Books

Lucky Man

  • Jan 28, 2021
  • Michael J. Fox
  • 647 responses.

Lucky Man In September 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 seve

  • Title: Lucky Man
  • Author: Michael J. Fox
  • ISBN: 9780091879204
  • Page: 454
  • Format: Hardcover

    • 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 foIn 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 Now, 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.

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    About "Michael J. Fox"

    1. Michael J. Fox

      Canadian American film and television actor His roles include Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy 1985 1990 Alex P Keaton from Family Ties 1982 1989 , for which he won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award and Mike Flaherty from Spin City 1996 2000 , for which he won an Emmy, three Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards He also starred in Doc Hollywood and Secret of My Succe s and the lead voices in Disney s Atlantis The Lost Empire and in the film Stuart Little and it s sequel.Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson s disease in 1991, and disclosed his condition to the public in 1998 As the symptoms of his disease worsened, he retired from full time acting in 2000.

    647 Comments

    1. I saw a copy of Lucky Man in a thrift store for a buck I think I would have passed up this kind of book if it were by nearly any other author, but I grew up with Fox, in a way I watched Family Ties pretty religiously as a kid and Back To The Future made Fox my boyhood hero.Having read Lucky Man, I find Fox has become a hero to me as an adult as well It s not just the story of how gracefully he might not agree with me there and effectively he battled Parkinson s and overcame so many challenges, e [...]

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    2. Audiobook narrated by the author.Michael J Fox was barely thirty years old when he was diagnosed with Parkinson s Disease At the height of his career, and with a young family, he kept that diagnosis a very closely guarded secret But in 1998, seven years after his diagnosis, he publicly revealed that he had Parkinson s, retired from his hit television show, Spin City, and began a new career as a spokesperson for research into Parkinson s and other neurological disorders This is his memoir in whic [...]

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    3. Another theme besides medicine that is popping up in my recent reading is Canada I ve read books about Canada, Canadians and stories taking place in Canada Michael J Fox s memoir, Lucky Man, falls under both categories medicine for his thoughts on living with Parkinson s Disease and Canada born in Edmonton, Alberta Lucky Man also qualifies as one of the best books I ve read this year.Fox begins his memoir with his diagnosis of young onset Parkinson s Disease but the book isn t just about living [...]

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    4. As a child, I was a huge fan of Michael J Fox and let s face it, anyone who was a child of the 80 s would remember his biggest hits Back to the future, Family Ties In all of this, I had absolutely no idea of the struggles and pain that he went through.But this book is not a depressing read, even if your heart will tug at the words written within its pages No, this is inspirational In the words of Fox, if he was approached by someone that said the could take him back to before he got Parkinsons a [...]

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    5. I don t generally read celebrity memoirs, but when I became curious about Parkinson s Disease, Michael J Fox s Lucky Man was the first book that popped into my head I picked it up in the hopes that it would give me a better idea what to expect when I visit a dear friend with the disease this summer.Best known for being the star of Family Ties and the Back to the Future movies, Fox was living a life that most people can only dream of when he was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson s Disease at t [...]

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    6. Michael J Fox is an iconic actor from my childhood, and this book totally blew my mind At first, I could not believe that he had written this himself, but the comedic timing and self deprecation left me in no doubt and turned that thought right on its head Once I d gotten over that skepticism I was overwhelmed by the heart warming, honest and no bullshit telling of his struggle He was open about personal tragedy, his relationships, his battle with PD and alcohol in a way that no memoir or autobi [...]

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    7. I had some trouble getting into this book I don t particularly like his writing style Fox wrote it himself , however once I got into the meat of the story I enjoyed the book He talks about his early life did you know he was Canadian , his experience in California as a struggling actor and then all the success that Family Ties and Back to the Future brought It was pretty moving to hear how much of a mess his personal life had become due to all his professional success and the complete turnaround [...]

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    8. I looked forward to fellow Canadian, Michael J Fox s memoir His demeanour in interviews is always astutely off the cuff and hilarious, while clearly conveying intelligence After all, public speaking and body emoting are his job Old reviews stunned me by declaring low expectation of a celebrity s memoir If they said they expected low quality writing from a bus driver , it would be a slur A superb writer publishing his first book, can t catch a break because of his profession Many remarked celebri [...]

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    9. While this memoir is indeed the life story of Michael J Fox, his rise to fame as an actor, and his struggle to accept and deal with Parkinson s Disease, his incredible writing takes it a step further He elucidates on his relationships and motivations in such a way that I found many parallels to the demons that I battle in my life which are nothing like Parkinson s Disease His writing is thoughtful, funny, wry, and humble all the things I d have expected of him from his public persona I loved thi [...]

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    10. Growing up, Michael J Fox was sort of like my big brother, being a couple of years older than me If I was a character on FAMILY TIES, I would have been a classmate of Mallory s Such was the impact of that show squeezed in between Cosby and Cheers that I suspect everyone in my generation felt like part of the family He was such a nice guy that everyone cheered for him I think we all hoped for success like his, but speaking for my generation, there is one thought that I know we all share, that at [...]

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    11. Funny, honest, engaging, real.if, for some reason, you need yet another reason to love Michael j Fox listen to this audiobook He reads it and you really feel like you re just sitting around having a beer with him Love love love

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    12. I know I m a solid decade out of date on reading this, but figured it was about time to check it off the shelf It s always hard to put a rating on a memoir, as it s someone putting their own experiences into words It s especially hard with someone of huge celebrity status, as I always find myself taking their words with a grain of salt assuming they ve written any of the words on their own anyway.Knowing very little of any recent events in Mr Fox s life, however, and only having a vague knowledg [...]

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    13. A friend gave this book to me It was such a good read I had no idea Michael was so sick, and had such a difficult life While I did not respect ways he wasted his body by alcohol, drugs, and stupid habits before he found out, at a still very young age of mid 20s, about his Parkinson s disease, his remarkable change to a new man was a very good story The anectodes from this book will stay with me, and it has a great message for everyone.I remember Michael J Fox as one of the earliest actors I watc [...]

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    14. I listened to the audio book read by Michael J Fox himself I ve always been a fan and have admired his public advocacy work for Parkinson s, and it was really great to learn the back story of his rise to fame, his diagnosis, and his family life He understandably wasn t ready to make his disease public right away, and listening to him go through the transformation from hiding it to finally testifying before Congress while off his medication only built my admiration for him He also benefited from [...]

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    15. What a fantastic book A very intimate and personal memoir of a brilliant actor and an inspiring man Michael J Fox does not hold back, he is brutally honest about himself from a youthful ego to the ravages of the Parkinson s disease It is brilliantly written He is an intelligent and witty writer who takes good care of your emotions as he steers you through the roller coaster of his life and his own emotions As well as providing endless laughs, regaling the reader with marvelous anecdotes, it is a [...]

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    16. Fox s memoir incorporates both his Hollywood fame and experience with the disease that struck him as a young twentysomething Parkinson s He writes gracefully of the denial and turmoil that rocked his world upon receiving the diagnosis, and how ultimately acceptance I was still me just me plus Parkinson s has set new, healthier parameters for his life, hence his self designation as a lucky man Fox now uses his fame to raise awareness and funding for a Parkinson s cure, one that many scientists be [...]

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    17. I wasn t sure what to expect when I first picked up this book, but I was pleasantly surprised to find his writing style is much like his acting style real, personable, and humorous I ve never been interested in the lives of celebrities for instance, I was unaware of his partying days , and the few celebrity memoirs books I ve read have always left me dissatisfied and usually with a negative picture of the person behind the characters I like But Lucky Man had quite the opposite effect on me I ad [...]

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    18. This book was fantastic, inspirational, engaging, you name it I don t know if Michael had a shadow writer or not If not, then he could certainly have a future as a writer He knows how to communicate with words This story, which covers his career both before and after he was diagnosed with Parkinson s Disease, was gripping and I would recommend it to anyone, not just those suffering in a similar way to him The attitude he has developed I say developed because it s clear he wasn t able to view it [...]

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    19. I fell in love with Michael J Fox after reading his later book,Always Looking Up The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist,which is about his Parkinson s Disease and his advocacy for stem cell research I ve been wanting to read this one ever since.Lucky Manis older, and thus takes us through the 1980s his rise to fame and the 1990s the years he knew he had PD but hid it He is insanely likable and even when describing his young n wild partying years he comes off as sweet and charming.

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    20. I grew up with Fox and have followed with amazement and awe how he embraced the potentially devastating diagnosis of Parkinson s and turned it into a passion and cause This isn t the most well written book and I admit that I liked it because Fox was always a favorite and because my father has PD and I m intrigued by the different avenues people take when receiving a diagnosis of a degenerative neurological disease Fox s optimism is impressive as is his realization that he can use his celebrity f [...]

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    21. I grew up watching Michael on TV and have always liked him, even though I never normally read celebrity books when I saw this one I just had to buy it This is a very open and honest account of Michael s life, from growing up as a kid in Canada to his first break and stardom and of course being diagnosed with PD It is beautifully written and I felt many emotions whilst reading Definitely one of my favourite books read this year.

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    22. This book is exactly like the title Michael J Fox is indeed a lucky man He have everything in his life Money and a supportive wife So perfect Even though he has Parkinson disease, nothing have stopped him from moving forward A pleasure to read.

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    23. I have always been a fan of Michael J Fox s acting skills, but now he has shown me that he is also an accomplished writer.

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    25. Fox is not only a gifted actor, turns out he s a great author as well The book covers 1 His modest upbringing and tight knit family 2 The mega successes he found in Hollywood.3 The challenges he grappled with while becoming a celebrity.4 The biggest personal challenge that blindsided him, PD.5 How he chose to embrace it and ultimately became a voice for millions of people suffering with PD and advocating for research funding on their behalf.It s clear that Fox s family and the team of people sup [...]

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    26. Patrick BatesEnglish 8 B 1 27 15 Lucky Man A Memoir By Michael J FoxList of Characters Michael J foxTracy Pollan Fox s Wife Sam Fox Fox s First Born Phyllis Fox Fox s Mother William Fox Fox s Father Lucky Man is a powerful, yet humorous memoir by Michael J Fox At age 30 Fox was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson s disease PD is a disorder of the central nervous system, causing your brain to lose control of body movement This memoir underlines Fox s life with Parkinson s, his story of struggle [...]

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    27. This is a touching story about the bravery and resilience of a person who has charged himself with beating the odds I believe biographies are the best books to read and this one only strengthens that belief Fox is a funny person in spite of his obvious predicament This book covers his struggles with his personal, family, and public life and how this debilitating disease has in someways helped him to become a better person I find it remarkable that he is able to say that.One of the interesting th [...]

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    28. I grew up watching Michael J Fox play Alex P Keaton on Family Ties I think one of the remarkable things he did, as an actor on that show, was to take a potentially completely unlikeable character and humanize him I think a good deal of that is there is a certain niceness to Michael J Fox the person that just comes through on the screen It definitely comes through in this book.Like many people, I was shocked when he went public with his Parkinson s diagnosis It felt especially horrible because he [...]

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    29. I don t read many biographies or memoirs and the only reason I read this one was because it came up as a group read in one of my groups I also really like Michael J Fox and was somewhat aware of battle with Parkinson s Disease I grew up watching Family Ties, saw Back to the Future on it s opening night with my big brother, and then watched it so many other times on VHS yes, VHS, not dvd lol It always used to secretly bother me when I d see a celebrity all of a sudden championing for causes ONLY [...]

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    30. I read Michael J Fox s two books, back to back, so I now I have finished both books, I am not sure where one book ended and the other started, so these comment pertain to both Lucky Man published in 2003 and Always Looking Up The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist published in 2009.Though I have never met Michael Fox, I have always felt some kind of connection to him This might be because My father had Parkinson s disease I am about his age We are both Canadians who relocated to the US We both [...]

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