Letter to a Great Grandson: A Message of Love, Advice, and Hopes for the Future

Although Downs has written this brief, epistolary tome for his great-grandson, Alexander, portions of it are likely to make sense to anyone. His assessments of what to expect at all stages of life, from early childhood to old age, will coach readers on setting goals, choosing an appropriate career, finding true love and giving in to frivolous impulses every once in awhile. Broken into chapters corresponding with the decades of life, the book speaks directly to Alexander (who's sometimes referred to as""Xander""), and reveals a good number of anecdotes from Downs's own illustrious life. The former co-anchor of 20/20 and host of the Today show is now in his early 80s, and certainly has his share of valuable advice to impart. However, when he lapses into specific family references (e.g.,""Three of your four grandparents are living. Six of your eight great-grandparents are living. And you have one great-great-grandmother...""), readers outside the Downs family might find their eyes glazing over. Nonetheless, this humorous, sometimes saccharine, but always kind book of life guidance would make an appropriate graduation gift.