It's been an unorthodox road to the top for Gervais, who was brought up the youngest of four brothers in rough public housing in the early 1960s. He studied philosophy at London University and, after graduation, worked for the university as entertainments manager before embarking on several other short-lived jobs that included managing nascent Brit-pop stars Suede. Gervais became a presenter on London alternative radio station XFM in 1996, where he met his writing partner and long-term collaborator, Stephen Merchant. Television rungs on the stepladder to fame includedComedy Laband an unsuccessful chat show,Meet Ricky Gervais, all in the late 1990s. ThenThe Officebecame the talk of the water cooler in offices all over, andExtrasfollowed in 2005, attracting guest stars of the caliber of Ben Stiller, Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Stewart, and Kate Winslet. This biographynbsp;is a must read for all fans of the man and his work. Michael Heatley has written numerous books on the rock and pop world with subjects that include Elton John, Guns N' Roses, David Gray, Queen, Justin Timberlake, Eminem, and Robbie Williams.