I'm not even that much of a fan of his.)

Anyway, super-duper highly recommended.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although Carter's style is a bit dry (and I have to confess I didn't closely read the chapters on topics/geographic areas I wasn't interested in), overall this book is a fascinating account of he and wife Rosalynn's years after they left the White House. I have always admired Carter's commitment to democracy and human rights abroad and I'm sorry it didn't occur to me to read his memoirs of peacekeeping and electoral observation for any of my college papers about these topics. I even felt like a student when I noted the book has both "case study" and "theoretical discussion" chapters.

We forget that Carter was the first president (and arguably, the only until recently) to make human rights the cornerstone of our foreign policy. What he neglected to accomplish as president he certainly made up for with the foundation of the Carter Center, not unlike Al Gore's environmental work after his departure from public office. Overall, I would definitely recommend and think I might like to read another book either about the Carter Center about Carter's life (but probably in someone else's voice).

[John Paul Gairhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I was very angry and climbed onto the stage. In Spanish, I shouted, ‘Are you honest officials or thieves? You are stealing the election from the people of Panama.’”

[Bjorn Sorensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the most important books written in the last ten years, and should serve the American voter, student, professor - and leader of any level - for a long time to come.

Jimmy Carter has done more in each year of his post-presidency than most presidents do in a full four-year term (the jury's still out on Obama). The issues and issues are simple but profound - ensure free and fair elections in HUNDREDS of countries, fight diseases that save TENS of MILLIONS of lives mainly in lower-income countries, and broker peace between warring leaders or leaders and their populace. Carter urged Daniel Ortega - a leftist - to step down from power after he lost a monitored election in Nicaragua, and ensured Hugo Chavez - another leftist - stayed in power after a free and fair recall election in Venezuela. Among many other things, Carter has built homes for Habitat for Humanity, has kept up a work-out routine to stay healthy (a good example for others), and has encouraged senior citizens to make their remaining years productive and positive. Think of what American presidents and other leaders could do with even a fraction of Carter's efforts and ideas.

Part of how Carter operates, in addition to being issues-based instead of partisan, is to let leaders of other countries take credit for any instances of progress in peace or prosperity (instead of the Carter Center) and to get at least tacit support from Washington before any major foreign policy initiatives.

The audio book is read by President Carter in a confident, urgent tone. It is abridged, so maybe in the full version Carter examines his deeper personal motivations for spreading peace and prosperity throughout the world, or shows more about how the rest of us can make a positive difference in our increasingly inter-connected international environment.

Still, this is a book that Americans should and will come back to often.

At the end, when Carter mentions stepping down slowly from his wide-ranging activities, he comments clearly about how the Carter Center will continue to run efficiently and how it will boldly continue to keep taking on intransigent and broad-based challenges.

All I can say is Thank God Carter is an American president who has done so much good throughout the world. Whatever the media reports, the millions of people Carter has helped won't forget. And neither should we.

May this book be a stepping stone for even greater endeavors.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ex-Presidents enjoy many privileges and "Beyond the White House" demonstrates that one of them is getting mediocre books published.

"Beyond the White House," has the feel of many loose-ends, however interesting and worthy of recounting, carelessly stitched together.

There is no narrative to speak of. Only the single-thread of a post-presidency binds these tales of the Carters' (husband and wife) forays into battle against disease, dictatorship and poverty.

As writer/politician, Carter lacks President Barack Obama's literary gift, but his mind is organized and his prose sparing to the good.

This book provides a window on the world of philanthropy with accounts of how money is raised, how staffing is done, and how people who used to have important, official titles (eg; Colin Powell) later leverage them for the benefit of others.

Carter's accounts of political work in places like Haiti, North Korea, and the Sudan make for good inside stuff (if at times dated). Things get particularly interesting when his interventions require vetting or consultation with a sitting American president.

Carter's efforts in fighting disease are simultaneously stomach-churning and heart-warming.

For those not indoctrinated, the reports on the nasty ailments plaguing millions of people in the undeveloped world thanks to ignorance, cultural resistance, or hapless governments give pause and reason for thanks.

The solutions, at times, are mind-numbingly simple and enough to make one curse the world for not applying them more readily.

Carter has done a lot of good in these areas. And so, by the way, have the major drug-makers he prodded into financing massive, free distributions of badly needed medicines in forgotten and miserable backwaters around the world.

In "Beyond the White House," the ex-president pats his own back, but there's no denying his level of achievement and commitment to the less-fortunate. One can't lead by example if nobody's aware of what they're up to.

There are things in "Beyond the White House" worthy of absorbing for Carter fans, presidential scholars, or politics junkies, but on the whole, there is no whole.

So, if you're so inclined, go forth with this brief foreshadowing of what lies ahead.

[AlAmmari Mohammed · Rating 4 out of 5]

أنصح القارئ بأن لا ينخدع من عنوان الكتاب ( ما وراء البيت الأبيض ) فقد يعتقد بأن الكتاب يتحدث عن البيت الأبيض , بالعكس.

جيمي كارتر , رئيس أمريكا من عام 1977 إلى 1981 الذي عُرف بتواضعه هو من أنشاء مركز كارتر بعد أن خسر الرئاسة لفترة ثانية عام 1981 ضد رونالد ريغان.

باختصار الكتاب يتمحور عن المركز الذي تم إنشاءه من قبل الرئيس السابق جيمي كارتر و زوجته روزالين كارتر.

يعتر مركز كارتر منظمة غير ربحيه , هدفه الرئيسي المساعدات الإنسانية داخل و خارج أمريكا. و شعار المركز إحلال السلام . محاربة المرض . بناء الأمل. Waging peace, fight disease , building hope
كما يركز المركز على الأمراض المُهملة من قبل المنظمات العالمية و المحاولة على القضاء عليها و عدم انتشارها.

من وجهة نظر الرئيس السابق ,يتحدث لنا جيمي عن تجاربة الشخصية مع المركز و كيف قام بأستخدم علاقاته و خبراته في المحاولة على القضاء على الأمراضي ( كمرض دودة غينيا أو مرض العمى النهري و الخيطيات اللمفاموية و البلهاراسيا و مبادرة مكافحة الملاريا ) أو مراقبة بعض الأنتخابات خارج أمريكا لأسباب سياسية أو محاولة التوسط في بعض الأزمات السياسية بين الدول.

إن كنت تهتم بالسياسية و المساعدات الإنسانية و حقوق الإنسان و تلك الأمور, فأنصح بقراءة هذا الكتاب.

[Delight · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter what you thought of Pres. Carter when he was in office, one can't help but admire the work he's done post-presidency. While most former presidents are making millions giving speeches and sitting on corporate boards, President Carter decided he would devote his life to mediating conflict and eradicating diseases that no-one is addressing. The 4 stars are a reflection of the admiration and respect I have for the work he describes. Makes me want to be an intern for the Carter Center.

[Beri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting look at Jimmy Carter's life. I have always admired him but found him to be even more interesting when learning of how hard he has worked his whole life and how well-rounded his experience is. Excellent, although slightly heavy read.

[Sharon Nale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have voted on both sides, even on that third side called "Independent", during my 60 years of voting in election. I didn't vote for Jimmy Carter way back then, but if he was running for President today, he'd have my vote and I'd be out knocking on doors campaigning for him.

I have seen what he has done with his life AFTER leaving the presidency. His faith has led him to a life of serving others, and I think there has never been another president with those qualities and who live out their lives in such a manner, serving others, and there may well never be another leader like that.

Jimmy himself reads the book, and he's up in years. Good book. Good man.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since the passing of former President Jimmy Carter I figured it was a good time to read one of the books I’ve had sitting on my shelf for awhile unread. This book was a good introduction to the work Carter and his wife Rosaylnn has been doing through the past several decades, and it is remarkable work.

The first chapter is a bit of an eye opener at the state of the Carter’s affairs after leaving the President’s office. They had to remove themselves from his farming business during his term and what had been a lucrative business free of debt was now over $1million dollars in debt. So he was broke. Plus needed to raise funds for a Presidential library, and left the office as an unpopular person. He decided to not use his experience for an monetary gain, but instead to be benevolent or work in some non-profit way. This became the impetus for starting The Carter Center.

The Carter Center has several aims and goals, which basically come down to improving people’s lives, particularly in impoverished areas. The book covers some of the work they have been involved in since the founding of the center. It’s quite impressive.

The list is long: such as being mediators in war zone areas, preventing or stopping wars, overseeing and helping democracy in areas previously run by dictators, trying to eradicate the overlooked diseases in poor nations, not to mention human rights, women’s equality and much more. Due to the amount of work and the many different countries Carter has worked in, the book feels more like a summary instead of a detailed account.

Or course, this work was not done by Jimmy Carter alone. There were many people that helped, interns at the Center, doctors that lead the charge in helping with the diseases, and partnering with Emory University. But his name and position has helped tremendously in some areas and places, allowing him access where others would be denied, or it would take much longer to get to a point of talking with other leaders.

An informative book about a remarkable man. Too bad more ex-Presidents would take his lead as an example of what that clout can do. Thankfully Carter had a long life and was able to make a lasting change in many people’s lives.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a bit deep at times and got really down into the specifics of what Jimmy Carter has been up to since losing the presidential election over 30 years ago. To be honest I knew that President Carter was involved in Habitat for Humanity and I'd heard of The Carter Center but this book gave me a strong appreciation for the hard work he and the former first lady have been doing the last 32 years.

It may be more enjoyable for a policy wonk as opposed to someone who is interested in the feelings and emotions of a former president.

His work on fair elections is, for me, most impressive.

The book jumped around but was nicely divided up into chapters about conflict/war, democracy, health and diseases and a chapter on The Carter Center's future.

He stayed non-partisan as he's done (for the most part) since leaving the White House but does seem to have some strong feelings toward the George W. Bush administration.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a conservative Republican, but picked up this book to learn and read about someone from the “other” side. Well that, and because it was in the bin at the Dollar Store. I definitely got my money’s worth! I especially enjoyed reading about President Carter’s humanitarian efforts around the world, although his Atlanta project here in the USA seemed to be a big, expensive dud. There is no doubt in my mind that his intentions are good to truly help the downtrodden in this world. It is admirable and worthy of respect. I did feel that many of his efforts to build peace and democracy around that same world seemed a bit naïve though. But he seems to be a man dedicated to his convictions and peace loving ways, and as a fellow Christian I believe he will get a well-deserved “’Atta boy” from St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. He seems to be a man living his life on this side for the glory on the other side and I find that appealing no matter which side of the political fence you sit.

[Jeremiah]

An inspiring read on President Carter's second act as a humanitarian. From its inception in 1982, the Carter Center has brokered peace and combated disease and hunger in all parts of the world. Of course not all of the Carter Center's attempts at peace bore fruit and it is tempting to be a little cynical at Carter's international do-gooding efforts, the upshot is that probably thousands of lives were saved due in Haiti and elsewhere in part due to the work of the Carter Center.

[Gloria Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be poorly written and boring. I think the world of President Carter and his wife and know they have done so many interesting and wonderful things. That did not come through in this book. It felt stilted and did not flow like a book should. I didn't finish though I would like to know more about his life since he was President. This book just did not satisfy that curiosity for me.

[Tony Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost gave this 3 stars, but I enjoyed reading about Jimmy Carter. He is a very remarkable man and is making the best of his time on this Earth. The book tells of his work with the Carter Center and all the peacekeeping efforts around the world that he and his wife and others have done. I did some serious skimming towards the end, but I had the general idea. It is unbelievable all the work he's done, since being president. We need more people like him in this world.

[Kishan R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really made me understand a role of NGOs are so very important in this world. When the administration of two countries cannot come on the same page then its the individuals who needs to find a way alternate solution. The Carter Center is the perfect place resolve disputes with proper talks and on common terms, without the fear of a big country masking the rights of the smaller one. I hope many other institutions work like Carter Center and bring peace and prosperity for the world.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book discusses everything The Carter Center has accomplished in the last 25 years (and where they hope to go from here). It was very infomative about foreign struggles over the last few decades, and helped me understand better some of the challenges around the world. It is easy to read for those who are not very internationally politically astute (like me). Well worth the time.

[Wendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew that Jimmy Carter was doing so much good in the world? It certainly gave me a lot of new information and a new perspective on our foreign policy (sigh). My husband asked me to stop explaining about the worms... too awful to think about and a problem with so simple a solution. GOOOO Carter!

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure I would have enjoyed this book as much if I had actually read it (I listened to the audiobook). It is an interesting survey of issues around the world and the work the Carter Center has done. It's a few years old so a few things have changed (for example, Carter mentions the goal of eliminating Guinea worm, it's been accomplished) but overall I found it very interesting.

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jimmy Carter always tells a good story, and this is full of them. But the format of the book is fairly dry. It follows his adventures with the Carter Center, but it is organized first by countries the center has helped (all of them!) and then by diseases the center has sought to irradiate. It is worth reading, if only for Jimmy's funny tales.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading this book, I didn't know much about Jimmy Carter's charity work. I was so impressed to read about all the projects he's involved in. I even decided to donate to the Carter Center after reading the book. I valued reading about each and every project; the reason I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 was because it was written in a way that didn't keep my attention well.

[Nicole Braden Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The initial chapters about waging peace around the world were a little hard to follow, but the section about fighting disease in Africa was truly fascinating. The Carter Center deserves a medal just for wiping out Guinea worm. Seriously, have you seen what this parasite does?!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for content, but only 3 stars for writing style. Definitely the best ex-president since Adams.At age 88, he & his wife continue to do impressive work, combating disease in Africa & other places, monitoring elections,helping solve conflicts.

[Jun Peralta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary. Jimmy Carter is what an American should be, a true Southern character with strong values and an incredible ability to help other people. I think he will be known as one of the greatest persons who ever lived.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

My folks would always give me Jimmy's latest book for Christmas if he had one out, which more often than not, he did. This was possibly seen as part of my moral education. His books are really good and readable and he is a very good and smart man.

[Kate S · Rating 4 out of 5]

More things I just didn't know about. Interesting to read how Jimmy Carter has spent his post-White House years. Brief synopses about his different missions through the Carter Center made this a quick read and I have made a few notes about situations I would like to read about more deeply.

[William H · Rating 2 out of 5]

seriously- the man thinks he could have solved every problem in the world.