Customer Reviews

Lucky Man: A Memoir

5 star:		(195)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Starting into any celebrity memoir is always a little harrowing. Will Star X check their ego at the door?
Will the sugarcoating be too much to bear?
Who is going to be the target of the revenge-inspired smear campaign?

That's why Lucky Man is so refreshing. Michael J. Fox has told the story of his life and, more importantly, of his struggle with Parkinson's Disease. LUCKY MAN, though, is no sob story. Fox sees his diagnosis with PD as an opportunity to help.

"The ten years since my diagnosis have been the best ten years of my life, and I consider myself a lucky man." this quote sums up the feel of the whole book. Warm, funny and painfully honest, Fox lets us into his life both before and after PD. We learn about his family, his drinking problem and life in Hollywood, but not in the lurid way that some stars tell it. His writing is down to earth and real.

Michael J. Fox has crafted an inspirational and important book without relying on cookie-cutter tear-jerking cliche or obvious pity ploys. LUCKY MAN is the best memoir I've read in a long time.

Michael J. Fox has always been known as a nice guy. So what has he been DOING in Hollywood? In Hollywood nice guys often finish last. But in Fox's case, he beat the odds.

It's no secret that some of the Powers That Be weren't entirely enamored when, as a young Canadian "unknown," he was cast in the role as Alex, in NBC's hit t.v. comedy Family Ties. But when the show debuted he proved that he had that certain "something" -- that rare talent to link up with an audience. Call it "charisma," or likeability but it, plus
his considerable acting talents, drove the ratings -- and his show biz career -- sky-high.

Now Fox has written one of the most genuinely honest, touching and moving show biz bios ever, Lucky Man. But it is MORE than a show biz bio, because it deals with how his life was impacted by Parkinson's disease, how he coped with it, accepted it and how he wants to help others.

Lucky Man should be titled Lucky Us, because anyone who reads it can't help walking away from it a mite richer, inspired, and more appreciative of the fact that the upsides and
downsides of life sometimes coincide...but, overall, it can be a joyous ride.

Fox did NOT have this ghost written and it certainly reads like an autobiography written by an actor known for his great sense of irony and sense of humor. All the usual
biographical "boilerplate" material is there about his early years (a military brat who had a normal, well-centered childhood) quick rise to fame (Family Ties was a smash hit, largely of Fox's charisma -- which he is too modest to mention), and glimpses of the REAL show biz world behind the scenes (his account of how Cher snubbed him at an Academy Awards ceremony has already become an instant classic -- about how someone way up there in Hollywood's pecking order seemingly considers someone else not as famous and therefore perhaps not as
worthy).

But aside from his natural humor, honesty, and the inside Hollywood tidbits, what's going to make this a book that will long be remembered -- and ultimately be turned into a
wide-screen or television movie -- is how he coped with news about his illness, emerged from denial, and decided to dedicate his life to look for a cure for and to increase public
awareness about the disease.

Some chapters may make you cry. For instance, I never knew until I read this that Fox KNEW he had Parkinson's when he signed on to do Spin City. It was only when he felt he had to quit the series to spend more time with his family and his new cause that he did so.

In the passages that show him battling alcohol, and coping with his illness, not a word is there for dramatic effect. It's all sincere.

I will be forever haunted by the passage where his he teaches his five-year-old son, Sam, how to stop his Dad's involuntary thumb movements, by squeezing his thumb or
twisting it, then counting to give and doing it again. Fox writes of how he saw his son's delight "in getting the timing down, short-circuiting the wiggle every time" but once Sam
realized it came back again he "detected a slight look of "Uh-Oh, what have I gotten myself into?"

And I admit getting teary-eyed when he concluded after his hopes that surgery would help him were dashed that (his problems returned fullforce) that the Parkinson's was "just doing what it's supposed to do" and that he he was going to "just show up and do the best that I could do with whatever lay in front of me."

On every page Fox's talent, humanity and decency shine through. Michael J. Fox titled it Lucky Man, because of the love and support of his friends and family. But we're the Lucky Ones for having Fox write such a poignant, sincere and touching book.

I always have an admiration for those who write autobiographies. It seems you are opening yourself up, letting everyone see who you are, learn about your mistakes, but best of all, allow people to see you are human. Michael J. Fox has done an extraordinary job with "Lucky Man". He begins the book by telling of his childhood in Canada, all leading up to his career. He talks then about his insecurities as an actor and a person. If Michael J. Fox has an ego, he leaves it checked at the door. From then, he talks about his diagnosis with Parkinson's. From his feelings that this was his punishment for not being the person he thought he should have been, through denial, anger and finally acceptance, Fox tells the world, that while he is not perfect, he is indeed lucky.

I found this book to be inspiring for anyone. It shows that things in life can either change you for the better or completely take over, but ultimately, the choice is yours. Throughout, I laughed, cried and above all, I hoped. For anyone who has ever been diagnosed with Parkinson's, for anyone, anywhere, Fox can teach us all a major lesson in life. And it is even for a good cause. I would give this book my highest recommendation.

Michael J. Fox's memoir "Lucky Man" is a great and inspiring read. One thing I admire about Fox is that he's basically an average guy who was dealt some wild cards and has managed to thrive in life - including, not in spite of, his circumstances. One thing I found consistently striking and inspiring is Fox's courage throughout all of his life experiences to be true to himself. In some instances, this meant following his natural instincts in his career, and in others it meant hiding his disease from the public as a delicately-timed and balanced lifestyle. His honesty and lack of pretension is also refreshing; he talks not only of the Hollywood lifestyle he had when his career took off, but also of his self-doubts and fears.

If you were also inspired by this honest perspective on enjoying life to
the fullest, I highly recommend the books Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment, as well as Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Can Instantaneously Transform Your Life, by Ariel & Shya Kane. The Kanes talk specifically about living in the moment as a way of discovering magic in your life - how to do it, how to not do it, and how it is easy and effortless. In his book, Fox talks about how "his 'job' is whatever he happens to be doing at the moment - whether it's giving a speech, changing a diaper, writing a book," etc. If you'd like to discover a sense of truly being here for each moment and living your life as wholly as possible (without having to experience a major tragedy or disease), look no further than these wonderful books.

Although I'm a fan of Michael J. Fox's work, I wasn't likely to read his memoir had it not been given to me. It was a tremendously pleasant surprise!!! He presented his story in a touching and captivating way - not just his plight against Parkinson's Disease, but also his early struggles to establish his career, and his family dynamics. I was impressed with the almost reverent way he spoke of his wife Tracy, an actress with whom I have very limited familiarity but now greatly admire for her strength and her support of him.

At times, the PD part of the story got very medically technical, but that held special interest to me as a health professional. It's not just helpful to those suffering from the disease, but also to allow the general public to truly understand what PD patients go through. I also appreciated the unbiased way he explained the stem-cell research controversy, and although he is clearly in favor, I now understand the Catholic church and President Bush's opposition to it (that because they use embryoes created in IVF procedures, there is potential for unethical "farming" and need for stricter control to make sure no one is creating embryoes for the purpose of destroying them for research.)

This book totally exceeded my expectations!

It's seemingly commonplace these days to find celebrity memoirs that are nothing more than braggadocios resumes by celebrities who are past their prime, desperately seeking to hold on to the limelight (and their egos) on the last legs of their showbiz careers.

Then there are those who currently remain in the limelight and just want to shove some cause or stance down your throat, while also preserving their egos, and choose to do so under the veil of an "autobiography".

You also see the ones by people whose only status of "celebrity" comes by virtue of being related to one.

Not to mention the memoirs by dissilussioned child stars or the like.

Few books in this genre are as enjoyable, honest and perfectly-timed careerwise, by the author, as "Lucky Man" by Michael J. Fox. It's probably common knowledge now that he has Parkinson's disease. He waited nearly ten years to go public, preventing what would have been inevitable destructive media and public gossip, which in turn allowed him to continue his life and career as "normal". And what a career he has had.

Rather than take the sob story route, Fox provides a very candid and humbled look at his life before and since the diagnosis of his Parkinson's disease. He's not bitter. He doesn't ask for sympathy. He doesn't act is if the world owes him anything. Very straight-forward book containing all the wit you'd expect from Fox, along with the refreshing candor, honesty and down-to-earth sincerity foreign to most celebrity memoirs. I highly recommend it.

I wasn't sure what to expect. I got much more than I expected.
If it is true that Michael wrote this book himself then, hard as it is to say, he may have missed his calling. He is a good writer. Just as he managed to make the potentially obnoxious Alex into a lovable character he has created a portrait of a human being growing in crisis that is almost unimaginable.
Though, I imagine, the emotions he must have felt in the beginning with his diagnosis and continuing on to the present probably can not truly be put into words; the fact that he has turned his life around and gone forward in the way he has, should put to shame those tabloid efforts to turn his life into some maudlin pitiable affair. They obviously don't know what they are talking about.
I got the book today UPS, and I read it non-stop in less than the 3 hours he spent at his first therapy session.[Read about it in the book.] I plan to read it again and savor the moments.
He is building his life on a rock of faith - the birth of his and Tracy's fourth child Esme is a much a statement of that faith as his advocacy for Parkinson's research. After reading the book, I have no doubt whatsoever, that he will be dancing at his children's weddings.
And if he can do nothing more than cut the clap-trap and bull out of scientific and medical research programmes and their secretive competiveness he will have done the world a service that is priceless.
Beyond that he has shown a grasp of family dynamics relationships that gives proof of his depth as a human being.
This in no celebrity tell all book. It's a revelation and an inspiration.
Way to go Michael!
From a grandmother of seven.

Seeing I was a girl who grew up in the 1980's during the Back to the Future and Family Ties craze, I have always loved MJF. The fact that he was from Western Canada only made him that much better. I had MJF posters on my walls from all the teen magazines always hoping I would meet some one as cool as Marty McFly and live happily ever after.

Reading Lucky Man showed me the other side of Mr. Fox. It exposed to me to all the ups and downs he went through when he was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson's disease. It took extreme courage to write this memoir and made publicly known how hard it is to sometimes accept what happens in life. MJF has helped bring awareness to Parkinson's disease it is just too bad that it took some famous to turn people's attention to this disease.

Most people know that Michael J. Fox is a talented and charismatic actor,
but what you realize when you read "LUCKY MAN" is that he is also an
amazing human being. His experience with Parkinson's Disease is obviously
a major theme of this book, but you never feel sorry for him, nor does he
ever complain about what has happened to him. In fact, he does just the
opposite and explains how he actually found his life and his vitality when
he came to terms with his circumstances. His honesty and vulnerability in
describing his life leading up to his diagnosis and coping with the reality
of an (as yet) incurable disease has helped and will help many thousands of
people lead happier lives. After reading this book, I find myself inspired
by the possibilities life has to offer and grateful that Mr. Fox chose to
share the intimate details of his and his family's journey so that
everyone, not just those afflicted with Parkinson's Disease,
can lead lives as their own master, as creators of an extraordinary life for themselves.

While reading "LUCKY MAN", I kept wishing I could recommend "WORKING ON
YOURSELF DOESN'T WORK" by Ariel and Shya Kane to Michael J. Fox and the
Parkinson's community he discovered. Anyone who is touched by his outlook
on life, who is looking for something magical, who wants to discover the
moment-by-moment joy of being alive should read this book also. In "LUCKY
MAN", I found empathy, compassion and admiration for Mr. Fox and those who
suffer from PD (or other debilitating diseases). In "WORKING ON YOURSELF
DOESN'T WORK", you will find the road map to loving life, no matter what
your circumstances.

Anyone who is living with a debilitating medical problem will relate well to Michael's story. With age comes wisdom, tolerance and grace; however, life often throws us curves when we least expect it - some of them will impact the remainder of our years hear on Earth.

Michael deserves more stars than can be counted here for his courage, dignity and strength in the face of adversity - his battle with Parkinson's disease. Through it all, he has never lost his sense of humour and appreciation for life itself; that in itself is a major accomplishment. It seems fitting that this book will be the last one I will be reviewing for Amazon due to my work schedule and my own set of health problems which have plagued me for some time.

Michael's autobiography is an in-depth look at the man, his personal life, his career and, of course, his degenerating conditon he lives with on a daily basis. His book is touching, inspiring and highly recommended reading. In the face of his pain and suffering, Michael is as he says, "a lucky man" for the love and support of friends and family. One never knows how fortunate they are when they have their health - so many take it for granted when things are going well; however, when the health is no longer there, our greatest blessings can be the love of our family, the support of friends and an unfaultering faith in whatever Power it is one believes in. Thank you, Michael for telling your story; may peace and love always remain with you.