Good book ( )

President Jimmy Carter’s book, Beyond the White House: Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope, details the efforts of the Carter Center in the years following his term in office as the 39th president. Carter divides the book into six main sections: The Early Days, Waging Peace, Strengthening Democracy, Fighting Disease, Building Hope, and The Next Twenty-Five Years. In his introduction, he describes his optimism in building working relationships with world leaders to achieve specific goals, writing, “This intimate relationship with people we have not known before is an emotional and often a spiritual experience. Our natural human tendency is to underestimate those who are poor and cannot provide their families with basic necessities. We have learned that they are just as ambitious, hardworking, and intelligent, and their family values are as ours” (pg. xiv). In crafting this book, he draws extensively upon the diaries of he and Rosalynn’s work with the Carter Center.

Each section contains several subsections highlighting specific work. In Waging Peace, Carter discusses efforts to promote Middle East peace, to foster nuclear arms control, to promote a free media when the Soviet Union was still in power, to reach out to the Bosnians and Herzegovinians, and to build bridges with the Cuban people and foster communication with the Cuban government. Strengthening Democracy details the Carter Center’s efforts to help monitor elections on the national and local levels in countries around the world, including Panama, Nicaragua, China, Venezuela, and Indonesia. In Fighting Disease, Carter writes about the Carter Center’s programs to fight Guinea worm, their struggles against onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, trachoma, and malaria. He further discusses programs for new agricultural practices to promote health as well as health education programs. Building Hope details efforts to promote human rights, both abroad and in the United States, along with programs for women’s rights. Finally, in The Next Twenty-Five Years, Carter looks to the future and how the Carter Center might play a role. He writes, “In general, the principles of The Carter Center have been the same ones that should characterize our nation, or any individual. They are the beliefs inherent in all the great world religions, including commitments to peace, justice, freedom, humility, forgiveness or an attempt to find accommodation with potential foes, generosity, human rights or fair treatment of others, protection of the environment, and the alleviation of suffering. This is our agenda for the future” (pg. 256).

This Easton Press edition of the book comes signed by President Carter and bound in leather with gilt edges. It makes the perfect gift for those studying history or those who count Carter as their favorite President. Like all of Easton Press’s books, it will make a lovely addition to anyone’s bookcase. ( )