I'm really enjoying "The Boys" by Ron and Clint Howard

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.