Dick Van Dyke wrote this book and it is a pledge gift now on PBS pledge drives. Yes he is alive and will be 101 this december.

I was taking the donation to get this book for an elderly man who confessed he was now 97. Before I could think better of it my mouth went ahead and said, "Well we better hurry on this huh" Fortunately for me the laughter that came through the phone did not kill him.