Publisher's Weekly says:"The snarl behind the toothy grin emerges in these acerbic entries culled from the 39th president’s personal diary. Carter vents against everyone, from Congress (“disorganized juvenile delinquents”), to the press (“completely irresponsible and unnecessarily abusive”) and the incoming Reaganauts (“group of jerks.”) By contrast, he comes off as the principled, rational, speed-reading master of policy detail, with a cogent—to him—agenda of human rights, internationalism, and disarmament in foreign policy; and fiscal restraint, deregulation, and energy conservation at home. His account of the “national malaise” episode reveals a technocrat groping awkwardly toward a political vision. But the hectic, sketchy entries, annotated with after-the-fact elucidations, mainly show President Carter breasting the maelstrom of overscheduling, mundane politics, and brother-Billy issues while eruptions like the Iranian hostage crisis sneak up; the Sadat-Begin Camp David negotiations and other summits, where his leadership could be proactive and untrammelled, provoke his most involved and insightful passages. Carter’s judgments will stir controversy: he tars Ted Kennedy with torpedoing his health-care reforms and abetting Reagan’s 1980 victory, and paints Israel (“obstinate”) and its Prime Minister Menachem Begin as the main obstacles to Middle East peace. His tart wit and cutting candor add flavor to a revealing portrait of presidential achievement and, especially, frustration. "
Due to circumstances beyond our control, the booksigning with former President Jimmy Carter has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Watch Lesley Stahl's interview with President Carter about his book.
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