Jimmy Carter American Moralist (Paperback)

by Kenneth E. Morris (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
It is astounding how little attention has been paid to Jimmy Carter's life?before, during and after his presidency?by publishers and biographers. University of Georgia sociologist Morris tries to fill the void with this thematic biography of a U.S. leader generally seen as a failure in office and a success as a statesman after defeat at the polls. Morris succeeds as an intellectual biographer but largely fails as the teller of a life story. He admires Carter as an above-board moralist during an age when such a persona could have been drowned by cynicism. But Morris is also convincing when he suggests that Carter's moralism didn't suit the country's needs during the last half of the 1970s. Morris is especially critical of Carter's failure to formulate and convey a platform for domestic policy reform. A president cannot, should not, try to govern with a foreign policy vision only, Morris asserts. While his decision to plumb the depths of Carter's moral lobe is a wise one, he could have done so while also giving more consideration to the events in Carter's life. That glossing of externalities often makes it difficult to understand Carter's moral judgments. Although Morris leaves the field open for a more thorough recounting of Carter's life before and during his presidency, his treatment of Carter at age 70 does offer satisfying insights.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal
On the 20th anniversary of Jimmy Carter's election as America's 39th president, this is a timely volume that serves as a biography, cultural critique, and reevaluation. Morris (sociology, Univ. of Georgia) shows that Carter's primary interest has always been in personal morality, which operated to diminish his concern with formulating a domestic vision during his presidency. He simply expanded his emphasis on domestic civil rights to general human rights abroad. Moreover, his post-presidential career tends also to emphasize international concerns more than community needs at home. Except for militaristic rhetoric as a superficial substitute, Carter's successors have not been any more successful in finding a genuine domestic vision to unite Americans. Balanced, readable, and interesting, this book is recommended for all specialized presidential collections and larger public libraries.?William D. Pederson, Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: University of Georgia Press (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082031949X
• ISBN-13: 978-0820319490
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,740,620 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars American Moralist in the White House, September 6, 2001

By	Hilde B (Norway) - See all my reviews

"Jimmy Carter - American moralist" is an excellently researched and well written biography of the 39th American president. It provides us with a fine introduction to the ex-president's private and public life. The book is very detailed in exploring Carter's childhood and early political career. Although I found that part interesting to read, I wish it had been as detailed on the account of his presidency. As a born-again Christian there is no doubt that morality played (and still plays) a major role both in Carter's private as well as public life. Unfortunately, strong moral and ethics is not enough to make a good leader and president (I think Bill Clinton is the best example on that...)

President Carter endured the lowest poll ratings ever to be recorded. And after leaving office he spent years as America's favorite guy to pick on. He dedicated himself to volunteer work, especially working with the organization "Habitat for Humanity". More than a decade would pass before he again, in the mid-90'ies, would enjoy life in the public limelight. In 1994 Atlanta Georgia, he got his (long overdue) tribute in bronze, his public ratings was again soaring, and he received invitations to join peace negotiating teams etc.

"Jimmy Carter - American moralist" (together with Powell's "My American Journey") was my introduction to reading about American politics and history. In this book, the author strikes a perfect balance between political jargon, facts and figures. And the result is a biography easy to read, even for lay readers like me. I learned a lot from reading this book, and it inspired me to continue to explore the field further.

An interesting biography!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fine Biography for Carter's Childhood., January 1, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews

The strength of this book lies in the depth of it's treatment of Jimmy Carter's formative years. It falls short on details of his governing years. Many conclusions are transparently flimsy but, for someone coming in with little knownledge of Carter's life like myself, it was an informative read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Needs more facts, less analysis, September 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Jimmy Carter: American Moralist (Hardcover)

Although Morris writes and interesting biography, the strength of the book is when he's telling Carter's story and the environment in which Carter acts. I found the psychoanalysis less compelling. I would have preferred if the author drew his conculsions in the text and relegated his descriptions of the school of sociological thought that a particular Carter behavior might have fit to the endnotes. Sociology too often interferes with a good story that Morris generally tells well, especially Carter's childhood. I wish the book had a more detailed account of Carter's Presidency. What's there is good, but more is needed. I thought the author offered many interesting political insights, but found his comparison of the economic record of Carter and his neighboring Presidents very poor. The economic analysis relies too heavily on comparing 4-year averages of certain indicators rather than describing what the trends were, what the causes were, and how well Carter acted to address the trends.