What happens after stepping down from being the leader of the free world?
Former presidents have an unusual place in American life. King George III believed that George Washington’s departure after two terms made him “the greatest character of the age.” But Alexander Hamilton worried former presidents might “[wander] among the people like ghosts.” They were both right.
In this lecture, based on his book, Life After Power, Jared Cohen will tell the stories of seven former U.S. presidents, from the founding of America to today. Each changed history. Each offered lessons about how to decide what to do in the next chapter of life.
Cohen’s book 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.