A deeply personal exploration of fatherhood, addiction, and resiliency from CraigMelvin, news anchor of NBCs Today show.For Craig Melvin this book ismore an investigation than a memoir. It's an opportunity to better understandhis father; to interrogate his family's legacy of addiction and despair butalso transformation and redemption; and to explore the challenges facing alldads--including Craig himself, a father of two young children.Growing up in Columbia, SouthCarolina, Craig had a fraught relationship with hisfather. LawrenceMelvin was a distant, often absent parent due to his drinking as well as hisjob working thegraveyard shift at a postal facility. Watching sports andtinkering on Lawrence's beloved (but unreliable) 1973 Pontiac LeMans were twoways father and son connected,but as Lawrence's drinking spiraled out ofcontrol, their bond was stretched to the breaking point. Fortunately, Craig hada loving, fiercely protective mother who held the family together. He also hada series of surrogate father figures in his life--uncles, teachers, workplacementors--who by their examples helped him figure out the kind of person andfather hewanted to be.Pops is the story of allthese men--and of the inspiring fathers Craig has met reporting his "DadsGot This Series" on the Today show. Pops is also the storyof Craig and Lawrence Melvin's long journey to reconciliation andunderstanding, and of how all these experiences and encounters have informedCraig's understanding of his own role as a dad.