Customer Reviews

Terry Fox: His Story (Revised)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
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This is a great inside look at the inspirational life, and especially the three thousand plus mile 1980 trek, of Terry Fox. If you don't know who Terry Fox is, shame on you... You need to read this book. If you do know who Terry Fox is, read this book to bring back the memories of this selfless hero. The book has been updated since its original publishing 25 years ago and still has the inside story from Terry's family and friends, as well as his own words from interviews and journal entries. If you are interested in Terry Fox, you should check out the Terry Fox Foundation website as well as the newly published "Terry" by Douglas Coupland.

Terry Fox His Story is a wonderful and intriguing book about a young man who touched my heart in ways you couldn't imagine. I felt that I was right there with him all the time and I knew what he was going through.
This is a book about a young man who had a wild dream. Running across Canada. The really unbelievable thing about this is Terry lost his leg to bone cancer. By the time he died he had raised more than 24 million dollars for cancer research. Because of Terry we are getting closer and closer to a cure for this horrible disease!
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. It taught me to take a hold on life and to not let it slip away. If everyone read about this amazing young man I'm sure the world would be a better place!!

I first read this book in 1984, which ended with Terry's death in 1981. When I saw the movie "Terry", I tried to ascertain its accuracy. Exerpts from Terry's diary show that he had intelligence to go with his athleticism. The author notes how much society has changed in twenty years about "handicaps" and cancer. I also bought the book for the update on Terry's family and friends. It includes pictures of various Terry Fox Runs throughout the world, and how they came to be.

On harsh moments, Terry's story seems to be the reminder and remmedy. An inspiring life. A must read book!

"Terry Fox: His Story" tells of the life of a man who needs little introduction the world over. Terry's one-legged run halfway across Canada in 1980 is a story of great national pride here, and indeed many countries have caught on to the spirit. Terry's tragic, heroic story is commemorated every year with the fundraising "Terry Fox Run", held around the world, with the proceeds going towards cancer research.

"His Story" succeeds in providing a comprehensive, if not overly personal, look at Terry's life. I was also impressed by the dynamic and care given to the run itself, as it progressed from one location/town to another. Not every city was as enthusiastic as the last one, for instance, and the author takes care to show how Terry learns to respond to these varying regional reactions, and learns to become a very capable public speaker. The author also takes great care to show that the running was not easy work for Terry, that on many days he simply physically could not accomplish what he set out to do. It makes what he did accomplish all that much more impressive.

All in all, I was left with a new respect for Terry as a result of reading this book. As an occasional runner myself, I know how difficult it is to get up, on two legs, and go. Which makes you wonder, if Terry Fox could jog nearly a marathon every day for six months on one leg, by comparison, what excuse has anybody else got to not do anything?

Matthew D. Johnston