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Lucky Man: A Memoir

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 9,201 ratings · 807 reviews

A funny, highly personal, gorgeously written account of what it's like to be a 30-year-old man who is told he has an 80-year-old's disease.

"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 neur...more A funny, highly personal, gorgeously written account of what it's like to be a 30-year-old man who is told he has an 80-year-old's disease.

"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. 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.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Michael J. Fox is donating the profits from his book to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, which is dedicated to fast-forwarding the cure for Parkinson's disease. The Foundation will move aggressively to identify the most promising research and raise the funds to assure that a cure is found for the millions of people living with this disorder. The Foundation's web site, MichaelJFox.org, carries the latest pertinent information about Parkinson's disease, including:
--A detailed description of Parkinson's disease
--How you can help find the cure
--Public Services Announcements that are aired on network and cable television stations across the country to increase awareness
--Upcoming related Parkinson's disease events and meetings
--Updates on recent research and developments(less)

Paperback, 272 pages

Published April 9th 2003 by Hyperion (first published 2002)

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Jun 29, 2008 J rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bios-and-memoirs

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 challeng...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Peter Koevari rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, inspiring

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 Par...more

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Jun 16, 2007 Sarah Sammis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: released

Another theme (besides medicine) that is popping up in my recent reading is Canada. I've read more 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 j...more

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Aug 21, 2007 Holly Booms Walsh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone that has a struggle to overcome

Shelves: audiobook, memoir, nonfiction

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...more

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Dec 09, 2009 Rob Caroti rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anybody interested in Michael J Fox or the experience of living with Parkinson's

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 turna...more

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Jan 06, 2009 Elise rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After I finished Michael J. Fox’s Lucky Man, I

learned that before he told everyone about battling

Parkinson’s disease, in 1998, he got diagnosed in

September 1991. In November 1990, he woke up one

morning to one of his pinkies shaking. “For Christ

sake, Mike. I tried to tell myself. It’s just your

freaking finger. But that was just the point: It wasn’t

mine; it was somebody else’s. My Pinky was possessed.”

(Lucky Man, 18) I also learned that after the movie

Back to The Future and the show, Fam...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Farnoosh Brock rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoirs

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...more 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 watched him on television after I had first come in the US. He was witty, likable, and good looking. It was hard not to notice Michael J. Fox in the early 1990s with his rise to fame and stardom. It was also hard not to notice the American media stream’s expectation of how a Hollywood star would and should respond to life’s bitter challenges and incurable diseases.

With patients of long term disabilities and incurable diseases, it is not uncommon for them to form a relationship or understanding with the culprit that is holding the control panel of their life in his evil hands.

After initial bouts of serious denial and aggressive set-backs, Fox learns to accept Parkinson’s for what it is, and to learn to live with it, and to not let the “culprit” win. He embodies a perfectly happy and in his words, lucky person, who happens to have this particular situation to deal with at all odd hours of the day. He manages it all through marriage, relationships, fatherhood and being an actor. He refuses to give in and give up. It must be our will to refuse to give in to such battles, and our natural resistance to utter despair and a life of unhappiness. While it is nearly never our first reaction to the horrific wake of bad news, it is the one we settle into if we are to continue thriving in life.

Rich or poor, famous or inconspicuous, it is undeniable that charting through such a painful course is not easy, and for those who do it well, with their spirits un-shattered, their faith unbroken, and their will to live only stronger, I feel admiration and respect. Michael J. Fox is the embodiment of that spirit. I think him strong, courageous, pertinacious, patient, compassionate to others sharing his fate and kind – but lucky is hardly the term I would think to use for Fox. It is refreshing to see how much more brightly and precisely he can see the situation from his own perspective.

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Oct 19, 2012 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved it. I read it in one sitting. That proved to be beneficial because he jumps around (but not in a disjointed way, it keeps the reader's interest) and refers to parts he previously wrote. With not many opportunities to read by myself because I care for young children, I think I would have forgotten what he was referring to.

Reading this book felt like a conversation with a close friend. It made me love Michael J. Fox even more. I identified with his desire to be and do something other than...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was surprised to find that I enjoyed Fox's writing style. The focus of this autobiography is his Parkinson's. Still, it is thorough in tracing his life from his Canadian roots to his stardom before the diagnosis is made. I gave an extra star for the Hollywood gossip that he never indulges in and the enormous respect he shows for his wife, always presenting their relations, especially their fights, in her best light! I applaud him hugely for that.
He shows some mature insight into his earlier...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An inspring memoir by a young man who many of us watched as Alex P Keaton on "Family Ties" and then again on "Spin City". While the book jumps around at times between today and yesteryear, it is still an amazing story of Michael's life as he traveled through a rambunctious youth and finally decided he wanted to become an actor. The real story, however, is how he dealt with the hand he was given when diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's Disease in the early 1990s. It began with a tremor of the...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, non-fiction, memoir

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 more negative picture of the person behind the characters I like. But Lucky Man had quite the opposite effect on...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tv

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 02, 2011 Dawn Vanniman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have been a huge Michael J. Fox fan since he first appeared on American tv. As Alex P. Keaton he was elitist, smug and arrogant...but at the same time you found yourself rooting for him because he was so darned adorable! As Marty McFly in the "Back to the Future" trilogy he was the kid that just never got it right...until he did. My own kids love to watch that series of movies over and over again.

But Michael grew up, did many many more movies and then tv shows and then something happened to hi...more I have been a huge Michael J. Fox fan since he first appeared on American tv. As Alex P. Keaton he was elitist, smug and arrogant...but at the same time you found yourself rooting for him because he was so darned adorable! As Marty McFly in the "Back to the Future" trilogy he was the kid that just never got it right...until he did. My own kids love to watch that series of movies over and over again.

But Michael grew up, did many many more movies and then tv shows and then something happened to him. Something life changing. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He didn't announce it publicly until 1998, but he had been dealing with it for quite some time by then. He was a young man and you always think of Parkinson's as an 'old' persons disease. I know that all the women I've known with it have been in their 50's or 60's and I haven't known any men with it at all.

When a celebrity writes a book, it's always iffy on whether you'll end up with substance or just name dropping. Michael puts in some cute stories of famous people he knows, but not in a 'hey, guess who I know way', but in a 'this is what happened and oh yeah, my friend X was there too'. He comes across as charming and friendly, the kind of guy he's famous for playing.

The book showcases his relationships with family members, both his family growing up and his own family now. The strength of family they show makes me quite jealous. His family loved and trusted him enough that when he became a Canadian high school dropout, they took him to California, USA to give acting a shot. We all know what happened then. He became famous, got married, had kids...and was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's Disease.

He is painfully honest about Parkinson's: the disease, the symptoms it causes in him, his reactions and feelings. I think this is a fantastic book for everyone to read because at the core of it is a lesson for all of us. He worked through the fact that he has PD and has turned it into something to help himself and others with PD. I'm sure he has periods of 'why me?', but he doesn't let them overwhelm him, he just keeps going because, as he says, he is a lucky man. (less)

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Apr 02, 2011 Miles rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews

The overriding emotion I felt upon listening to Michael J Fox’s “Lucky Guy” – my first audio book – was complete and utter admiration for the actor, the father and the husband.

I’ve had this audio cd for a few years and never quite found the time to sit down and listen to it all the way through, something far more important - as I saw it anyway - always cropped up! Listening to a cd should be a breeze shouldn’t it? I was taken aback by the sincerity and emotion that emanated from the cd; pleased...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Biddy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, biography

I read this last Wednesday for our book club. Procrastinating as usual..
I've always liked Michael J Fox and I appreciate the man even more after reading this autobiography. For a man who didn't finish high school until he took the GED in his 30's, his writing is polished (his Canadian schooling may be responsible!). I also noted that his mentor was Michael Pollan, a very gifted author himself. I admired the author's honesty and the way he wrote about all the soul searching he did. Life has not a...more

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Mar 11, 2011 Incandragon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, non-fiction

I found this to be a reasonably interesting autobiography, as it let me peek into a world that's entirely different from my own. Celebrity, Parkinson's, and just his whole family dynamic ... it's all different from my world.

I learned years ago a little bit about how the socio-political dynamics of Hollywood work, so I was busy looking for the key words that meant the truth was being fuzzed up. I only noticed a few, though.

I "read" this book in the audiobook format, which Michael J Fox narrated h...more

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Jan 31, 2011 Alex Telander rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2002

It has been quite some time since Michael J. Fox of Back to the Future and Family Ties fame announced to the world that he had Parkinson’s disease. What is most interesting with this memoir is that he is in no way depressed about his rare affliction, but in some ways feels happy to have contracted it. He feels a lucky man.

His career did not begin with the big bucks. As a young boy from Canada, he wanted to strike it rich in Hollywood, but in the beginning years he often went hungry due to lack o...more

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Aug 07, 2010 Tristan Macavery rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Michael J Fox is a talented storyteller, at least in describing his own life. The "warts and all" approach to writing a memoir is never easy, and let's be honest, there's probably a few warts missing in everyone's recollection. However, it takes just plain guts to talk so candidly about one's life, and that's the first of many kudos offered to Mr. Fox for his book.

This memoir provides the feeling of just chatting with a man who, from his various appearances in film and television, seems like a n...more

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Jan 21, 2010 Anna Zaleska rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I haven't read many autobiographies that center around life-altering disease or chronic illness, although I'm sure they can get saccrine, sentimental, or perhaps even exploitative? Having chicken soup for the soul' forced down your throat, is just unappealing. In any case, I can't make too many comparisons within that genre, and would love to hear your thoughts...

I had the feeling that this book served as much need pause - a reflection - and a much needed self awareness - in mid life. As far as...more

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Aug 12, 2009 Drebbles rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2005

Michael J. Fox begins his autobiography telling of his discovery one morning that his pinkie was twitching, a discovery that would ultimately change the course of his life when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. He then flashes back to his childhood in Canada and his relationship with his parents, siblings and his beloved Nana. Fox talks about his struggles in school (he eventually dropped out of high school) and his success as an actor in Canada which inspired him to move to California...more

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Jul 03, 2009 Lena rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir, medical

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...more

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May 21, 2009 James rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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, t...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Robyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-or-memoir, kindle, nonfiction

It took some time to find the rhythm of this memoir, and in the beginning it felt choppy and disordered as a result. For quite awhile I was telling myself that Fox must have assumed that the vast majority of people who would pick up this book would already know enough about who he was not to need background. Then, suddenly, the background started filling in, I was able to hear the voice of the writing, and it was a much smoother read.

Very little here was news to me. I was a big fan of Fox in th...more It took some time to find the rhythm of this memoir, and in the beginning it felt choppy and disordered as a result. For quite awhile I was telling myself that Fox must have assumed that the vast majority of people who would pick up this book would already know enough about who he was not to need background. Then, suddenly, the background started filling in, I was able to hear the voice of the writing, and it was a much smoother read.

Very little here was news to me. I was a big fan of Fox in the 1980s, and have continued to be aware of him as time has passed and I've become less aware of general pop culture. I knew the circumstances of his arrival in the States and of his marriage from old interviews when BTTF and its sequels came out, and while I only ever watched a handful of Spin City episodes, I knew what he was up to in those days peripherally. When he announced his PD diagnosis, I doubt many Americans could have been unaware of it, especially those of us with any sort of chronic disease. I also knew from interviews such as Inside the Actors' Studio how he's responded to the diagnosis and the disease, and what his general outlook has become.

However, I didn't read the book looking for revelations, juicy tidbits, or news flashes. I read it because I enjoy Fox's voice and sense/style of humor, and because I appreciate people who are both positive and realistic about life with a degenerative disease. Sometimes you just want to hear from someone who also feels that they are lucky overall, not lucky "despite" their illness, and you want that person to also be honest about how shitty it is. Fox does a good job with that, as well as with describing Parkinson's to those of us who have not been directed effected by it. He's honest about his own shortcomings, and generous toward people who could easily have been painted as villains in other hands (mostly not identifying people who took advantage of him, but also recognizing that sometimes what feels like a slap to the recipient was not seen that way by the deliverer).

It's a quick read, and never becomes melancholy. As a matter of fact, if you're able to get Fox's voice and verbal style into your mind before starting, there are a number of wry observations that made me actually laugh, though his delivery is such that I'm sure those could pass by people who are only vaguely familiar with him. I have the second book, Always Looking Up, and will be continuing with it next.(less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, kindle-deal-of-the-day, owned

I wasn't sure whether to give this five stars. It's not a lights-and-fireworks, vowing to stay up until 3am if that's what it takes to finish kind of book. It's quietly compelling. Most celebrity memoirs read as if they're written by the actor's famous persona, being careful to edit out things that don't match the image or are too personal (with the exception of a few explosive! revelations!). I don't blame people for not wanting to lay bare everything about them, but comparison to other memoirs...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Manny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 interestin...more 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 things I found out by reading this book is that ironically, not only was Fox really bad in school save drama, music and art he actually dropped out of high school to pursue his career in acting. Born and raised in Canada, he like others knew that to conquer "Hollywood" he would need to make a journey.

Fox describes the whirlwind life he lived with substance abuse as well as his own self-destructive tendencies not to mention the hidden life of Parkinson's Disease. Fox tells the tail of having to figure out when he needed to take his meds to ensure he would not find himself "off" as he puts it.

Fox tells of his first signs of his disease, the surgery he tried to quell the tremors as well as the realization that the disease "was doing what it was suppose to do" referring to progressively taking over his body. He described the difficulty of working in a career where he was in the public eye and hiding a dark secret that could end his career while popping medicine routinely to get through the next scene.

Later when Fox was unable to work as before, he took on a role of the face of PD. He sat before a Senate sub-committee twice to lobby for funds to help research for the disease.

A couple of things I want to note that is outside the review of the actual book. The amount of money that out government flushes down the toilet on wars, programs that are not reviewed, tracked and unfunded if no producing while we have the ability to help those in need here in our own country. I would rather close the 900+ bases overseas, stop foreign aid, kill useless programs, scale back the government and use some of the saving to help fund cures for diseases. I support the stem cell research because I am diabetic and I too, could be helped by its research. Especially when the embryos are discarded anyhow.

The second thing is, Barbara Walters is a $&@*. During a pre-interview with Fox, and as he was leaving, he struggled to get his jacket on. She asked him if that was because of the PD, he answered, Yes. She wanted him to show the audience during the interview how he struggled with the jacket as if he was a circus act. Has she no shame? The man is pouring out his guts on an already difficult thing and now you want to exploit him for you ratings. Fox's wife stepped in and said NO WAY. Well Played Tracy, well played.
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Apr 28, 2012 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autobiography

Wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. It's a short autobiography, written by Fox and you can hear his voice in it(a nice change from ghost-written celeb auto-bios these days).

It's a good introduction to his career pre-Family Ties and beyond Spin City but the book is centred on his dealing with Parkinson's disease and the effect on his family. The chronology jumps around a bit to emphasise key moments and adds to, rather than distracts from, the narrative.

Fox was diagnosed with early o...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Gary Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 reloca...more 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 spent many of our formative years in Burnaby, British Columbia (suburb of Vancouver) and attended the same high school at about the same time (though from reading his books it sounds like he spent little time in classroom in those years).
-- And; my wife and both watched his “TV Show” Family Ties every week.

His first book, Luck Man, is more of a classic biography. Approximately a third of this first book is his life after learning he had Parkinson’s disease. Due to his many references to the Vancouver area I could very much relate to some of his teen memories, like looking forward to August so we could spend time at the Pacific National Exhibition.

His second book, Always Looking Up, covers the period of time when he has been diagnosed with Parkinson disease, thus there is a little overlap between the two books.

The two books together, give you a very good idea of the challenges someone with Parkinson’s has to deal with in their day-to-day lives. I could relate too many of the problems he experienced, because I remembering my father experiencing similar symptoms. He also describes the medications and how they affected him.

The second book is more topical (as compared to chronological) and covers multiple topics, including: his struggles with alcohol (and how he eventually quits completely quits drinking), the starting of the Michael J. Fox foundation (which has now raised over $300 million dollars for Parkinson research), his children, his advocacy for stem cell research, is brush with politics, and his own spiritual quest.

I very much enjoyed both these books and would recommend them to anyone. He is a witty writer and the books are very easy to read.(less)

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Mar 15, 2011 Kirsten rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great read. Loved hearing about celebrity, overcoming drinking, and experience with Parkinson's disease. MJF always did come across as a cocky can get away with anything kind of person, so it was interesting to hear how he coped with the hardships life through at him. One thing that wasn't really written about which I would have liked to know more was his relationship with his kids. There were some nice episodes, but also discussion about his 14 hour days on set and travels to work. I wonder how...more

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Sep 13, 2009 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My first memory of my mom crying is when my grandma was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. I was barely two, and she has now struggled with it for nearly twelve years. I've accepted that there's a good chance other members of my family (including me) might one day get it. However, Young Onset would scare the hell out of me--I wouldn't be able to deal with it. But Fox does all this and more.

Until recently, Michal J Fox was a name I grew up with--for both his awareness campaigns for PD and the Ba...more

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May 25, 2012 Shay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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...more 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 seems like such a truly nice person- and nice people don't deserve these kinds of things. Especially not a young person with a young family. Because I had this image of him, certain revelations in this book came as a shock- like his drinking problem. He credits his Parkinson's diagnosis with leading him to stop drinking. Indeed, he credits Parkinson's with "forcing" him to make many choices that made him a better man. Hence the title, "Lucky Man" which he says without a trace of irony and a great deal of sincerity. That's not to say he didn't have "Why me?" moments. Of course he did.

Fox's description of himself as a "lucky man" reminds me of one of my favorite memories of my mother, who died of stomach cancer a few years ago. We were sitting in the waiting room at her oncologist's office, waiting to get some blood work done and her chemo treatment. She looks around the room and tells me, "I'm lucky." Of course I look at her like she's insane- she's only in her 50's and she has inoperable stomach cancer. So, I give her "the Look". She looks at me and says, "Look at that old man and his daughter and her 4 kids." I look and there's an old man with his daughter and her 4 kids under the age of 5. My mother says, "You think the daughter is here supporting her father like you're here for me, right? I met her, the daughter, and she has leukemia." My mother then instructs me to look at another grandfather, his daughter, and their 10-ish year old child. I know what's coming, but she said it anyway. She tells me, "I met the boy last week when we were both getting blood drawn." My mother looks at me and says, "I'm lucky because I lived long enough to see you grown and for my grandchildren to remember me when I'm gone." Less than a year later, my mother was dead at 58, but she insisted up to the end that she was "lucky".

Michael J. Fox has retired from acting, but began a new career as an activist for Parkinson's. Especially research devoted to finding a cure, which he says many researchers think is only a decade away. I hope he's wrong and a cure comes sooner. Highly recommend this book

Rating: 4 stars

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About 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 Secr...more

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Books by Michael J. Fox

Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future...: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned

Guideposts for the Spirit: Stories to Comfort the Soul

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Quotes from Lucky Man: A Memoir

“After all that I'd been through, after all that I'd learned and all that I'd been given, I was going to do what I had been doing every day for the last few years now: just show up and do teh best that I could do with whatever lay in front of me.” — 21 people liked it

“If you were to rush into this room right now and announce that you had struck a deal - with God, Allah, Buddha, Christ, Krishna, Bill Gates, whomever - in which the ten years since my diagnosis could be magically taken away, traded in for ten more years as the person I was before - I would, without a moment's hesitation, tell you to take a hike.” — 15 people liked it

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