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. NBC correspondent Dotson goes beyond his Today Show series, telling stories that didn’t make it on air and following up on those that did. He catches up on the lives of ordinary people having significant impact outside of the bright lights of publicity and the celebrity of social media. Among his brief profiles: a navy cook who went on to become the first African American to earn a rank, a retired businessman who used the proceeds from the sale of his business to open a store and hire former employees who couldn’t find work, and a man who used his lottery winnings to finance the college education of neighborhood kids. He includes stories of teenage volunteer EMT workers in Alaska, a mountain climber paralyzed from the waist down who still climbs mountains, and a former car mechanic who taught surgery skills to med students. Dotson weaves in quiet reflections from his own life as well, including overcoming childhood polio and beginning a career in journalism. In these inspiring stories, Dotson offers fresh perspective on ordinary American life. --Vanessa Bush “We’ve 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 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.