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: #1285592 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

Amazing
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.

Fun with the Family Carter
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.

Lightweight book, but interesting to Carter fans
This is probably the most inconsequential of Carter's "mini-memoirs", having little of the timeless insight of, say, "An Hour Before Daylight" and covering some of the same ground. This one looks across Carter's entire life, though, and recounts some particularly memorable occasions he spent, well, sharing good times with friends.

I have to admit, though, that as a fan and admirer of Carter I did find it interesting to learn that he is an avid outdoorsman and hiker well into his later years. He has climbed to Everest base camp in his 60's and climbed Mount Fuji in his 70's. He's not above using the perks of his reputation to get a private tour of a world-famous museum that's closed for renovations, or to get a private nature tour in between overseeing third-world elections. In fact, the man requires that he get a tour from a licensed naturalist every place his visits while doing business for the Carter Center.

You might see the man as egocentric and maybe a bit daffy; I know many folks do. But I found myself dreaming that I was part of his inner circle, and hoping to imitate him in my own later years. I give it an objective three star rating, but add a star if you are a fellow Carter admirer.