Goodreads Choice Awards Book Club discussion

History & Biography Winner


The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers

Fred Rogers (1928–2003) was an enormously influential figure in the history of television and in the lives of tens of millions of children. As the creator and star of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, 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, including a surprising decision to walk away from the 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.

I started this one and didn't like the writing. I ended up dnf-ing it. I'm curious to see what other people think of it.

I’m definitely going to give this one a try because I’ve always loved Mr Rogers. I hope I have better luck with it

I really enjoyed the book. The photos were a great addition and brought back some memories. I enjoyed learning about his family and background as I didn't know much other than about his education and what he did as an inspirational person. So this book was an eye opener for me.
The writing for me was straight forward and as it was not a quick read, turned out to be worthwhile..

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Chris. I seem to be in the minority, as the book has high ratings. I felt that the author just spent too much time time focusing on money and schools. He was constantly reminding us that Fred Rogers came from wealth and telling us which schools every person went to. It gave off this uppity feel like some people were better than because of their education. I don't know... I just didn't like his writing. my review

I read it myself and I did finish it. I have yet to write a review for I fell behind doing my reviews. I listened to it the middle of November. I did finish it but I too was disappointed there was stuff in there that i just did not care for. I do not know really what I was expecting about the book but it just did not meet my expectations in style and story. The movie looks good.

I think the movie that just came out is quite different. I'm planning to see it this week. I'm hoping it has more heart than this story did.