George W. Bush: “8 years was awesome. I was famous and powerful” (VIDEO)

George W. Bush had some surprising things to say about being president.

"Eight years was awesome, and I was famous and I was powerful. But I have no desire for fame and power anymore," he said in an interview with the Hoover Institute, a conservative American think tank.

Bush served two terms as US president from 2001 to 2009, and has, for the most part, been out of the spotlight since leaving office.

"I thought long and hard about that and decided that not being on the stage was something I was comfortable with," he said. "There's really no sacrifice in serving the country, particularly if you love the country like I do. But if there is one, it's loss of anonymity. And as best as I can, I'm trying to regain it."

The Associated Press reported the former president is promoting a book on economy, "The 4 Percent Solution: Unleashing the Economic Growth America Needs," for which he wrote the foreword. The book was released on Tuesday.

According to POLITICO, when asked what books were on his "bookstand," Bush said, "We don't have bookstands anymore. We've got iPads. Please."

He also revealed he is reading “56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports.”