Providence, RI -- Michael P. Leonard, a member of the Providence College class of 1970 and feature reporter on NBC's Today show, recently published The Ride of Our Lives-Roadside Lessons of an American Family (Random House/Ballantine, April 2006), a book chronicling his family's cross-country trip in 2004.  Leonard not only catalogs the hilarious RV trip but also delves into the journey of his family members' lives.

Leonard said he never intended to write a book about the trip, just to use a few video segments on Today.

"I was talked into writing it by a literary agent who heard about the trip. I wrote a proposal and sent it to her, expecting to hear nothing," he recalled. "But, a couple of weeks later, she called to tell me that so many publishing houses wanted the book that the rights might have to go to auction. Random House avoided the auction with a $1 million advance. Then came a skirmish between Universal Studios and Disney Studios over the movie rights. Disney won."

Once the book was complete, Leonard embarked a 20-city tour--including Providence--to promote it.

The next generation of Leonards has continued Mike's love affair with Providence College, which he mentions often in his book. Three of his children--Matthew of the class of 1993, Megan Leonard Fleischel of the class of 1995, and Kerry of the class of 2000, have joined him as fellow Providence College alumni. His son Brendan will graduate in 2007.

"Growing up, my children knew how much Providence College meant to me," Leonard said. "They heard me speak about PC at home. They saw how often I went back to the College for events. That was the best endorsement for PC."

Most recently, Leonard was the keynote speaker at Providence College's Leadership Conference for alumni club presidents in 2004, and he attended the men's hockey reunion in 2005.  In 2000, he delivered the College's commencement address and received a Doctor of Public Service (D. P.S.) honorary degree from the College.