Everything to Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of your Life
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1987

Never before has it been possible for people to do so much with their lives for so long – often they complete a career with many active years still ahead. Here, in one of the most personal – and in many ways the most remarkable – books ever to evolve from the presidency, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter offer inspiring and practical views on how Americans can make the most of the second part of their lives.

For the former President and First Lady, the transition from the White House to Plains, Georgia, was painful. They were deeply in debt; Rosalynn developed symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis; both bore the scars of the

1980 elections; and, like many American couples, they faced, bewildered, the frightening void of an uncertain future.

Everything to Gain is the warm, unpretentious account of how the Carters adjusted to their new life; it is the encouraging story of how they ultimately addressed their deepest concerns; and it is a valuable book about health – physical, emotional and spiritual.

The Carters discuss their changing relationship over the course of a long and eventful marriage; they examine America's urgent health issues (and share their personal rules for longevity); they describe the rugged labor and joyous satisfaction of their work for Habitat for Humanity; and they discuss the remarkable projects sponsored by the Carter Center of Emory University.

Above all, drawing upon their own experiences and those of many others, the Carters put forth dozens of ways for any couple to renew their commitment to themselves and to life: from pursuing the delights of adult education to participating in an international program called the Friendship Force; from volunteering at the local library to starting programs that touch our deepest feelings.

A rich and revealing portrait of two of our most notable Americans, Everything to Gain is also a resounding answer for every couple wondering, What now?

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