I got three different books from family members for Christmas -- all of them about real people, all of them highly recommended, but about as different as three books can be. I'll tell you about all three, but the third one is the one I really want to share today.

The first book I read was "Born Standing Up," by Steve Martin, a terrific memoir of his days as a live performer, from his early days at southern California theme parks up until the days when he was filling arenas and selling millions of record albums with his comedy. I had always thought of Steve as a private person, somewhat inscrutable, but this memoir is surprisingly frank and personal. It's a wonderfully-entertaining book.

"Preston Sturges by Preston Sturges" is another great book, about one of America's all-time great movie directors, whose works include "Sullivan's Travels," which is one of my top two or three movies, and "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek," which has to be one of the funniest movies ever made. The book was culled from journals and other manuscripts by Sturges' widow Sandy, and is written in the first person like an autobiography.

I had expected Hollywood tell-all, but the vast majority of the book is about Sturges' formative years. Normally, when reading this kind of biography, I want to hurry up and get to the subject's career. But in this case, Sturges' early years were as outlandish and entertaining as some of his screwball comedies, as he and his free-spirit mother (best friend to the dancer Isadora Duncan) cut a swath through Europe and New York.

The third book didn't actually arrive until after Christmas, although my sister says it was a late Christmas gift. And I didn't get around to reading it until this month.

"The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers," by Amy Hollingsworth, is a tribute to the late Fred Rogers by a journalist who interviewed him and later became a close friend, a correspondent, even a prayer partner to America's favorite neighbor.

Rogers, who passed away in 2003 at age 74, was an ordained Presbyterian minister, and while he never used "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" as a forum for overt religious discussion, it was rich in Biblical themes of love, caring and acceptance. Hollingsworth paints a vivid portrait of a man who used television for good, and was somehow able to escape being used by television. She points out spiritual themes in the show and ties them in with her own memories of the man. She writes about their long-distance friendship, and how at times one would feel the need to pray for the other, only to find out later that the other had been going through struggles and was in need of prayer.

"The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers" is a great read.

Next week, as part of a year-long 250th-anniversary celebration in Mister Rogers' home town of Pittsburgh, there will be a week of events commemorating him. On March 20, Rogers' production company, Family Communications, has encouraged fans of Mister Rogers everywhere to wear a sweater, the item of clothing for which he was best-known, as a tribute. Do a YouTube search for Mister Rogers and "Won't You Wear A Sweater?" and you can find video of speedy deliveryman Mr. McFeely telling you all about it.

I plan to wear a sweater that day, in honor of a man whose faith, love and lack of pretense were a comfort to millions of boys and girls (of all ages).

John I. Carney is city editor of the Times-Gazette and covers county government and other topics. His home page is lakeneuron.com.