Abrams Press The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers

In a 30 year plus career Fred Rogers provided iconic weekly TV shows that connected with millions of American children and their parents . He received countless awards , has had a comet named after him, his influence and his foundation continue to inspire broadcasters and educationalists and Tom Hanks starred in a distinguished 2019 biography. Until then I suspect very few of us in the UK had heard of him. This is a remarkable book about an even more remarkable man . King charts you through his Pennsylvania privileged roots and education through to his career in broadcasting and the influence of his faith and an unswerving commitment to make a positive contribution to the emotional well being of pre school children via what was the new medium of television. Even as something of an outsider I was gripped by the characters in Fred’s life and the pioneering early years of television and an approach that contrasts to the crass commercially driven broadcasting that children are subjected to today. The book is a tribute but acknowledges Rogers flaws and failures , but through some excellent research and priceless contributions it appears to do justice to a unique individual . I found myself developing a real emotional investment in Fred Rogers - and wanted him to ‘ be my friend’, such was the quality of this narrative.

An excellent and detailed account of Fred’s life and career, but sadly not that engaging and definitely needed more actual quotes from Fred, who is sadly mostly silent throughout the book. Too many facts, not enough Fred.

As someone who never really grew up with Mr. Rogers’ Neighbourhood, I find biographies of Mr. Rogers fascinating in a non-nostalgic manner. I don’t have an attachment to the program or the man and in some respect, appreciate him more for that. From what I’ve learnt of him, his compassion, commitment and drive to do the best for children makes him a unique role model in recent history.This admiration continues unabated after reading this solid biography. Despite the fact that it took me forever to finish due to all the stress around me since 2020 started, this book reinforced that kindness and courage can go hand in hand as can conviction and compassion. The book is about a man who had a privileged life but used that privilege to better the world while staying true to a moral compass that seems to have been left behind in the celebrity sphere. At least, that is what I get when I read “celebrity biographies” which focus on the salacious to generate interest.There is something about Mr. Rogers which continues to resonate - probably all the more today. I guess thus all the renewed interest in him. There was a fabulous 2018 documentary, "Won’t You Be My Neighbor", this book as well as the more recent 2019 move, "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood". He provides a much needed balm which moved me - even without the nostalgia I teared up reading the book. I’ve watched enough of the show that listening to the opening song now make me smile and cry all the same time.Unfortunately, I am not sure how much of this reaction is due to the biography vs the documentary (and the movie). In my opinion, while information, this book is a little overlong and stiff. My interest petered out near the end when the book became repetitive. Plus, the context of the show and its impact on the cultural landscape is lost in the written medium. I compare that to the documentary which showed clips, direct interviews and, therefore, allowed us to directly experience what was being discussed.Of the two I would recommend the documentary and then this book. I will warn you that that order will make this book less necessary. It’s still worth it but in the end I will go with 4.5 stars for the repetition and the fact that this didn’t capture the magic as effectively as the visual medium. The book didn’t innovate enough to account for the change in medium. Still worth reading!

Fred Rogers is truly a treasure to Mankind but unfortunately I came to know about him in my thirties so I thought I could know more about this wonderful man and so I bought this book and this book offered more than I expected and in certain pages my eyes were filled with tears.Mr.Maxwell had done a wonderful job.This book is a must in every reader's library.Worth it

Children watching Fred Rogers on TV learned good values and social skills. His biography is a treasure.