Sharing Good Times

Former President Carter is an amazing man. Besides all the work he does via the Carter Center, he takes time to write books about the things he thinks are imortant. This book is a reflection back across the life of a workaholic - Jimmy Carter. In it he talks about how he eventually learned to take time out to relax and have fun with friends and family - something we all should do. What a marvelous man!

From our greatest living statesman come more pearls of wisdom. A kind and thoughtful man, husband and father, Jimmy Carter shares insightful stories of his life with friends and family. Learn how love and trust can carry us through the tuff times and reward us in the golden years.

This man is a dying breed. You really just wont find too many more Americans with value as true and with priorities leaning toward all of the right places. I just took away so much from this humble little book. I did not expect it. It did not floor me by any means but just spoke gentlty of one mans life as he shares it with the people around him. At one point as he is campaining or going on a business trip or whatever he says to Rosalynn "Rosalynn I am going out of town, please pack my suitcase and I need pressed shirts blah blah blah. And she says right out of nowhere "pack it yourself". So he says that he was fuming really bad while he was packing his bag but from that day forward it was no longer his show only. They became partners in all of the decision making and even let the children in on it. You really dont see many people possessing such good manners/leadership/practicality/humilty and just real common sense intellegence in life today. And you certainly wont find anyone like that running for president. Please I hope I am proved wrong someday soon.

An amazing book by an amazing man. Discount the last reviewer. If he did read it, it must have been over his head, especially since he gives five star reviews to Prince albums. Nobody likes a hater, especially a nerdy loner with no taste. Jimmy Carter is an amazing man and we could all do well by learning something from him, myself and haters included.

Former President Jimmy Carter's latest book is in many ways and addendum to some of his earlier works and it includes many stories that will be found in those previous works. In this book however, Carter adds to and builds on those previous stories and in a few cases adds details that he probably left out of his earlier books on purpose. President Carter may seem like an austere and serious individual but as one follows his adventures in this book his lighthearted and fun-loving side becomes obvious. In many instances I was reminded of the perpetual adolescence of Teddy Roosevelt. In this book the former President chronicles many of the, "Good Times" in his life. He writes of vacations, side excursions to business trips, and his numerous hobbies. It seems that even on the most serious trips that President Carter makes for the Carter Center he takes at least some time for his hobby of bird watching. This is an addictive hobby that I share with Mr. Carter and can fully relate to his excitement when first spotting a new species. My wife often notes that around our house the birds will always have food whether we do or not. The real story behind these tales of adventure however is the story of how the former President learned to fully include his family and friends in his adventures. Most Southern men who grew up in the pre World War II South have the common trait of being somewhat aloof. There is no doubt that these men love their families but they have a very hard time expressing or sharing that love. My father was born about ten years before President Carter and shared this same problem with him. I have found that sometimes I even have a little problem in this area and from both my own experience and my experiences with my father I can relate very well with Jimmy Carter's struggle. I have learned, as has Mr. Carter, that shared fun is the best kind of fun and I applaud the former President for the open way he has addressed this problem in this book. Despite the serious nature of this book's main plot, this book is a very fun read. The more Mr. Carter writes the better he is at it and this may be his must enjoyable book yet. The stories are generally about activities that almost everyone can relate to right down to late night 'coon hunts. I once visited President Carter's church and watched as he showed off the TV stand he had made for the church. He talks about his woodworking in this book and admits that is one of the hobbies he enjoys pursuing alone. He does enjoy sharing the fruit of his labor with others though and I think he was as proud of that TV stand as he is of the Camp David Accords. Thankfully he also shares his private hobby of writing with the rest of us and he can be just as proud of this book as he is of that TV stand.