Life After Power: Seven Presidents and Their Search for Purpose Beyond the White House By Jared Cohen

In "Life After Power," Jared Cohen explores the lives of seven former U.S. presidents after leaving office. From Thomas Jefferson to George W. Bush, each president faced unique challenges and opportunities in their post-presidential lives.

Thomas Jefferson was the first to accomplish great things after the White House, shaping public debates and founding the University of Virginia. John Quincy Adams served in Congress and became a leading abolitionist, passing the torch to Abraham Lincoln. Grover Cleveland was the only president to serve nonconsecutive terms. William Howard Taft became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Herbert Hoover shaped the modern conservative movement, led relief efforts after World War II, reorganized the executive branch, and reconciled John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Jimmy Carter had the longest post-presidency in American history, advancing humanitarian causes, human rights, and peace. George W. Bush made a clean break from politics, bringing back George Washington’s precedent, and reminding the public that the institution of the presidency is bigger than any person.

Cohen explores the untold stories in the final chapters of these presidents’ lives, offering a gripping and illuminating account of how they went from President of the United States one day, to ordinary citizens the next. He tells how they handled very human problems of ego, finances, and questions about their legacy and mortality. He shows how these men made history after they left the White House. 📚❤️