By: Michael J. Fox Publisher: Hyperion Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Hyperion Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 272 Publication Date: April 09, 2003 Release Date: April 09, 2003
Product Description: "Life is great. Sometimes, though, you just have to put up with a little more crap." --Michael J. Fox
In September 1998, Michael J. Fox stunned the world by announcing he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease -- a degenerative neurological condition. In fact, he had been secretly fighting it for seven years. The worldwide response was staggering. Fortunately, he had accepted the diagnosis and by the time the public started grieving for him, he had stopped grieving for himself. With the same passion, humor, and energy that Fox has invested in his dozens of performances over the last 18 years, he tells the story of his life, his career, and his campaign to find a cure for Parkinson's.
Combining his trademark ironic sensibility and keen sense of the absurd, he recounts his life -- from his childhood in a small town in western Canada to his meteoric rise in film and television which made him a worldwide celebrity. Most importantly however, he writes of the last 10 years, during which -- with the unswerving support of his wife, family, and friends -- he has dealt with his illness. He talks about what Parkinson's has given him: the chance to appreciate a wonderful life and career, and the opportunity to help search for a cure and spread public awareness of the disease. He is a very lucky man, indeed.
Amazon.com Review: The same sharp intelligence and self-deprecating wit that made Michael J. Fox a star in the Family Ties TV series and Back to the Future make this a lot punchier than the usual up-from-illness celebrity memoir. Yes, he begins with the first symptoms of Parkinson's disease, the incurable illness that led to his retirement from Spin City (and acting) in 2000. And yes, he assures us he is a better, happier person now than he was before he was diagnosed. In Fox's case, you actually might believe it, because he then cheerfully exposes the insecurities and self-indulgences of his pre-Parkinson's life in a manner that makes them not glamorous but wincingly ordinary and of course very funny. ("As for the question, 'Does it bother you that maybe she just wants to sleep with you because you're a celebrity?' My answer to that one was, 'Ah...nope.'") With a working-class Canadian background, Fox has an unusually detached perspective on the madness of mass-media fame; his description of the tabloid feeding frenzy surrounding his 1988 wedding to Tracy Pollan, for example, manages to be both acid and matter-of-fact. He is frank but not maudlin about his drinking problem, and he refreshingly notes that getting sober did not automatically solve all his other problems. This readable, witty autobiography reminds you why it was generally a pleasure to watch Fox onscreen: he's a nice guy with an edge, and you don't have to feel embarrassed about liking him. --Wendy Smith
Written very well! Michael's ability to overcome adversity and commicate this in his book is outstanding. If you are thinking about buying this book, purchase the hardback! Family cannot resist the need to read this masterpiece.
Escellent service I received my book in a very short time and it was in perfect condition.
Living with victory Wow! The guy has a lot of gumption; that is, I am touched by his tenacity, courage, and willingness to be what he needs to be to handle what he has to handle. He managed to clearly show his love for his family in this book, and seemed to not hesitate to let us in on the core of his struggles.
All of us have "things" that we need to, and/or wish to tackle earnestly, and all of us have trials to get through. Way to go, Mike. What a great example for all of us, whether it is to change, or a really big mountain to climb, -or both, as you did.
You are an amazing fellow. God's blessings to you,Mike.
Sincerely, Mickey
Lucky to Have Stumbled Across This Classic Screen Legend Autobiography With Michael J Fox's new autobiography now released Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist tracking down this, Lucky Man his original great autobiography may be a bit harder, but you should definitely do so.
Importantly this book is not just about Michael discovering during the filming of Doc Hollywood that he had, and then later dealing with Parkinson's Disease. It would have been so easy to just write the autobiography that way but although the Parkinson stuff is there, it is often only in the background of Michael telling you what else career and family happened with his life from that point. This makes the book a lot more entertaining and to be honest, probably a lot more of the reader is interested in. Plus we also learn about his family and childhood. His decision to take the gamble and pursue acting instead of finishing high school and then the further gamble of turning down steady acting roles in Vancouver to move to LA and see if he could make it there. A huge gamble when unlike Americans who can work in Cafes and so on, all his visa aloud him to do was act.
Those after gossip about fellow other actors may well be disappointed as Michael doesn't play that game in this book. Nor does he go into behind the scenes events to any great depth like you would find on DVD extras of the movies/TV shows he was in. He does tell us how he got the part of Marty Mcfly in Back to the Future a movie he wished he was making instead of Teen Wolf at the time it began filming. Later in the book he tells us how Cher snubbed him at the Oscars due to maybe the fact that she had just made the movie Mask with Eric Stoltz who originally was Marty but Spielberg decided to recast and refilm as Stoltz just didn't bring the character to the screen. Michael tells us how he almost missed out on being Alex P Keaton on Family Ties, how he lived around that time and why he took on acting roles in films which even the actors knew weren't very good. he recounts how his life changed once he became a celebrity for the good such as all the free stuff and the bad, paparazzi stalking his wedding.
Importantly for an autobiography Michael is prepared to criticise himself where he made bad decisions, acted selfishly or treated others not as well as he should have. He even acknowledges that his Emmy for Spin City was obviously awarded as a sympathy vote which I think really shows how honest he was being writing this book. Incidentally this book was published when Spin City was the last thing he acted in.
Of course he talks about the decision to hide Parkinson's from the public and how he feared this would affect his acting career if word got out. He also talks about with hindsight when looking back if those fears were justified.
This is definitely a very interesting and well written autobiography, oh and we learn his middle name is in fact Andrew and why his screen name is Michael J Fox instead of Michael Fox or Michael A Fox.
Lucky Man I was not expecting this book to be so moving. Michael spoke with humor, honesty and insight. Very much from his heart--it touched mine.
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