Lucky Man: A Memoir by Michael J. Fox Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.52 You Save: $10.47 (81%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.74 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Lucky Man: A Memoir
Book Review: Will keep you reading way past bedtime...
Summary: 5 Stars
I'll try not to write an essay on why you should buy this book, just why i enjoyed it so much as briefly as possible, leaving you more time to reach for your credit card.Firstly, unlike other memoirs and autobiographies, this is not boring. It doesn't detail every single moment from birth to present day, just the important bits. So, you don't have to be a hardcore fan to read it basically. If you are, even better.
It charts his life defining moments from childhood living in army barracks, to his rise in fame and fortune, with various rocks along the way. Fox does not write for want of sympathy or a plea for donations to the foundation for P.D in his name, but to let you, the reader get in touch with him and throughout the book, you really feel like you know him personally.
Because of the personal nature of the content, Mike wrote it himself and i think that that really helps. He does not 'big himself up' or make himself out to be an idol, yet when you read about his sucess and good times, you want to punch the air and shout 'You the man!'
Overall, this book is just as interesting as whatching his films, and certainly more interesting than today's TV (and that comes from a 16 year old!). It is such a joy to read, and is expertly written. His style is so smooth on paper and despite being a high school drop-out, his work easily matches that of many a great author, what with the metaphors and clever humour. You can really see that this is one comedy actor that doesn't need a comedy script writer to be funny.
Half way through you will flick through the last half and think: "Oh no! only another 150 pages to go." I enjoyed this book so much i was truly dissapointed when i finished it in the early hours of this morning. And so i leave you with this advice, start reading early in the evening because come bed-time, you wont want to stop.
Book Review: A winning autobiography
Summary: 5 Stars
Reading Michael J. Fox's memoir, Lucky Me, was a complete joy. He tells his life story in a funny, friendly, and exceptionally modest way, as if he were sitting and chatting with his best friend.Michael grew up in a Canadian military family that moved around a lot. He got his first acting job as a teenager, then dropped out of school to try his luck in Hollywood. The tv series Family Ties brought him stardom, and the rest is history. This is not a Hollywood insider's kiss-and-tell book, however. Indeed, there is no name-dropping or gossip about the rich and famous. He focuses, instead, on how the love of his parents, siblings, wife, and four children has kept him grounded, helped him overcome alcoholism, and now gives him strength in his battle with Parkinson's disease.
Fox loved his work, and faces life without acting, because of the increasingly debilitating symptoms of PD. He is hopeful for a cure, takes an active part in educating people about it, and helps raise money for research. This is a quick read, engagingly written, short on self-pity and long on gratitude for his career and his family. I recommend it to his fans and to those who want to learn more about Parkinson's disease.
Book Review: An enlightening and humbling read
Summary: 5 Stars
Firstly, I was drawn to this book because it is, unlike many other biographies, written by the subject himself. Michael J. Fox is indeed a very talented and objective writer, and this book makes a fantastic read. Another one that I just couldn't put down, and I read it all in one sitting.You would think that someone cut off in the prime of his career by something as serious as Parkinson's Disease might put a little self-pity in there. There is none - instead, he wishes to tell everyone just how much richer his life has become since being diagnosed with P.D., and this makes for a very real, humbling story. Although I was a fan of Michael's to start with, I admire him even more having read this book.
Book Review: A FINE MAN...
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful memoir by a beloved actor. I have always been a fan of Michael J. Fox, as he always seemed so likable in every role in which he has been cast. His book is no different. His wit, charm, and self-deprecating humor resonate throughout this intensely personal memoir of his life. He is not only likable, he is a fine man who has come to terms with the hand with which he has been dealt and is making the most of it.The book traces his beginnings as a Canadian army brat, his father having been in the military. He tells the reader about growing up in Canada, part of a closely knit, working class family. He credits his short stature with helping him get his start in the theatre and film business in Canada, as it enabled him to play children's roles. From there, he did a segue into the United States, where he eventually won the coveted role of Alex P. Keaton in the hit situation comedy "Family Ties.". From then on, he was on the path to fame and fortune.
Alas, the path to fame and fortune is not always an easy one. His take on his celebrity status is astute, and he describes the impact that it has had on his life, both good and bad. He details some mistakes that he has made while growing up, such as the drinking binges that were out of control and threatened to derail his life. He also discusses some of the good decisions he has made, such as his marriage to the intelligent and lovely Tracy Pollan. He also details where these mistakes and choices have taken him and how they have shaped him into the man he is today.
The specter of Young Onset Parkinson's Disease has overshadowed his life since 1990, when he first noticed the physical manifestations of the disease by an uncontrollable trembling and twitching of his left pinkie. At the time, he was still in his twenties. He would go on to live in a state of denial for some time. When denial was no longer an option, he spent years hiding his disease from everyone except for his immediate family. When he finally did the television series Spin City, he let the people with whom he worked closely in on his secret., until the day came when it could be kept secret no more.
In 1998, Michael J. Fox decided to go public with his diagnosis and prognosis and share with the general public his experiences with Young Onset Parkinson's Disease. He has been liberated by doing so. The book details how he has come to terms with the disease and how it has impacted on his life. He describes the disease in detail, as well his involvement in Parkinson's advocacy. He has certainly been an ardent spokesperson, directing his efforts to research fundraising in an attempt to find a cure for this disease. His celebrity status has served to put the spotlight on this debilitating and, eventually, fatal disease.
This is a very well-written memoir by a very fine man, intelligent and introspective. He is a family man who has a deep appreciation for his beloved and loyal wife, who has stood by her man through thick and thin. He is also a devoted father to his two children. Though he has met with much material success in life, Michael J, Fox has managed to remain grounded and true to himself. This no-holds-barred book reminds me as to why I have always liked Michael J. Fox. He is, indeed, a lucky man.
Book Review: A totally absorbing, ultimately uplifting book
Summary: 5 Stars
I was attracted to buying this book for two reasons; Michael J Fox is one of my favourite actors and a friend of mine was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's, so it was partly for entertainment and partly for information. If you get this then set aside at least two or three hours to read it because I guarantee you will be completely gripped from the first page. Michael J Fox is a gifted writer who doesn't wallow in self-pity - instead he concentrates on the positive aspects of his life and family, with a liberal sprinkling of dry humour throughout. The book provides a fresh and positive outlook on life and an insight into the amazing internal strength that only something as life-changing as this could give someone. Often biographies seem cliched, rehashed and sugar-coated - Hollywood star tells all, no-holds-barred etc - but Lucky Man is fresh and original. You'll laugh, you'll cry, but ultimately you'll redeem your faith in the eternal optimism of mankind. If you're a Michael J Fox fan, want to know more about Parkinson's and/or liked Lance Armstrong's It's Not About The Bike, you'll like this. A worthy addition to anybody's bookshelf that more than deserves five stars.