Fatherhood is a bestselling

Bestseller

A bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade figures and published by newspapers, magazines, or bookstore chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and...

 1986 book

Book

A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...

 attributed to Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby

William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...

 and published by Doubleday & Company, Inc.  The book was ghostwritten by humorist Ralph Schoenstein

Ralph Schoenstein

Ralph Schoenstein was an American writer and humorist. He was a frequent commentator to NPR's All Things Considered.Schoenstein grew up in Manhattan, and graduated from Columbia University....

.

History

It was later adapted into an animated television series of the same name

Fatherhood (TV series)

Fatherhood is an American animated television series revolving around the Bindlebeep family and various happenings, inspired by the book of the same name by Bill Cosby. This was Nick at Nite's first original animated series. It has aired on Nick at Nite and Nickelodeon. It was canceled in...

, which debuted on Nick at Nite

Nick at Nite

Nick at Nite is the nighttime Cable network that broadcasts over the channel space of Nickelodeon on Sundays from 8.p.m.-7.am., Monday through Fridays from 9 p.m.-7 a.m. and Saturdays from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. . Though it shares channel space with Nickelodeon, A.C. Nielsen Co...

 in 2004.

Fatherhood was referenced extensively in The Simpsons

The Simpsons

The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...

episode "Saturdays of Thunder

Saturdays of Thunder

"Saturdays of Thunder" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 14, 1991. In the episode, Homer takes a fatherhood quiz and realizes that he knows nothing about Bart. He strives to be a better father and learns that...

", in which Homer Simpson

Homer Simpson

Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...

 uses advice from the book to win the respect of his son. In the episode Dog of Death

Dog of Death

"Dog of Death" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 12, 1992. In the episode, Santa's Little Helper falls ill and the Simpson family must make budget cuts in order to pay for his operation...

, it can be seen in the fireplace as replacement for wood.

The title and format of Fatherhood was mimicked in the books Couplehood and Babyhood

Babyhood

Babyhood is the second book by comedian Paul Reiser. It is a follow-up to his first book, Couplehood.-Synopsis:Reiser writes a funny account of his experiences with his wife, Paula Revets, as they grapple with their first born child, Ezra...

(1996) by comedian Paul Reiser

Paul Reiser

Paul Reiser is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television personality, author, screenwriter and musician. He is most widely known for his role on the long-running television sitcom Mad About You.-Early life:...

, and Childhood by Cosby himself.