The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers

Maxwell King

Sep 2018 · Abrams

About this ebook

The New York Times bestseller: “A superb, thoughtful biography” of the creator and star of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (David McCullough).

Fred Rogers was an enormously influential figure in the history of television and in the lives of tens of millions of children. Through his long-running television program, he was a champion of compassion, equality, and kindness. Rogers was fiercely devoted to children and to taking their fears, concerns, and questions about the world seriously.

The Good Neighbor, the first full-length biography of Fred Rogers, tells the story of this utterly unique and enduring American icon. Drawing on original interviews, oral histories, and archival documents, Maxwell King traces Rogers’s personal, professional, and artistic life through decades of work.

King explores Rogers’s surprising decision to walk away from his show to make television for adults, only to return to the neighborhood with increasingly sophisticated episodes, written in collaboration with experts on childhood development. An engaging story, rich in detail, The Good Neighbor is the definitive portrait of a beloved figure, cherished by multiple generations.

Ratings and reviews

I grew up watching his shows even after I grew up and became an adult till they stopped showing his shows(reruns also) . after having a bad day soon as he would come on tv he changed it and put a smile on my face and in a wonderful mood wish he was still around i sure do miss my friend.

Borrowed from library. Had to get my own copy. Grew up watching.

Repetitive stories of Fred Rogers make for a long read. i recommend skmming.

About the author

Maxwell King is the CEO of the Pittsburgh Foundation. After a career in journalism, including eight years as editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer, King served as president of the Pittsburgh-based Heinz Endowments for nearly a decade.