Includes index

The accidental actor -- Mom and dad: a love story -- Becoming Californians -- The new kid in town -- Introducing Opie -- The truth about Mayberry -- Hot lights, real tears -- Toughening up -- But first, the Tranya -- Mom, in her element -- One role, three bears -- The injustice to Sandy Koufax -- Fake blood and Opie-shaming -- Wild times in Jackson Hole -- Dating games, real and staged -- The education of R. W. Howard, director -- Growth via graffiti -- Cruising, boozing, scoring -- Clocking in to the nostalgia industry -- Fonzie-mania -- Roger that -- Rance to the rescue -- Filming, flying, crashing, burning -- Richie grows up

By turns confessional, nostalgic, heartwarming and harrowing, the award-winning filmmaker and his brother, an audience-favorite actor, share their unusual family story of navigating and surviving life as sibling child actors