The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter

The administration of Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States, lasted from 1977–1981. People have generally viewed Carter’s time in office as starting with promise and ending with weariness. However, as decades have elapsed and historians have dug deeper, the short presidency can be viewed with greater clarity.

James Earl “Jimmy” Carter was born in Plains, Georgia in October 1924. His early life involved few creature comforts and a strict work ethic he carried throughout life. Jimmy left home for the Naval Academy, where his diligence resulted in plum assignments in the Navy. He married Rosalynn Smith in July 1946. They moved back to Plains and Carter embarked on his political career with a run for State Senate in 1962. His journey to the presidency had begun, but as history would show, a smooth ride was not on the cards.

The Outlier is an engrossing biography of Jimmy Carter by biographer par excellence, Kai Bird. The early chapters provide many fascinating factoids about Carter’s life in Plains, his shunning of racism, and his tendency to buck the system in politics. Bird’s research is comprehensive and well done, leaving the reader with a deeper understanding of an often misunderstood presidency.