Bill Cosby is one of the most influential performers of the last half century. Coming from a poor Philadelphia neighborhood, he rose to dominate America's airwaves through shows like I Spy and The Cosby Show; become the all-time bestselling comedian on records; and author several blockbuster books, including Fatherhood, which became the U.S. fastest-selling hardcover book of all time and spending 54 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. A crusader throughout his career, his entertainment success is complemented by involvement with a host of charitable, education, and civil rights organisations. Alvin F. Poussaint, M.D., grew up in a family of eight children in East Harlem, New York. He is a veteran of the civil rights movement, serving as Southern Field Director of the Medical Committee for Human Rights in Jackson, Mississippi, in the 1960s. He is currently a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. In addition to writing dozens of articles for lay and professional publications, Dr. Poussaint is coauthor of two books, Raising Black Children and Lay My Burden Down. He closely collaborated with Bill Cosby on The Cosby Show and on several of his bestselling books.