Product Description

In this wonderfully evocative volume, 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 the generations.

Here are lively, witty accounts of exploring the outdoors with his father and with black playmates; making furniture; painting; pursuing new adventures and going places with children, grandchildren, and friends; and sharing life with his wife, Rosalynn.

Sharing Good Times is an inspirational guide for anyone desiring to stretch mind and heart and to combine work and pleasure.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #711228 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Former president and Nobel laureate Carter has published several memoirs. His latest heartfelt effort tackles a somewhat abstract topic: how sharing affects the enjoyment of any activity. When he was a boy in Archery, Ga., Carter realized he had to share an experience (seeing puppies born, watching a rat die of poisoning, etc.) with his buddies before they could collectively understand its meaning. As Carter matured, relationships became more compartmentalized, and he learned to act independently. His early married years were the height of his unilateralism; when he decided to retire from the navy and move the family to Plains, Ga., he simply exercised his "dominance as a husband" and announced it to his wife, Rosalynn. Learning to treat Rosalynn and their children as "equal partners" didn't come easily for Carter; it was only after his election as Georgia's governor that he started sharing fully with his wife (although, with characteristic candor, he adds, "I have to admit... that on occasion, I long for the earlier days"). Sharing the planning, the doing and the evaluating of an activity—whether it's running for office, volunteering or taking family excursions—gives it more depth, more meaning, he says. Indeed, as Carter ages and contemplates becoming slightly less active, the pleasure he's found by simply watching his grandchildren's pleasure has been a whole new revelation.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Carter, generally held in high regard these days, is the poster president for the good works that former chief executives can accomplish. His books always prove popular, whether they are memoirs or historical fiction, and his latest one undoubtedly will be no exception. This is an even more personal book than his previous autobiographical works. In it, he recalls various occasions in his life that became "lasting sources of pleasure." Arranged in relatively chronological order, these special remembrances, which endowed him with special feelings he can still almost taste, include his personal reasons for seeing his father as a hero, watching minor- and major-league baseball games growing up, his days in the navy, road trips with his wife and children, his entry into politics, taking vacations while in the White House, his famous volunteer work, and even his hobbies. Carter admits that this book is a way for him not only to share some good experiences but also to inspire "anyone desiring to stretch mind and heart, to combine work and pleasure, and to reach out to others." Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"What gives Sharing Good Times friction and depth is Carter's sometimes bracing understanding of his own flaws."

-- The New York Times

"Sharing Good Times is a wonderful holiday gift."

-- Larry King, Larry King Live

Customer Reviews

Admirable
Having the highest regard and respect for former President Jimmy Carter (in fact, world leaders should emulate his wisdom, style and ideals), I say the following very delicately.

Admirable in that former President Carter communicates to the world his inner and private feelings from childhood thru adulthood. The meaning of sharing with family, friends, total strangers, foreign dignitaries, etc. is the purpose of a contented existence. At first this did not come easy to President Carter, but as the years came and went it surfaced, and he was at peace with himself.

The redundant theme of the Carters gallivanting and vacationing all over the world could lead some to resentment for not being able to do the same(?). One must take into consideration though that President Carter would oftentimes combine work with pleasure (the presidency, Carter Center). In so doing, he was threading the common fabric which connects us all...conversation, diplomacy and kindness.
Overall, a warm and compassionate read on morals, values and hope.

Sharing Good Times
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.

Memorable and defining moments
This book is not a biography per se rather a collection of the most pivotal moments in Jimmy Carter's life containing little "work" and much "play". In this collection of short stories we see Jimmy Carter the son, father, grandfather, climber, painter, and outdoorsman. The conspicuous lack of politics, apart from a brief couple of pages, establishes just how human Jimmy Carter really is. His greatest joys are his children and charitable works not the galas he has attended or the dignitaries he has met, making this a refreshing memoir.