I enjoyed reading this autobiography of Jerry Mathers. He not only discusses the period of time that he was doing Leave it to Beaver, but he also talks about his life before and after the show. I thought that my interest would wane once he started discussing his post-Leave it to Beaver years, but I found out that that wasn't the case at all. I learned about a lot of things I didn't know about the show, the other cast members, and Jerry Mathers. He talks very candidly and doesn't seem to hold back. This autobiography was better-than-good and wasn't too long (not that that really matters). Leave it to Beaver is one of the few sitcoms that I've actually had a lot of respect for. It's a show that is a complete classic in every aspect. I actually rate this book 3.5 stars. Well worth a read.

I went into this book with an open mind as I am a baby boomer who grew up on shows like "Leave It To Beaver". It really wasn't a book that I thought would be solely about what was behind of the scenes of "Leave It To Beaver" but was anticipating more of an autobiography of Jerry Mathers. I must say, I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.

From the first page, as you read about Jerry Mathers from infant to adult, the reader is made to feel like you are actually sitting down with Jerry as he tells you his story on a one to one basis. I found integrity, honesty and humbleness of memories, facts and words as I read along listening to what Jerry wanted to tell his reader.

The reader is treated to the pre-Beaver era and how Jerry got into acting..to the Beaver era with some behind the scenes memories shared..to the post-Beaver area (one of how Jerry chose to leave acting for an education...not many child stars opt to get out of the business while the going is good)...to where Jerry's adult life's journey took him..to what he is doing most recently.

The LITB fan is treated to some behind the scenes memories as well as actual paragraphs and pages written by former fellow cast members.

The book has a few chuckles along the way from the horse story from the first episode that Hugh Beaumont wrote and directed to the impromtu telephone ringing when Jerry and Tony Dow were acting in "So Long Stanley", which had me chuckling out loud as I sat reading it as I had a lunch out in a restaurant.

It's such an easy and delightful read, this book could be easily be read in a day or two. It took me a little longer because I was out of town travelling as I was embarking on the book.

It you are a "Leave It To Beaver" fan and a Jerry Mathers fan, you can't go wrong purchasing and reading this book! This is a two thumbs up release!

This book is excellent for people who enjoy the show "Leave It to Beaver" or who are interested in American popular culture and television. Jerry Mathers shows that he has kept a lot of common sense through the years of being a celebrity and the general turmoil in America during the past few decades. While he admits his own mistakes, he shines through as a decent person--just what we'd expect from "The Beav." In addition to his life story, the book has background on the show "Leave It to Beaver" and some interesting extended quotations from other members of the cast. The book shows how "Leave It to Beaver" was a top quality TV show and how it provided elements of realism that are missing from today's supposedly more realistic programs. It is written in a very down-to-earth way, and it is a refreshing read.

I only gave this one star because [Amazon.com's] format doesn't allow for zero stars. Frank Bank is like one of those irritating guys you meet at airport bars when your flight is delayed: on his sixth Scotch-rocks, won't shut up. Every topic that comes up he was there, he had the first one, everybody copied him, he had the best, the biggest, the coolest. What's saddest about this exercise in mind-numbing ego is that Bank apparently doesn't realize that the only thing interesting about him is his involvement in "Leave it to Beaver," to which he devotes very few pages and about which he gives absolutely no insight. He doesn't even get the details right in what little he says about the series: Wally and the Beaver did not go apologize to Mr. Rutherford after putting barrel hoops in his driveway, Ward (in a scene that takes place off camera) worked things out with Rutherford, which is the whole point of the show (since it was Ward who gave them the barrel hoop idea in the first place). But of course, accuracy is not anything Bank cares about, what matters to him is that this was the first episode in which Frank Bank appeared (one wonders if he ever bothered to read the rest of the script). Although Bank had a co-writer, Gib Twyman, "an award winning former sportswriter," this is possibly the worst written book I've ever read. There are no paragraphs, just short, repetitive, jargon-filled sentences (fills more pages that way, I guess). Jerry Mathers' book ("And Jerry Mathers as the Beaver") may not have been any work of art, but at least he respected what brought readers to the book. Bank does not. It's no surprise when, in a late chapter, he reveals that he's the President of the alumni organization of his high school social club, The Knights (the coolest guys on campus, of course). Bank -- emotionally and perceptually -- is still in high school. Don't waste your time or money on this flatulent, boring piece of self-inflation.

This book has little to do with the Leave it to Beaver show. It was written for [fools] by a [fool]. After reading a few chapters of teeny bopper prose, I could go no further...

Oh, this is no War and Peace, but it is an interesting read. Written as if Frank "Lumpy" is speaking directly to you. You will laugh out loud as he gives you details of his coming-of-age years in California and how he kept his head screwed on straight to become a success in the financial world as an adult, unlike so many other child stars from his era and before. I loved his sense of humor and knack for story telling, it was almost like having a long conversation with the author, except you weren't able to get in a word edgewise! Some of it, if you can believe it, may shock you. He has alot of nice things to say about his peers from "Leave It To Beaver", too. Must have been a happy set to come to work to. Imagine being on TV in the fifties and sixties and rubbing elbows with some of the rich and famous....well, Lumpy did and he gives us a little insight into what it was like. Thanks, Frank.