Lucky Man: A Memoir

Buy Low Price From Here Now

"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
style="clear:both"> Readmore

Technical Details

- ISBN13: 9780786867646
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
- Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices
See more technical details

 "Challenges and Success" 2009-10-10
By John R. Sedivy (Cape Cod, MA)
I read Lucky Man after reading Michael J. Fox's recent best seller Always Looking Up. Similar to his recent book, Lucky Man is an autobiography which focuses more on the author's early years and the discovery that he had Parkinson's. Basically this book outlines his earliest memories and ends where Always Looking Up begins. I found both books to be great reads, I specifically appreciated Fox's vulnerability with disclosing the good, bad, and ugly about his life. Highly recommended.

 "Yup." 2009-09-01
By Maria Beadnell (NY United States)
Here's how pervasive the Michael J. Fox phenom has been: I saw only one episode of Family Ties, was dragged by my peer group to Back to the Future, and have never seen Spin City. Yet I still knew, before getting this book, That MJF was from Canada, the names of his wife and each of his four children, and that he had Parkinson's. I told myself I was reading this book for the serious, noncurable illness aspect, but would I have cared if Michael J. Fox weren't so intriguing?



The book is mostly about how Parkinson's took over (and, he says, improved, his life) but there's so much leading up to it. OK, it's a common story arc: working class childhood, struggling actor, successful, cocky,actor, substance abuse, revelation. But it's so well written it feels fresh.



The writing is so vibrant it should be used in High School composition classes: you can open to any page in the book, at random, and get a clearly written, beautiful, evocative passage. I especially liked the young actor parts ("At auditions, be confident but for heaven's sake don't memorize the part or they'll think you're arrogant; you also have to hope you are not too old, too young, too fat, too thin, too short, too tall, or remind the casting director of any relative he doesn't like." Also: "An actor reading a script goes, "BS, BS, MY part. BS, BS, MY part").



How can he write about BEING a jerk and still not SEEM like a jerk? But he succeeds. He gives a lot of the credit to his substance abuse recovery to his wife, who seems to have grounded him beautifully and accepted his Parkinson's as part of the man she loves. Could any woman be as wise, as confident, as loving and patient as Tracy? I don't think so. If he is a lucky man, she is also a lucky woman, to be seen that way through his eyes.



Fox tells of his discovery of his illness with such vivid detail you feel you are discovering it with him. As an actor, he's got just the right blend of telling a story we all know with the spark to make it draw you in yet again. And when he gets to the day-to-day detail of controlling his symptoms as much as he can, he gives adequate but not too much information, just enough to make it intriguing reading. Fox's even and level argument in favor of stem cell research was equally impressive.



Lastly, I admired how he kept setting goals. Long after superstardom, wealth, and diagnosis, he sat down and took the test to get his G.E.D. He even reveals his math score.



He's won me over. Parkinson's Disease research is the next cause I want to support.

 "Very Pleased" 2009-08-23
By C. Hughes (Pittsburgh)
I am very satisfied with my purchase. It came very quickly and in perfect condition. I will definately buy from this person again.

 "Love this lucky man!!!!!" 2009-08-20
By A. Crowl (Elk Grove, CA)
I love Michael J. Fox...I always have and this is a great book. It was in great condition and priced right...

 "Amazing." 2009-08-04
By Ashley A. Baumhauer (Cedar Rapids, IA USA)
Need I say more after the title? Don't expect a sad pity party. Michael J. Fox tells it like it is, it's the truth and nothing but the truth. His writing is very eloquent and refreshing. A must read!


Images Product

Buy Lucky Man: A Memoir Now