Best-selling author James Patterson is best known for his popular adult thrillers, mysteries, and romances. But the wildly famous writer was once a kid who hated to read. When he noticed his young son shared the same problem, Patterson devoted himself to writing books that would engage young adults. This volume follows Patterson’s small-town childhood and early career as an advertising CEO to his life as a writer of popular fiction—a career arc so successful that he eventually donated millions of dollars to libraries and students in need in the hopes that everyone will understand the importance—and the joys—of reading.