The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers

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Top Reviews

Excellent bio of Fred Rogers...
by gammyjill (4 out of 5 stars)
September 5, 2018

Fred Rogers slowed down my sons' TV viewing thirty five years ago. Compared to Sesame Street, where every moment seemed spent in frenetic movement, the Mr Rogers show was calm and deliberately paced. Fred Rogers seemed to be able to speak directly to a child. I always wished I could speak so intimately to my own children but then most mothers I knew felt the same way. Fred Rogers is the subject of a superb new bio, "The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers", by Maxwell King.

Fred Rogers was born to be "Mr Rogers". He was an only child for many years, born and raised in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburg. His family was very wealthy, owning local companies, and were liberal in their outlook. His mother, in particular, was very, very charitable in the community and both parents encouraged young Fred in his artistic interests. Fred went through a typical adolescence as a rich kid in a small town, complete with the embarrassment that age and wealth bring. He went to Dartmouth for two years - enduring endless partying in the wilds of New Hampshire by others - before transferring to Rollins College in Florida. He found a ready-made community of other music majors. He soon knew he wanted to combine music with the teaching of children. He met his wife, Joanne, at Rollins. He soon moved into the new medium of television and soon found his place. And he was perfect for public television, where he found a home after disagreeing with the monetizing of children's TV.

Fred Rogers came from a religious family. They had long been active in the Presbyterian Church and Fred eventually became a Presbyterian minister. I never thought he pushed his Christian beliefs in his show but I always appreciated the religious-aura he lent to his words.

Maxwell King takes a measured look at Fred Rogers, his career, and his huge influence on generations of children who were raised with his gentle voice and words. There wasn't much "wrong" in Fred Rogers' life; he was lucky that way, but he also worked at contributing to the society around him. Now that I have grandchildren, I miss Mr Rogers.
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Definitive, Authentic, Important, and A Joy!
by Bescgh (5 out of 5 stars)
September 5, 2018

This is a definitive biography of Fred Rogers, bringing into focus the span of his entire life with ease, warmth and authority. The author did an excellent job creating a wonderful read, filled with details that will stay with the reader. We really need this biography to help keep Fred Roger's work and outlook alive. You will come away from this book with a deeper and richer appreciation of the varied landscape of his life and work. And you'll be richer for it. This book is important. A must read for people in all walks of life who care about children and our world. "The Good Neighbor", is a great book about an amazing human. Enjoy!
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Best Remembered for his Compassion
by Katrelya A. Angus (5 out of 5 stars)
September 14, 2018

Anyone who is not too old for apple juice and cookies is not too old for Mister Rogers! I simply could not put this excellent biography down! Mister Rogers' core virtue is compassion. King shows how Mister Rogers treats children with the utmost respect, but far more than a children's television host, Mister Rogers was a brilliant musician, playwright, and caring pastor. I was amazed that this sweet man avoided negativity even when presenting things about which he strongly disagreed. For example, in a Christmas show, he, as the writer, displays a dislike for the song "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by having Santa tell Daniel Tiger that not a spy, and that good people are not always good - they only try to be good. Through Mister Rogers' example, I myself try to be good. As I reflect on my own childhood memories of television, I think of the other men on the shows I watched: Gomez Addams was handsome and funny, but we never see him as a friend - we only see him with his family. Gordon on Sesame Street was with his television neighbors, but even when off-duty, he could not stop being a teacher - it was important for him to teach children, for example, the alphabet. As for Bozo, whom I never liked, we see him only at work as a clown - and King points out that Mister Rogers was against "clowns and balloons" being presented to children in their shows because children deserve far more than that - they deserve love and respect. Mister Rogers alone provides children with what they - and adults - need the most: unconditional love. King presents Mister Rogers as the loving and compassionate neighbor whom everyone wants to have as a neighbor, and through King's book, I am trying very hard to be that sort of person.
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The Neighbor Most Needed Today
by Amazon Customer (4 out of 5 stars)
September 25, 2018

Reading Maxwell King 's biography of Fred Rogers (frequently with tears in my eyes), I wondered what words Mr. Rogers would have for us in a world characterized by intolerance, violence (much of it committed against the young), and a lack of authenticity. I am grateful for the opportunity to be immersed in the life, the work, and the legacy of the man behind the puppets that I enjoyed watching as a young child--full disclosure: as a young Pittsburgher. This is the man who wrote on the back of photos of himself that I picked up for my sons at a conference keynoted by his executive producer, and took with me to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to have him autograph when I heard he was in the continuing education class after mine, "Through the kindness of your dad." I learned so much about his history and his connections thanks to King's thorough research, and will be proud to continue delighting (or distressing) friends, family, and neighbors with my almost-daily renditions of "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" as I walk out the backdoor, regardless of the weather, and into a world made better because Fred McFeely Rogers was (and continues to be) part of It.
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Such a disappointment
by A reader (1 out of 5 stars)
January 27, 2019

I read this for a book group, after having seen the movie last year. I absolutely loved the movie, but this book is an ordeal to get through - though clearly not for the huge fan base I see in the other reviews. I love a well-written bio - oh, if only this task had fallen to David McCullough. The repetitiveness is oppressive. The uncritical voice of the author never should have made it to print - the gushing praise is thin on examples to support the beatification effort he seems to be on. I must concede that the author seems to be a bit limited by the advanced age of many of his sources, which he quotes assiduously. Maxwell King clearly is trying to write the story of a great hero. Fred Rogers was a good man, but given the resources he had, and the doors opened and aid continuously given by others of power and influence, this is not the stuff to spin a credible tale of heroic struggle and conquest. It still could have made a good story in the right hands.
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A Wonderfully Written Biography
by J. D. Shaffer (5 out of 5 stars)
December 19, 2018

Initially, I found myself somewhat perplexed at the organisation of this book. While it seems to forward a chronological flow, many items seem to be repeated several times when addressing different topics.

However, the more I read the more I realized that there's no better way to present a full picture of such a complex man as Fred Rogers! His life cannot be reduced to a simple list of events or achievements as he was a very deep man with a rich life, strong passions, and powerful convictions, and yet an overwhelmingly gently personality.

I understand now that the author of this biography has done a wonderful job in trying to present to us the complete man, Mister Rogers, by simultaneously carrying us along a chronological path and sweeping us along on a topical journey that explores the many facets and deep waters that made up this complex, but wonderful, man.

Masterfully written, and touching at the deepest levels.

Thank you, sir!
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Wait for the movie. Or not.
by Karen Stahler (1 out of 5 stars)
November 25, 2018

Boring. Redundant. Written like a poor term paper.
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Want to Study Fred Rogers? This is the Book You Need
by starbuck (5 out of 5 stars)
September 16, 2018

I'm using this book to help me design an undergraduate college class on the methods of Fred Rogers (Disclosure -- I'm a Sr. Fellow with the Fred Rogers Center). This book came along just in time... each chapter is full of the details not covered in the documentary; helping you better understand the full story of the forces that gave the world a Fred Rogers. The writing is excellent. Maxwell King is a former journalist, and it shows. This is an outstanding contribution to children's media; and will help to keep Fred's important message alive for future generations.
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What we need today.
by debbie bradley (5 out of 5 stars)
September 17, 2018

A life well lived. Kindness and compassion and love for children. A real world hero to me. I highly recommend this. I have the hardback, but also listened to the audio version. Very well done!
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Excellent Comprehensive Biography
by CatMan,Top Contributor: Baseball (5 out of 5 stars)
March 28, 2019

This is an excellent and very comprehensive biography of Fred Rogers. The author details his life from his birth right up until his death and then the legacy he left with us all. Many,many things were brought out that I never knew about Rogers. I never watched his show all that much when I was very young because we didn't receive a TV station that carried until I was maybe 9 or 10. I may have watch it more as a teen. I was always struck by how quiet a show would become and I always appreciated that. Rogers brilliance to relate to children is very effectively brought to the forefront in this book. His show was always about how it relates to the kids and how they perceive it. No one ever did this better. The author brings out Rogers total personality. He was in "real" life the same as was on the show. Just a very good and compassionate human being. He had faults at times and even would lose his temper in certain situations but he always knew how to come back to the calmness of his self in a very short time. We all could learn from this. This is an excellent book if someone wants to learn all they can about Mister Rogers. I would highly recommend it for any one's learning also.

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