Jonathan Alter

But that experience in the Navy, especially with Admiral Rickover, who was his role model, was instrumental in making the Jimmy Carter that we're all familiar with.

But that experience in the Navy, especially with Admiral Rickover, who was his role model, was instrumental in making the Jimmy Carter that we're all familiar with.

But that experience in the Navy, especially with Admiral Rickover, who was his role model, was instrumental in making the Jimmy Carter that we're all familiar with.

He actually wasn't at the very top of his class at the Naval Academy. My book is called His Very Best. And Jimmy Carter's first very short campaign autobiography that he published just before he ran for president the first time is called Why Not the Best? And that's because when he was being interviewed by Admiral Rickover, Rickover said, where did you stand in your class?

He actually wasn't at the very top of his class at the Naval Academy. My book is called His Very Best. And Jimmy Carter's first very short campaign autobiography that he published just before he ran for president the first time is called Why Not the Best? And that's because when he was being interviewed by Admiral Rickover, Rickover said, where did you stand in your class?

He actually wasn't at the very top of his class at the Naval Academy. My book is called His Very Best. And Jimmy Carter's first very short campaign autobiography that he published just before he ran for president the first time is called Why Not the Best? And that's because when he was being interviewed by Admiral Rickover, Rickover said, where did you stand in your class?

And Carter said, I was 39th, you know, in a class of, I don't know, 600 and something. And he thought that was pretty good. And Rickover said, did you do your best? And Carter answered, honestly, he said, no, I didn't. And Rickover said, why not your best? And he turned around, the interview was over.

And Carter said, I was 39th, you know, in a class of, I don't know, 600 and something. And he thought that was pretty good. And Rickover said, did you do your best? And Carter answered, honestly, he said, no, I didn't. And Rickover said, why not your best? And he turned around, the interview was over.

And Carter said, I was 39th, you know, in a class of, I don't know, 600 and something. And he thought that was pretty good. And Rickover said, did you do your best? And Carter answered, honestly, he said, no, I didn't. And Rickover said, why not your best? And he turned around, the interview was over.

And Carter thought that he would not be admitted to the nuclear Navy, which was his dream job, but he was. And I argue that from that day in 1952 until the day he died, whatever he did, he was all in. He was giving his utmost.

And Carter thought that he would not be admitted to the nuclear Navy, which was his dream job, but he was. And I argue that from that day in 1952 until the day he died, whatever he did, he was all in. He was giving his utmost.

And Carter thought that he would not be admitted to the nuclear Navy, which was his dream job, but he was. And I argue that from that day in 1952 until the day he died, whatever he did, he was all in. He was giving his utmost.

And for a man of that immense intelligence, and he was one of the most intelligent men ever to be president of the United States, and he had some pretty stiff competition, that made him enormously formidable. And as his son Jeff said to me when I asked him to use one word to describe him, that word was intense. So people tend to remember Jimmy Carter as this kindly grandfather with a benign smile.

And for a man of that immense intelligence, and he was one of the most intelligent men ever to be president of the United States, and he had some pretty stiff competition, that made him enormously formidable. And as his son Jeff said to me when I asked him to use one word to describe him, that word was intense. So people tend to remember Jimmy Carter as this kindly grandfather with a benign smile.

And for a man of that immense intelligence, and he was one of the most intelligent men ever to be president of the United States, and he had some pretty stiff competition, that made him enormously formidable. And as his son Jeff said to me when I asked him to use one word to describe him, that word was intense. So people tend to remember Jimmy Carter as this kindly grandfather with a benign smile.

There was nothing laid back about him. And there was nothing humble about him. This is important to understand. There's no politician that's humble. He was very, very ambitious, but he was ambitious for more than just himself. He was ambitious to help people and to make the world better and to use his power to leverage change in the lives of ordinary people. all over the world.

There was nothing laid back about him. And there was nothing humble about him. This is important to understand. There's no politician that's humble. He was very, very ambitious, but he was ambitious for more than just himself. He was ambitious to help people and to make the world better and to use his power to leverage change in the lives of ordinary people. all over the world.

There was nothing laid back about him. And there was nothing humble about him. This is important to understand. There's no politician that's humble. He was very, very ambitious, but he was ambitious for more than just himself. He was ambitious to help people and to make the world better and to use his power to leverage change in the lives of ordinary people. all over the world.

And he worked at that. He worked at that every day. Even when he was relaxing, he was doing it in a very intense way. He was fishing in Siberia when he was 93 years old, that kind of thing.

And he worked at that. He worked at that every day. Even when he was relaxing, he was doing it in a very intense way. He was fishing in Siberia when he was 93 years old, that kind of thing.