By Kathy Megyeri
You have loved him for his roles in “Mary Poppins,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” As he’s about to turn 100 years old, Dick Van Dyke is still dancing and approaching life with a twinkle in his eye. In this autobiographical collection of stories, reflections and life advice, he reveals his secrets for making the most out of life. He shares stories of his childhood, his memories of life on film sets, his family and how he found love late in life.
He not only shares the joyful times but addresses the challenges he’s faced, but it’s his positive attitude and upbeat spirit that inspires readers to count the blessings in their lives, persevere through the hard times and appreciate the joys and beauty of life. With 5 Emmys, a Tony and a Grammy, Van Dyke has appeared in family comedies like “Mary Poppins,” “Night at the Museum,” “The Secret of the Tomb” and “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.”
Dick Van Dyke’s “retirement” has also included appearing on stage with Chita Rivera in “A Dancer’s Life” and with his brother Jerry Van Dyke in Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys.” Because he’s loved singing a cappella, he formed his singing group the Vantastix and they have performed across the country for the past ten years, including at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC for President Obama.
He also works at the Midnight Mission in downtown Los Angeles for the homeless. He received the 2013 SAG Life Achievement Award for his contributions to charity. In 2007, when presenting the award to Julie Andrews, he met his current wife, a make-up artist and vocalist. He even talks about fellow comedians such as Mary Tyler Moore, Buster Keaton, Morey Amsterdam, and Carl Reiner, his closest friend, his phone calls with Cary Grant, and his love for Halloween.
Related: PEOPLE.com’s article about the book
Readers have found Dick Van Dyke’s advice helpful, the short anecdotes engaging and the tone humorous, so they hear his voice in his writing. Surprisingly, he even admits to the poor decisions he made, tackles topics like swearing, smoking, and alcoholism, cancer, an affair, and disturbing content from a horror movie that he turned down. Readers are surprised at his honesty and describe the reading experience like having coffee with him because his stories are lighthearted even when tackling difficult subjects.
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Each of the 100 rules has its own chapter and the reader can follow them or not, but just reading each story endears you to him even more, so the result is more of an autobiography told in short story format beginning with his youth and going through his extensive career. And at 99, he misses his friends, can’t dance like he used to, forgets song lyrics and owns up to age’s limitations but still views disappointments as learning experiences. He’s gentle, decent, and tries to do right by others so readers are convinced Burt, the chimney sweep, is in his DNA. He did it all—comedy, drama, and sit-coms. His honesty, humility, and charm demonstrate his appreciation for humanity. Perhaps that’s why Van Dyke is such a legend.
