I'm really enjoying "The Boys" by Ron and Clint Howard [View all]

So Ron Howard and his brother Clint grew up in Hollywood as child actors in the 1960's and 70's. Ron is of course a successful movie director now, but as a 5-year-old he melted American hearts as little Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show. Then as a teenager in the 70's he became a household name as Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. His brother Clint had similar success as the child star of another hit series called Gentle Ben, and later as a frequent supporting actor on various movies and TV series.

Their childhood and relationship with their parents is actually a heart-warming American story, as I've learned through this joint-project memoir. A lot of Hollywood names are dropped throughout the book, as you might expect, but it's way more than name-dropping. The autobiography is actually telling the story of how their Oklahoma-born parents found their way into the show business scene of Burbank and Hollywood, CA and how their young sons were raised in a warm and protective family bubble despite their success as child actors.

I love reading autobiographies, however I rarely have an interest in show-business memoirs because they're often shallow and self-serving. But this one is different. "The Boys" is heart-warming and evocative of an earlier time when television reached its adolescence, you might say. "The Boys" would make a great gift for anyone who enjoys stories about television stars and show business personalities of the Baby-Boom era.