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    Lucky Man: A Memoir
    Lucky Man: A Memoir
    Lucky Man: A Memoir
    Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

    Lucky Man: A Memoir

    Written by Michael J. Fox

    Narrated by Michael J. Fox

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Grammy Award Nominee for Best Spoken Word Album!

    "If you were to rush in to 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."

    In September 1998, Michael J. Fox stunned the world by announcing that 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. With the same passion, humor, and energy that he has invested in his dozens of performances over the last eighteen 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 western Canada to his meteoric rise in film and television which made him a worldwide celebrity. Most importantly, he writes of the last ten 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 feels as if he is a very lucky man, indeed.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateApr 1, 2002
    ISBN9780743568746
    Lucky Man: A Memoir
    Author

    Michael J. Fox

    Michael J. Fox gained fame by playing Alex P. Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties. His blockbuster movies include Back to the Future, The Secret of My Success, Doc Hollywood, Casualties of War, and The American President. He returned to television in his award-winning lead role as Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty on Spin City, followed by guest appearances in series like Rescue Me, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Good Wife. His many awards include five Emmys, four Golden Globes, one Grammy, two Screen Actors Guild awards, the People’s Choice award, and GQ Man of the Year. In 2000, he launched the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which is now the leading Parkinson’s organization in the world. He is the author of three New York Times bestselling books: Lucky Man, Always Looking Up, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future. Michael lives with his family in New York City.

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    Reviews for Lucky Man

    4.5/5

    697 ratings48 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 5/5
      I loved this. Inspiring, funny, educational and insightful. Thank you.
    • 5/5
      I listened to this book ten days after surgery for prostate cancer. I picked “Lucky Man” because of name recognition. It gave me a powerful sense of how a book can help me to connect with the energy necessary to appreciate that the experience of PD or cancer can draw us into a deeper appreciation of life, even as we face a life challenge that we surely would not have chosen for ourselves. As I listened, I waited for my pathology report on whether the cancer had escaped the original site in my prostate and I realized that, like Michael J. Fox I could opt to expect the best rather than lament the challenge that could give me a sense of purpose. Most significant of all, hearing about Fox’s response to PD helped me to realize what a lucky man I am to have been chosen by a very curable disease like prostate cancer rather than Parkinson’s Disease.
    • 4/5
      I was not able to read the last chapter of the last two books I was reading. I’m very disappointed the buffering interrupts my reading and sometimes it’s totally shut off.
    • 4/5
      An inspiring life story not only of a wonderful actor and comedien, but of a person struguling with an illness. Struguling with comprehending and accepting and finaly thriving and living not despite but with an illness. Loved it.
    • 4/5
      Honest and entertaining. A great example of how to use the "celebrity currency" (as MJF calls it) for a greater cause.
    • 4/5
      If you're looking for a memoir that's both riveting and hilarious please check out this one.

      I listened to Lucky Man by Michael J Fox on audiobook. It was also narrated by Michael J. Fox which I think added a certain some thing that it was in his own voice.

      I really enjoyed how Michael J. Fox took you on a tour through the finer points of his childhood including the relationship with his family his mother and father and his siblings. He gave several insights into his personality and events as a child that made him the man that he became when he was an adult. I really love the tie in between his childhood and his adult life. You expect to feel very bad when he discovers he has Parkinson's disease as an early onset adult, but honestly he makes it OK. He explains how he felt about it and that how he never really felt sorry for himself but more I saw it as some sort of challenge in his life to overcome. Which I think is such a great attitude to have. He takes you through his diagnosis, acceptance and struggles with alcohol, and into surgeries and treatments and how he handled it with work friends and family. All of which was very riveting and most of it I did not know. I do feel like I have a better grasp on Michael J. Fox as a person and an actor after listening to this audiobook. he did not weigh down the technical and diagnostic parts of the audiobook by being too verbose. It was definitely read in Laymans terms and made it extremely easy to follow for pretty much anybody. He held absolutely nothing back when it came to his alcoholism or the relationship with his wife. I do wish he had gotten a little bit more into his relationship with his younger two children. They were brought in at the end of the book and there wasn't much time to get to know how they felt about the situation. However, I do believe they were very young when the story was written and that might be why.

      Overall I gave this story a solid 4/5. He didn't rivet me enough or give me an emotional response enough to give it a 5/5 but a 4/5 is an extremely solid rating for me. I absolutely enjoyed this audiobook.
    • 5/5
      This book was(is) everything I hoped for/expected it to be and much more!?????
    • 5/5
      This book was so positive and uplifting. It was great to hear Michael J Fox's voice
    • 5/5
      A beautifully written autobiography. Narrated by the author, it gives one hope.
    • 5/5
      Listened every chance I could! Wonderful story, honest, touching, brave.
    • 5/5
      He was a big part of my youth growing up in the 80s can't help but love this book.
    • 5/5
      Very entertaining to hear Fox's life story in his own voice. His work developing a foundation for Parkinson's is admirable. Highly recommend.
    • 5/5
      Very engaging and heartwarming, Fox tells his story in an open, honest, humorous manner. His heartbreaking spiral into PD is a testament to his strength and determination. The work he has done as an advocate I’ll benefit millions of people. A very enjoyable listen.
    • 5/5
      So thought provoking and riveting. I couldn’t put it down. Made me feel so many emotions, especially gratitude for my health and courage to persevere through challenges and trials. Michael is a great man.
    • 5/5
      Amazing book, love the way it’s written and such a big insight into his life, inspiring
    • 5/5
      I like Fox giving the medical process & terms. Smart.
    • 5/5
      Likely a combination of having enjoyed Michael J Fox on Family Ties/Back To The Future and the writing he shares this audiobook is really enjoyable.

      He has that charisma that simply draws you in. It’s a gift and as his path in life brings him along to Parkinson’s Disease where he takes us into his struggles and breakthroughs. His gift is bringing more attention to an illness that needs to be overcome.

      My one takeaway is his acceptance of his path. It seemed he had it all, but not really, until he began down this new path and this is that story.

      Many blessings to him and his family as they all continue the journey.
    • 4/5
      Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox

      ★ ★ ★ ★

      Michael J. Fox would barely be 30 years old when he would be diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, a rare early onset when most people don't show symptoms until in their late fifties or older. How he dealt with it was no walk in the park. But in the end he would learn that his disease was not a curse but just a walk down another path, a better one for him.

      I really enjoyed this book. Fox delves into his childhood and his connection with his family. How he was diagnosed with P.D. And his struggle to deal with it and finally his public “coming-out” of his disease. I loved how honest he was. It may have taken him years to tell the public of his disease (this book would be published less than 4 years after he publicly announced his disease) but he comes out truthful and honest from beginning to end. Definitely a worthwhile read.
    • 5/5
      As good as the first time I read it !
    • 5/5
      Actor Michael J. Fox takes the reader through his journey dealing with M.S.
    • 5/5
      Loved the whole book...Marvelous..best because he read the book himself
    • 5/5
      Absolutely brilliant! Such a good read. Highly recommended, I really enjoyed this what a man.
    • 5/5
      An incredible story told with honesty covering a difficult subject but ultimately a story of hope. Michael J Fox reads his own words with courage.
    • 3/5
      Incredibly honest & inspirational.
    • 5/5
      Always loved Michael J Fox's work. Now I appreciate him more.
    • 5/5
      Incredible book! Easy yet important read. Love Michaels writing voice and that it was read by the author!
    • 5/5
      I loved this book! Listening to Michael tell his story and share his truths about his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease was heartbreaking but uplifting too.
    • 4/5
      A very candid and inspirational story.
    • 5/5
      Liked it better than his last book. Interesting story told with humor.
    • 4/5
      Honestly, who doesn't like Michael J. Fox? Growing up in the 80's, I'll admit to having had a Hollywood crush on him as Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties, and then being further infatuated watching him as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy. I know I wasn't alone, and I'm fairly certain I had a few magazine posters taped up on my wall as well. My infatuation faded as I grew older and I never did watch Spin City when he returned to television, but I know I shared America's sadness when he revealed in 1998 that he had been battling early onset Parkinson's disease for the past seven years.In this, his first memoir, he details some of his growing up years, his breakout into acting and Hollywood, his marriage & family life, and eventually his Parkinson's diagnosis, as well as his emerging role as a spokesperson and voice for those attempting to increase research funding for the disease. It's a down-to-earth story and while it's probably not quite the best memoir I've read (this possibly being due to the fact that I listened to an abridged audio version), it's still quite good and definitely worth the read.