The 100-year-old former president is the most prolific presidential author, according to data published by 'The New York Times'

Jimmy Carter Turns 100: The Former President Has Written More Bestsellers Than Have Been Written About Him

The 100-year-old former president is the most prolific presidential author, according to data published by 'The New York Times'

Jimmy Carter has another big milestone to celebrate on his 100th birthday — his ranking as the most successful author out of any former president. The 39th president — who turned 100 on Tuesday, Oct. 1 — has been named the most prolific author of any other former president after writing the most bestselling books, according to an analysis published by The New York Times. Following his presidential run at the age of 56 in 1981, Carter penned 20 books that became NYT bestsellers and co-wrote 32 books altogether in his lifetime. These include Talking Peace: A Vision For the Next Generation (1995), A Remarkable Mother, written in tribute to his mother Lilian Carter (2008), White House Diary (2010) and his most recent title Faith: A Journey For All (2018), among many more. Carter tops the list of the most prolific presidential writers, followed by Richard Nixon in second place and Dwight Eisenhower in third. The list was calculated using records of hardcover nonfiction book sales tracing back to 1931 made by NYT, per the outlet. Other notable former presidents included in the list are Bill Clinton in fourth place, Barack Obama in sixth, George W. Bush in ninth and Donald Trump in tenth. While Carter has written the most bestselling books, he has had the least number of bestselling books written about him and his turn in office, in stark contrast. “It’s true that he has written a lot, and it’s also true that he’s kind of an overlooked president,” Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Kai Bird told NYT. “He out-writes what’s written about him, which may be why people don’t always write about him," added Meredith Evans, the director of the Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta. One of the bestsellers written about the longest-living president was First Lady from Plains by his late wife Rosalynn Carter, published in 1984. The former first lady died at the age of 96 in 2023. As often happens over the course of any writing career, Carter has also received criticism over some of his titles including Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid (2006), for his perceived position against Israel, and his 1982 memoir Keeping Faith, which NYT previously deemed “flat and impersonal.” Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The career milestone for the former president comes as Carter celebrated his 100th birthday on Tuesday, Oct 1, 19 months after entering hospice care. This makes him the oldest living former president and longest-living president in U.S. history. Speaking about his legacy in his 2010 memoir, White House Diary, Carter wrote, "I had only one life to live, and I wanted to live it as a civilian, with a potentially fuller opportunity for varied public service.”