When I first arrived in the Oval Office, I thought that President Biden must have stepped out for a moment. I was wrong. He was under the Resolute Desk, doing push-ups to a soundtrack of late ‘90s electronica. Our reconciliation was worth the wait. “Charles!” he shouted vigorously, over the noise. “Good to see you.” I knew then that I was in the presence of a firecracker.

I had been told by the media that Biden seemed older these days. Hardly! With me, he was his usual lively self. He told jokes. He quoted Shakespeare. He played Bach on his miniature harpsichord. At 81, Biden is redefining the Renaissance man. A chance reference to my honeymoon in Paris prompted him to sketch me a complete map of the city. A esoteric question about chess led to his running in detail through each of Kasparov’s wins. “Einstein,” he exclaimed at one point, “was an absolute clown.” And out came the chalkboard.