Bibliography | Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter

Always a Reckoning
by Jimmy Carter

In this moving, wide-ranging, and intensely personal collection of poems — his first — President Jimmy Carter opens to us his very private and reflective world. Always a Reckoning is sparked with wry and sometimes bitter humor, warmed with tenderness, and glowing with an intense and passionate caring that is born of an awareness both political and sensual.

(Hard cover only) 128 pages; Dimensions 8, 5 1/2, 1 inches

Beyond the White House: Waging Peace, Fighting Disease and 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.

(Hard cover only) 272 pages; Dimensions 9 1/2, 6 1/2, 1 inches

Blood of Abraham: Insights into the Middle East
by Jimmy Carter

Since his earlier days in the White House, Jimmy Carter has demonstrated an untiring passion for pursuing peace in the Middle East. His formation of the Carter Center and his continuing prominent role in world affairs have done nothing to dampen that passion. In this new edition of a national bestseller, President Carter demystifies the history of each nation's political expectation, the reasons for their different goals, and the nature of their prime concerns. His landmark study provides an enlightened and reconciling vision for all-Jews, Moslems, and Christians-who share the blood of Abraham.

(Soft cover only) 243 pages; Dimensions 6 1/2, 5 1/2, 1 inches

A Call to Action
by Jimmy Carter

President Carter was encouraged to write this book by a wide coalition of leaders of all faiths. His urgent report covers a system of discrimination that extends to every nation. Women are deprived of equal opportunity in wealthier nations and "owned" by men in others, forced to suffer servitude, child marriage, and genital cutting. The most vulnerable, along with their children, are trapped in war and violence. A Call to Action addresses the suffering inflicted upon women by a false interpretation of carefully selected religious texts and a growing tolerance of violence and warfare.

Christmas in Plains Collector's Edition
by Jimmy Carter

This slim Collector's edition volume by the 39th President is a perfect book for the holidays, as President Jimmy Carter recalls warm Christmas memories from throughout his life. He tells of searching for a Christmas tree with his father, "one that was perfect in size and shape." There is boyhood excitement as he remembers how fireworks were among his early Christmas delights.

(Hardcover only) 155 pages; Dimensions 7 1/2, 5, 1/2 inches

Everything to Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life
by Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter

Never before has it been possible for people to do so much with their lives for so long---often they complete a career with many active years still ahead. Here, in one of the most personal--and in many ways the most remarkable---books ever to evolve from the presidency, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter offer inspiring and practical views on how Americans can make the most of the second part of their lives.

(Hard cover only) 198 pages; Dimensions 9, 5, 1 inches

Faith A Journey for Us All
by Jimmy Carter

All his life, President Jimmy Carter has been a courageous exemplar of faith. Now he shares the lessons he learned. He writes, “The issue of faith arises in almost every area of human existence, so it is important to understand its multiple meanings. In this book, my primary goal is to explore the broader meaning of faith, its far-reaching effect on our lives, and its relationship to past, present, and future events in America and around the world. The religious aspects of faith are also covered, since this is how the word is most often used, and I have included a description of the ways my faith has guided and sustained me, as well as how it has challenged and driven me to seek a closer and better relationship with people and with God.” As President Carter examines faith’s many meanings, he describes how to accept it, live it, how to doubt and find faith again. A serious and moving reflection from one of America’s most admired and respected citizens.

First Lady From Plains
by Rosalynn Carter

In this warm and inspiring autobiography, Rosalynn Carter describes her life, from growing up in Plains, Georgia, to becoming First Lady and later returning to Plains. Mrs. Carter writes of her childhood saying, "When Daddy came home from work, he always rushed into the kitchen, picked up my mother, whirled her around the room and gave her a kiss. My friends' parents didn't act this way in front of their children, so I thought my house was very special."

(Soft cover only) 394 pages; Dimensions 8 1/2, 5 1/2,1 1/2 inches

A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety
by Jimmy Carter

At ninety, Jimmy Carter reveals more about his youth in rural Georgia than he described in his magnificent An Hour Before Daylight, which The New Yorker called “An American classic.” He writes about racism during his boyhood and the isolation of the Carters during the civil rights struggles. He portrays the brutality of the hazing regimen at Annapolis, how he nearly lost his life twice serving on submarines, and his amazing job interview with Admiral Rickover. He writes movingly about the profound influence his mother had on him and how he admired his father even though he didn’t always emulate him.

In A Full Life, President Carter tells us what has made him proud and what he might have done differently, his regret at losing his reelection, and how he and Rosalynn made a new lift through rewarding second and third careers. He is frank about the presidents who have succeeded him, about world leaders, and about his passion for special causes, particularly the condition of women and their deprivation in the developing world that he deplored in A Call to Action.

Jimmy Carter has lived one of our great American lives — from rural obscurity to world fame, universal respect, and contentment — a full life indeed.

Dimensions 9 , 7 , 1 inches

A Government As Good As Its People
by Jimmy Carter

This volume presents sixty-two of the best and most notable public statements made by Jimmy Carter on his way to becoming president of the United States. Included are formal speeches on specific issues, such as "Pardon Yes, Amnesty No" delivered in Seattle, Washington August 24, 1976; a news conference like the one on "Ethnic Purity"with the American Society of Newspaper Editors in Washington D.C. April 13, 1976; informal remarks made to political gatherings; interviews (including the controversial Playboy interview from November 1976); and excerpts from debates with President Ford.

(Softcover only) 224 pages; Dimensions 8 1/2, 5 1/2, 1/2 inches

Helping Someone with Mental Illness
by Rosalynn Carter with Susan K. Golant

Mrs. Carter has been a driving force in the field of mental health. She addresses the latest breakthroughs in understanding research and the discourse of psychological issues. The first thing you need to know is that life isn't over.

(Soft cover only) 350 pages; Dimensions 8 1/2,5 1/2,1 inches

Helping Yourself Help Others: A Book for Caregivers
by Rosalynn Carter with Susan K. Golant

Helping Yourself Help Others is a rare combination of Mrs. Carter's warmly personal account of her own caregiving experience and a reassuring, insightful guidebook that offers practical solutions to care givers' typical problems. Filled with empathy this sensitive, encouraging guide will help you meet a difficult challenge head on and find fulfillment and empowerment in your care giving role.

(Softcover only) 278 pages; Dimensions 8, 5 1/2, 1/2 inches

The Hornet's Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War
By Jimmy Carter

In his ambitious and deeply rewarding novel, Jimmy Carter brings to life the Revolutionary War as it was fought in the Deep South; it is a saga that will change the way we think about the conflict. He reminds us that much of the fight for independence took place in that region and that it was a struggle of both great and small battles and of terrible brutality, with neighbor turned against neighbor, the Indians' support sought by both sides, and a no quarters asked or given. The Hornet's Nest follows a cast of characters and their loved ones on both sides of this violent conflict — including some who are based on the author's ancestors.

(Hard cover only) 465 pages; Dimensions 9 1/2, 6 1/2, 1 inches

An Hour Before Daylight
by Jimmy Carter

"A love story of a man's passion for his home, his family, and ...for his fellow man...Will stay in the mind long after the last page is read." Richard Pretorius, United Press International

(Soft cover only) 284 pages; Dimensions 9, 5, 3/4 inches

Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President
by Jimmy Carter

When Jimmy Carter left Washington, he carried with him his 5000-page diary--unedited notes he dictated after each important meeting, nearly every day of his term. In Keeping Faith, he draws on this journal directly for a personal account of the exhilaration and solitude of being the man in the Oval Office.

(Hard cover only) 621 pages; Dimensions 9 , 6 1/2, 1 1/2 inches

The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer
by Jimmy Carter
Illustrated by Amy Carter

"Once upon a time there was a little boy named Jeremy who lived with his mother in a small house near the sea. His mother earned a bare living for two of them by washing clothes for some of the wealthy families in their town. Jeremy loved her very much."

So begins the enchanting fairy tale President Jimmy Carter first spun for his children over three decades ago. Now, with his first children's book, he brings his family's favorite story to vivid life.

(Hardcover only) 24 pages; Dimensions 8 1/2, 10, 1/4 inches

Negotiation: The Alternative to Hostility
by Jimmy Carter

On April 28, 1983, former President Jimmy Carter presented the inaugural lecture for Mercer University's Carl Vinson Memorial Lecture Series. His topic was Negotiation: The Alternative to Hostility. This book is a keepsake from that event, including the lecture program, remarks by Mercer University President R. Kirby Godsey; Board of Trustees Chairman Robert L. Steed; Law School Dean Karl P. Warden, and nummerous photographs.

(Soft cover) 57 pages; Dimensions 9, 6, 1/2 inches

Negotiation: The Alternative to Hostility (Hardcover) 
by Jimmy Carter

On April 28, 1983, former President Jimmy Carter presented the inaugural lecture for Mercer University's Carl Vinson Memorial Lecture Series. His topic was Negotiation: The Alternative to Hostility. This beautifully-bound book is a keepsake from that event, including the lecture program, remarks by Mercer University President R. Kirby Godsey; Board of Trustees Chairman Robert L. Steed; Law School Dean Karl P. Warden, and numerous photographs.

(Hard cover) 57 pages; Dimensions 9, 6, 1/2 inches

The Nobel Peace Prize Lecture (link no longer available) 
by Jimmy Carter

This inspiring and beautifully-styled book showcases the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize Lecture delivered by President Jimmy Carter. This small volume captures Carter's wisdom and sense of social justice. He writes that following the end of the Cold War, "the world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place with a plethora of civil wars, the scourge of racism and appalling acts of terrorism." Carter warns against "the principle of preventive war." He adds, "War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good."

(Hard cover only) 20 pages; Dimensions 7, 5, 1/2 inches

Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis
By Jimmy Carter

President Carter has written importantly about his spiritual life and faith. In Our Endangered Values, Carter offers a personal consideration of "moral values" as they relate to the important issues of the day. He puts forward a passionate defense of separation of church and state, and a strong warning about where the country is heading as the lines between politics and rigid religious fundamentalism are blurred.

(Hard cover only) 212 pages; Dimensions 9, 5, 1 inches

An Outdoor Journal
by Jimmy Carter

In this new edition, President Carter shares his most recent experiences of outdoor adventures. Go with President Carter as he and in many cases Rosalynn wade in trout streams, follow a bird dog, freeze in duck ponds, and entice "amorous" tom turkeys. President Carter shares his childhood experiences, when he and his father would go out. "About once a year my daddy took me on a fishing trip to a more distant place, usually farther south in Georgia.

(Soft cover only) 316 pages; Dimensions 8 1/2 , 5 1/2, 1 inches

Palestine Peace Not Apartheid
by Jimmy Carter

In this book President Carter shares his intimate knowledge of the history of the Middle East and his personal experiences with the principal actors, and he addresses sensitive political issues many American officials avoid. Pulling no punches, Carter prescribes steps that must be taken for the two states to share the Holy Land without a system of apartheid or the constant fear of terrorism.

(Hard cover only) 264 pages; Dimensions 8 1/2, 6 1/2, 1 inches

The Personal Beliefs of Jimmy Carter
by Jimmy Carter

The Nobel Committee recognized President Carter's remarkable achievements by awarding him the Peace Prize in October 2002 for his accomplishments fostering peace during his presidency and his tireless work after leaving office monitoring elections, promoting peaceful resolutions to conflicts, and helping provide food, shelter, and health care to the world's poor. Now, in The Personal Beliefs of Jimmy Carter, readers have for the first time in one volume the complete text of his spiritual autobiography, Living Faith, in which President Carter shares the values and experiences that have shaped his life, and Sources of Strength, fifty-two of his favorite Bible lessons that he has taught at his hometown church in Plains, Georgia, over the decades.

(Soft cover only) 252 pages; Dimensions 8 1/2, 5 1/2, 1 1/2 inches

A Remarkable Mother
by Jimmy Carter

A registered nurse, pecan grower, university housemother, Peace Corps volunteer, public speaker, and renowned raconteur, Miss Lillian ignored the mores and prejudices of the racially segregated South of the Great Depression years. She was an avid supporter of the Brooklyn Dodgers (because she happened to attend the first major league baseball game in which Jackie Robinson, from Cairo, Georgia, played), was a favored guest on television talk shows (usually able to "steal the microphone" from hosts such as Johnny Carson and Walter Cronkite), and an important role model for the nation. Jimmy Carter's mother emerges from this portrait as redoubtable, generous, and forward-looking. He ascribes to her the inspiration for his own life's work of commitment and faith.

(Hard cover only) 222 pages; Dimensions 7 1/2, 5 1/2 ,1

Sharing Good Times
by Jimmy Carter

In this wonderfully evocative volume, following the outstanding success of The Hornet's Nest, Christmas in Plains, and his classic An Hour Before Daylight, Jimmy Carter writes about the things that matter most, the simple relaxed days and nights that he has enjoyed with family and friends through the years and across generations.

(Hard cover only) 174 pages; Dimensions 8 , 5 1/2, 1/2 inches

Through the Year with Jimmy Carter
by Jimmy Carter

In "Through the Year with Jimmy Carter," the 39th president of the United States takes us on a unique journey into the heart of the Christian faith. Based on more than three decades of practical Bible teaching delivered to his Sunday school classes in Plains, Ga., and Washington, D.C., these readings draw from the Bible and the compelling experiences of President Carter's own life.  Whether he's giving fascinating glimpses into behind-the-scenes activity at the White House, or insightful remembrances of his career in the U.S. Navy, President Carter connects the wisdom of Scripture with the reader's own crucial place on the stage of life. "Through the Year with Jimmy Carter" is  frank, honest, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, and always relevant.

(Hard cover only) 366 pages; Dimensions 9 1/2, 6 1/2 ,1

Turning Point: A Candidate, a State and a Nation Come of Age

Turning Point is President Carter's story of how he first sought public office in 1962 and how the social and political conflicts in the South during that era shaped his vision of how people of good faith can join forces to right the wrongs of our society. By 1962, segregation laws had been declared invalid, and confrontations were taking place at lunch counters, universities, and bus depots. That spring, the Supreme Court's "one man, "one vote" decision mandated equal representation for all citizens, but when Carter decided to run for the newly reconstituted Georgia state senate, his career was nearly strangled at birth.

Note: This book was published in 1992

(Hard cover only) 233 pages; Dimensions 9 1/2, 6 1/2, 1 inches

The Virtues of Aging
by Jimmy Carter

In The Virtues of Aging, Jimmy Carter shares his knowledge and the pleasures that age have brought him. Blending memoir, anecdote, political savvy, and practical advice, this book truly illuminates the rich promises of growing older.

Note: President Carter was seventy-four at the time of publication of this book.

(Hard cover only) 140 pages; Dimensions 8 1/2, 5 1/2, 1/2 inches

We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land
by Jimmy Carter

We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land In this urgent, balanced, and passionate book, Nobel Peace Laureate and former President Jimmy Carter argues that the present moment is a unique time for achieving peace in the Middle East---and he offers a bold and comprehensive plan to do just that. President Carter has been a student of the biblical Holy Land all his life. For the last three decades, as president of the United States and as founder of the Carter Center, he has studied the complex and interrelated issues of the region's conflicts and has been actively involved in reconciling them. He knows the leaders of all factions in the region who will need to play key roles, and he sees encouraging signs among them. Carter describes the history of previous peace efforts and why they fell short. He argues persuasively that the road to a peace agreement is now open and that it has broad international and regional support. Most of all, since there will be no progress without courageous and sustained U.S. leadership, he says the time for progress is now. President Barack Obama is committed to a personal effort to exert that leadership, starting early in his administration. This is President Carter's call for action, and he lays out a practical and doable path to peace.

(Hard Cover only) 228 pages; Dimensions 9.5,6.5,1

White House Diary
by Jimmy Carter

Each day during his presidency, Jimmy Carter made several entries in a private diary. He provided unvarnished assessments of cabinet members, congressmen, and foreign leaders; he narrated the progress of secret negotiations such as those that led to the Camp David Accords; he recorded his thoughts, impressions, delights, and frustrations. When his four-year term came to an end in early 1981, the diary amounted to more than five thousand pages.

Offering an unprecedented look at both the man and his tenure, this fascinating book will stand as a unique contribution to the history of the American presidency.

(Hardcover) 592 pages

Why Not the Best
by Jimmy Carter

When a little-known former Southern Governor named Jimmy Carter decided to seek the Presidency, he wrote, "Why Not the Best?" as a means of letting voters know who he was and his sense of values. The title comes from a question Admiral Rickover asked him during a job interview, following his graduation from the Naval Academy. "Did you do your best?" Rickover asked. Carter initially answered "yes sir" but after some thought said, "no sir, I didn't always do my best." Describing the scene years later, Carter writes, "He asked one final question which I have never been able to forget-or to answer. He said, "Why not?"

(Hard cover encased in a presentation box only) 208 pages; Dimensions 9 1/2, 6 1/2, 1 inches

Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis
by Rosalynn Carter

In Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis, Rosalynn Carter and coauthors Susan K. Golant and Kathryn E. Cade render an insightful, unsparing assessment of the state of mental health. Carter has been deeply invested in this issue since her husband's gubernatorial campaign when she saw firsthand the horrific, dehumanizing treatment of people with mental illness. Using stories from her 35 years of advocacy to springboard into a discussion of the larger issues at hand, Carter crafts an intimate and powerful account of a subject previously shrouded in stigma and shadow, surveying the dimensions of an issue that has affected us all. She describes a system that continues to fail those in need, even though recent scientific breakthroughs with mental illness have potential to help most people lead more normal lives. Within Our Reach is a seminal, searing, and ultimately optimistic look at how far we've come since Carter's days on the campaign trail and how far we have yet to go.