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Bill Cosby

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Fatherhood by Bill; Introduction and afterword by Poussaint, Alvin F., M.D. Cosby (1987-05-03) Hardcover

by Bill Cosby (Author)

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Bill Cosby
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01FGPYNK6
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces

Best Sellers Rank: #4,783,214 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews:
87

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Bill Cosby

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The legendary comedian, author, and activist Bill Cosby continues to be as prolific and relevant as ever, reaching every generation and every audience since he began his career in stand-up four decades ago. He is one of the most influential performers of the second half of the 20th century. He has had an unparalleled career in television; has sold more record albums than any other comedian; his blockbuster books have sold millions of copies; and his generous support of numerous charities, particularly in the field of education, have endowed many Americans with the gift of hope and learning. Through his groundbreaking appearances on television, particularly in two landmark series each of which defined an American decade, Bill Cosby has touched the lives of millions of Americans. In the 1960s, "I Spy" broke the racial barrier in television by featuring Cosby as the first-ever black lead of a weekly dramatic series. In the 1980s, Cosby returned to television with a show that Coretta Scott King described as "the most positive portrayal of black family life that has ever been broadcast." "The Cosby Show" enjoyed years of number-one ratings and nearly unanimous critical praise.

Cosby's success on television has been matched in other areas. In 1986 he broke Radio City Music Hall's 53-year-old attendance record for his concert appearance. Cosby's also a giant in the publishing world. Fatherhood (1986) became one of the fastest-selling hardcover book of all time, remaining for more than half of its fifty-four weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List as Number 1. It has sold 2.6 million hardcover copies and 1.5 million paperbacks. Time Flies had the largest single first printing in publishing history--1.75 million. Now, I Am What I Ate,and I'm Frightened. A crusader throughout his career for a better world, his great success in the world of entertainment is complemented by his involvement with a host of charity organizations, making substantial gifts in support of education, most notably to predominantly black colleges and to various social service and civil rights organizations. On the evolution of his own style of comedy, Bill Cosby states that he was drawn at an early age to the masters of jazz, learning to emulate in comedy their ability to take an idea and continually find new and innovative ways of expressing the same theme. The legacy of Bill Cosby's comedic genius is as sweet, meaningful and universal as any piece of music ever played.

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4.3 out of 5

87 global ratings

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Britt Adam Wallace

Fatherhood is fatherhood

Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2018

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Look, I know recent years have brought to light decades of sexual abuse, misconduct, rape, and molestation for Bill Cosby, however, just because The Devil says the grass is green does not make it untrue. I love this book. It's funny and has some great stories. It's not an instructional manual as much as it is a perspective about fatherhood. That I am aware of, Mr. Cosby was not considered a bad father by his children or those who knew the family. I can separate the two aspects of his personal life and find the positives of this book.
The book is well written and easy to read. It is not rife with difficult or challenging concepts and makes for light, enjoyable reading.
I bought a used book and came as expected in less than perfect condition, but as I expected it and described, so no issue on my part.

One person found this helpful

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Rhonni

Hilarious, and so right!

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2016

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I love the book because he and his shows were so funny. The book finds humor in every day life (based on his life as a dad.) I could relate to so much of what he talked about. Sadly, recent events overshadow how great a comedian he has always been known for being. I'm glad I read it before he fell from grace.

One person found this helpful

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Behn Sikora

Great read...

Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2010

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I read this book to my wife a chapter at a time before our first child was born. It was one of the funniest books I've ever read. I purchased it as a gift for two couples expecting their first child. A good recommendation for those ending the BC "before children" era of their lives.

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2014

Verified Purchase

We were thrilled to receive it . However we received two copies of which I had to pay for due to a glitch of some sort with amazon! When I tried to track the first ordered book there was no record. I then ordered a second. To my surprise I received two delivered approximately a week apart. I will be able to use the second although I am glad it was not a large ticket item. I did not know if I had any recourse.

One person found this helpful

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im2much2beg

Superb

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2010

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I received the package faster than I anticipated and holy cow I enjoyed the book to the core. Bill Cosby is a Genius, very insightful & funny writer. Thanks Amazon for creating this platform for people who can't afford the cost of a new book to buy the the used ones at a low price . Keep the good work going

One person found this helpful

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Chad Oberholtzer

Fine but not Cosby's best work...

Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2012

I am a huge fan of Bill Cosby. I grew up with "The Cosby Show" and still consider it one of television's best sitcoms. I later discovered his stand-up comedy work, have gone to several of his shows, and was very favorably impressed. But I'd never read any of his books before my wife gave me a copy of his "Fatherhood." And I was genuinely excited to enter this new medium to experience the unique combination of warmth and humor that Cosby provides in his inimitable way. Ultimately, the book was fine but largely unremarkable.

In trying to figure out why I didn't enjoy this book more, I've decided that the problem is the transmission of Cosby's style of humor into the written word. It seems to me that Cosby's genius is his facial expressions and vocal patterns. Though he's certainly an intelligent man, I wouldn't describe him as a wordsmith. So, many of his jokes in this book just didn't work in this medium. Of course, some of the material came straight from his stand-up routines or from The Cosby Show, and as I could imagine Cosby delivering the lines, they elicited some chuckles. But, in general, his written humor felt a bit flat to me.

And the introduction and afterword by a professional psychiatrist, I suppose intended to provide some more intellectual heft to a book that was mostly silly and hyperbolic, was odd and disconnected from Cosby's stuff. The good doctor's advice was dry and pedantic and just plain boring. Given Cosby's commitment to education and families, I imagine that he envisioned this additional content to be a way to help inject a slice of serious parenting advice into the minds of readers who will readily read a book by a comedian but might not otherwise read a book about fatherhood. I appreciate the sentiment but thought it was poorly executed.

To be sure, Bill Cosby is Bill Cosby, so there is some funny stuff in this book. And it was even funny to read anecdotes or punchlines that I've already heard from his stand-up or television work. But in the category of funny books about family written by comedians, I'd much more readily recommend Paul Reiser's "Couplehood," "Babyhood," and "Familyhood," as Reiser's humor translates much more effectively to the written word. I still appreciate Cosby and might even give another one of his books a try, but "Fatherhood" didn't do much for me.

2 people found this helpful

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DivineZoo

fun book

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2014

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Bill Cosby's best quotes on parenting are in this book. If you are familiar with his TV show and comedy routines, you will recognize a lot of the material, but still funny. Nice book to have in the family library--still makes me laugh.

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Eric Juneau

Skimmable If You Know "Himself"

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2014

It's a short book. Most of it is material is from "Bill Cosby: Himself" which I've practically memorized. And reading it in narrative form tells you how good of a comic Bill Cosby was. But mostly that he was a performer, not really a narrative writer. If you already know his material, the book ends up being highly skimmable.

The mediocrity gets compounded by the fact that it's remarkably out of date. At the time, it had a lot of forward-thinking ideas about the presence of the father in a child's life. It's nice to know that the things he was fighting for in 1986 are common today. But it remains a book written in 1986. And there's no way around it. Stick to the albums.

6 people found this helpful

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jonathan lally

Not the best person to give advice.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 12, 2018

Verified Purchase

Bought this as a prank for my friend who had just had a baby. We had a good laugh but I doubt he will read a rapist's advice on raising children.

3 people found this helpful

Grayson M Bass

My favourite books for new fathers

Reviewed in Canada on February 8, 2014

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Hello Friend !

I read this before my first was born....it was funny, insightful, and easy to read.

There are a lot of books on "babies" or "children" or "giving birth" but few on what it means to be a father/dad.

I give this to anyone that is about to become a father...one of my favourite books.

JB

Fantastic Book

Reviewed in India on December 1, 2014

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Fantastic Book

sandra krautgartner-maierhofer

Schön!

Reviewed in Germany on March 4, 2014

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Genau das richtige Geschenk für die Generation von Vätern, die mit der Cosby-Show aufgewachsen sind. Englisch muss man halt können, ist aber leicht verständlich ;-)

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mark helsing

Lessons of a Humourous Family Man

Reviewed in Canada on February 20, 2019

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