Robert Needlman, M.D.,is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University, and co-founder of Reach Out and Read, a national organization that promotes reading aloud to young children. A practicing pediatrician for more than fifteen years, Dr. Needlman has contributed to numerous magazines, textbooks, and journals, and is a widely featured speaker on early learning, literacy, and child development. The Vice President of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at The Dr. Spock Company and author ofDr. Spock's Baby Basics(also available from Pocket Books), Dr. Needlman lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife and daughter.