""Picarella's wry observations on fatherhood and American life are spot-on. Consider his light and heartfelt essays to be a user's manual for dads.""

- CHRIS ERSKINE, "Los Angeles Times"

""While today's digitized and distracted families are generally depicted as wise-cracking and argumentative, Michael Picarella's column steadily reinforces the notion that families remain nurturing, character-building institutions built on love and caring, with a little zaniness around every corner.""

- JIM SCHOCK, author of "The Bridge: A Celebration," former ABC-TV Bureau Chief, West Coast

""I really enjoy Michael's writing His witty stories of his family life are not only charming, but very relatable.""

- LACEY CHABERT, actress, "Mean Girls," "Party of Five," "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," "The Wild Thornberrys"

Michael Picarella shares 70 collected stories and a fistful of family bits from his Southern California-based columns, Family Men Don't Wear Name Brands in The Acorn Newspapers and Picarella Family Report in The Signal. Picarella is a father, husband, columnist, filmmaker and cherry pie lover. He lives in L.A. with his wife, son and super beagle.

This book follows the excellent acting career of 80s teen star Diane Franklin, revealing how she became the most "excellent babe" of the 80s