Synopses & Reviews
The host of the NBC Today Show’s popular segment shares his favorite stories of citizens making a difference around the country For the six million people who watch the Emmy Award–winning “American Story with Bob Dotson” on NBC’s Today Show, Bob Dotson’s reports celebrate the inspirational stories of everyday Americans. Dotson has been crisscrossing the country for more than forty years—logging more than four million miles—in search of people who have quietly but profoundly changed our lives and our country for the better. Now, in American Story, he presents a road map to the unsung heroes with thoughtful solutions to problems we all face, incredible ideas that work, and blueprints to living our dreams.
*The boss who came out of retirement to start a new company for his former employees who could not find work
*The truck driver who taught microsurgery
*The man you’ve never heard of who has 465 profitable patents, second only to Thomas Edison
*The doctor who developed the vaccine to prevent whooping cough, who didn’t retire until age 104
In the tradition of Tom Brokaw’s New York Times bestseller The Time of Our Lives, American Story is a deeply moving and endlessly fascinating alternative narrative for everyone who yearns to feel good about America.
Review
“Weve always known in our heart of hearts that the best of the country was bottom-up, not top-down, and now Bob Dotson, with this superb new book, proves us right. These are remarkable and poignant and important stories that need to be told.”
~Ken Burns
“Here's a great American storyteller who realizes he's met his match in the people he meets. Bob Dotson gives us a thoroughly intimate view of America... with the bark off. This is the unmistakable and sturdy America we know.”
~Brian Williams
“Bob Dotson's stories take you on a journey to the places that live in your heart. His words, and the images he creates with them, connect you to friends, family, and everyone who shares the DNA of being American.”
~Matt Lauer
“Throughout his remarkable career Bob Dotson has searched for the real essence of America--not by interviewing the so-called famous, but by seeking out those unnoticed people we pass by everyday. Those quiet souls are the ones who ‘live up to the brag, as he puts it, and remind us what truly makes this country great. Every story they tell is a jewel...and Dotson a national treasure for caring enough to listen.”
~Meredith Vieira
“Those of us who know and work with Bob Dotson stand in awe of his gifts as a writer. Like the work so many viewers have come to love on NBC, this collection of stories captivates and inspires.”
~Savannah Guthrie
Synopsis
These are remarkable and poignant stories that need to be told.” Ken Burns
More than six million people watch Bob Dotsons Emmy award-winning segment, American Story, on NBCs Today Show. For the last four decades, Dotson has traveled the country searching out inspiring individuals who quietly perform everyday miracles. In the process, he has become the treasured cartographer of Americas heart and soul.
Todays news is overwhelmingly grim; its also told by journalists who travel in herds as they trail politicians and camp out at big stories. In American Story, Dotson shines a light on Americas neglected corners, introducing readers to the ordinary Americans who have learned to fix what really matters.
About the Author
Bob Dotson is an NBC News correspondent whose “American Story with Bob Dotson” is seen on the
Today Show and other NBC News programs. He was also the writer and host of
Bob Dotson’s America on the Travel Channel. His work on “American Story” has received more than one hundred awards for broadcast journalism. He splits his time between New York City and Mystic, Connecticut.