I just finished Alisons book too- loved it! I want to get Melissa Sue Andersons book to see what she has to say considering what Alison says about her. I think it is very telling of Michael Landon that the kids from LHOTP came out OK. I've heard it elsewhere too, but the kids were not treated like royalty on the set, and I guess at reunions, the joke is "Little House- no arrests, no convictions". They all had a lot of respect for Michael and he treated them pretty well.
Maybe he was a dick, but I can't help but love his shows- maybe his characters are extensions of a person he really wanted to be.