Jimmy Carter Wrote 32 Bestsellers: Looking Back at the Late President's Books
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Jimmy Carter and the cover of his final book, "Faith: A Journey for All"Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died on Dec. 29 at age 100. Following his four-year presidency, Carter fostered a thriving career as an author.
The former president wrote 32 books in total, all of which were bestsellers. The subjects of the former president's books ranged widely: foreign policy to religious theory, personal experience with faith to historic presidential moments, introspection to art and even tales for children. Carter took on a wide range of genres and told a great breadth of stories from his one-of-a-kind perspective.
Simon & Schuster published Carter's final book, Faith: A Journey for All in 2018. The former president was "America's most protean author," said President and CEO Jonathan Karp, in a statement.
"In all of his books he maintained a voice of great integrity and intellectual honesty," Karp wrote. "We are grateful to have published so many books by President Carter, books that will endure as a legacy for readers who want to appreciate the life and mind of one of the most inspiring and admirable world leaders of our time.”
Explore Carter's entire collection of books, below.
Why Not the Best? (1975, 1996)
Carter's first book, Why Not the Best? was how he introduced himself internationally — a Georgia governor that pushed Americans to strive for a better government.
A Government as Good as Its People (1977, 1996)
This book contains a culmination of Carter's 62 most memorable public statements before he assumed the highest office in the country — including speeches, press conferences, statements at debates and excerpts from interviews.
Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President (1982, 1995)
In his first text about his time as president, Carter recounts major moments from his time in the Oval Office — like the hostage crisis in Iran and his success at the Camp David Middle East peace summit. He also writes of his experience with other world leaders and his personal life during his one-term presidency.
Negotiation: The Alternative to Hostility (1984, 2003)
As part of the Carl Vinson Memorial Lecture Series at Mercer University, this book outlines Carter's ideas on pursuing long-lasting peace, including "bright thinking, unanticipated approaches and unorthodox ideas."
The Blood of Abraham: Insights into the Middle East (1985, 1993, 2007)
In this political analysis, Carter — who paved the way for the Camp David Accords — outlines the historical and religious context behind the conflict and tensions in the Middle East.
Everything to Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life (1987, 1995)
Written with his wife Rosalynn Carter, this book follows Rosalynn and Jimmy's marriage after the White House, including their work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center, as well as issues of health and their relationship.
Related: Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter's Relationship Timeline: Inside Their 77-Year Marriage
An Outdoor Journal: Adventures and Reflections (1988, 1994)
In a marked shift from his earlier books, An Outdoor Journal focuses on Carter's love of nature, including his adventures hunting, fishing and relishing the natural world.
Turning Point: A Candidate, a State, and a Nation Come of Age (1992)
This book takes a retrospective look at Carter's campaign for public office in 1962, while the American South approached great change with the Civil Rights Movement.
Talking Peace: A Vision for the Next Generation (1993, 1995)
In this book, Carter explains how every person, regardless of age, can support world peace efforts, and draws his reasoning from his experience navigating American politics.
Always a Reckoning and Other Poems (1995)
His first work of poetry — and the first published work of poetry by any American president — this text takes a creative spin on his childhood, family and political life. This book was illustrated by his granddaughter, Sarah Elizabeth Chuldenko.
The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer (1995)
Illustrated by the former president's only daughter Amy Carter, Carter's first children's book is a fairy tale about a fruitful friendship after tragedy.
Living Faith (1996)
In this spiritual autobiography, Carter shares his religious beliefs and imparts the importance of faith in his own life, in addition to compassion, forgiveness and acts of service.
Sources of Strength: Meditations on Scripture for a Living Faith (1997)
The former president compiles 52 of his favorite lessons from the Bible — all of which he taught during Sunday school classes in his hometown church in Plains, Ga. — in this book that accompanies Living Faith.
The Virtues of Aging (1998)
Carter, who wrote this book in his 70s, looks back on his wide range of experiences, taking stock on his life and sharing the wisdom he gathered in this meditative book.
An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood (2001)
This biography focuses on Carter's childhood, set against the Great Depression and a sharecropping economic structure. Carter crafts a vivid image of his family and those close to him in his childhood, especially impactful Black individuals that helped shape him into adulthood.
Christmas in Plains: Memories (2001)
The former president collects some of his most treasured holiday memories — family, gifts, eggnog, decorations and the story of the birth of Christ — from his boyhood to his adult years, when he traveled back home to Plains, Ga. to celebrate.
The Nobel Peace Prize Lecture (2002)
In response to his receipt of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in providing solutions for peace, Carter delivered this lecture, which was then published in written form.
The Hornet’s Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War (2003)
In this work of historical fiction focused on a family intertwined with Native Americans in Georgia, Carter illuminates the South as a major site of the Revolutionary War,
Sharing Good Times (2004)
This book is Carter's account of the little things — small, but important. He chronicles generations of special moments with his family, including his parents, children, grandchildren, his friends and his beloved wife Rosalynn.
Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis (2005)
Carter interweaves his personal viewpoints with major political points of contemporary debate in this book, which addresses the ways in which politics and religion intersect.
Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid (2006, 2007)
Drawing on Carter's relationships with world leaders, this book maps what Carter believed to be the path towards peace in Israel while still maintaining a Palestinian identity.
Beyond the White House: Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope (2007)
This memoir follows Carter's life after the White House as he continued his mission toward world peace.
A Remarkable Mother (2008)
The former president crafts the image of his mother in this book, casting light on her humanitarian and social justice efforts in addition to her work in the Peace Corps and antiracist efforts in the American South.
We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work (2009)
In this book, Carter builds on the ideas he first presented in Palestine: Peace not Apartheid to propose a plan for peace in the Middle East.
White House Diary (2010)
In this edited and annotated version of his diary, Carter chronicles his everyday struggles and triumphs while he was serving as President, including the negotiations that resulted in the Camp David Accords.
Through the Year with Jimmy Carter: 366 Daily Meditations from the 39th President (2011)
For every day of the year, Carter provides a piece of wisdom that draws on Christian scripture and his own life experiences.
NIV Lessons from the Life Bible: Personal Reflections with Jimmy Carter; NSRV Simple Faith Bible (2012, 2020)
Carter served as an editor to the original edition of this volume that combines his Sunday School lessons with the New International Version Bible. The second edition, published in 2020, applies the same concept to the New Revised Standard Version.
A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power (2014)
Inspired by leaders of many faiths to write this book, Carter calls attention to the struggles women around the world face on a daily basis — including servitude, genital mutilation, child marriage and a lack of ownership in their own lives.
The Paintings of Jimmy Carter (2014)
The former president developed an affinity for painting in the 1980s, and transformed his woodworking shop into a home studio. He compiled many of his paintings in this book — which features more than 50 pieces of art.
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A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety (2015)
At age 90, decades after he left the highest office in the country, Carter wrote an extremely honest account of his life with the clarity of hindsight. He built upon ideas in previous books, like his time in the military and his admiration for family.
The Craftsmanship of Jimmy Carter (2018)
In this candid tale about hard work, Carter reflects on his the fruits of his physical labor — using an array of tools to build furniture and a plow to work the land.
Faith: A Journey for All (2018)
Carter's final book imparts all he's learned in his faith journey. In this text, the former president explores how religion impacts various aspects of life and how it intersects with the American identity.
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