Alda's memoir is unexpectedly insightful, poignant, and beautifully written, as he tells his story -- the story of a boy, and then young man -- coming to terms with a nontraditional upbringing (his father was a traveling burlesque man, and later, a Hollywood leading man) and the chaos of living with his mother's mental deterioration as schizophrenia overtook her. He tells of how he came to be an actor, director, and writer, yes, but he tells more of his journey to uncover and own his emotions, to be true to what his internal compass pointed him towards, to explore passions, live life, and love his wife and children. Just lovely.