Lucky Man

A Memoir

By: Michael J. Fox

Narrated by: Michael J. Fox

Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

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. With the same passion, humor, and energy that Fox has invested in his dozens of performances, 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.

©2002 Michael J. Fox. All rights reserved (P)2002 Simon and Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"[Fox's] narrative and sentiment are heartfelt." (AudioFile)

Powerful

this book had me laughing and crying and it is also inspiring. His struggle to hide his disease from the public and his eventual, revealing it to the public what is an incredible Journey.

Highly Recommend Listening👍

Highly encourage as many people as possible to listen; very raw emotional story by Michael J Fox. Very we’ll done.

Michael J. Fox Collection - A Must Listen In Full!

Having listened to and poured over the entire Michael J. Fox book collection:

"Lucky Man: A Memoir" (2007)

"A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Future… Twists and Turns And Learned Lessons" (2010)

"Always Looking Up The Adventures Of An Incurable Optimist" (2013)

"No Time Like The Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality" (2020)

As Michael himself says in this collection over the course of the journey he is definitely an optimist; however he is definitely a realistic optimist. This is not a collection of glossy Hollywood stories with bubbly "look at me" anecdotes. To the contrary, it is a real life story (told over the course of 4 volumes)

Yes, there are a few famous names which pop up in the book from time to time, however it's in no way to be "showy" these people just happen to be Mr. Fox's true friends.

Michael writes lovingly about his family, how they've, yes, been very supportive of him of course; further however, he is very proud of what his children have accomplished in their own right as individuals.

The respect he has for all those people who have personally assisted him in his life and supported his humanitarian cause is constantly woven and rewoven beautifully throughout this continuous story of a life which is being lived with passion, conviction, empathetic diligence for humanity, and yes as he himself says realistic optimism.

His 30+ year marriage to his wife Tracy has been filled with Hollywood success, but even better their actual lives have been filled with tests of redemptive successes which has assisted not only Michael in his journey but the journeys of so many untold people around the world; through their starting of and continuing work with the Michael J. Fox foundation!

Obviously, I would recommend these books and really Michael's own powerful telling of his own life's journey and mission is made all the better because you hear it all in his passionate yet dignified, sometimes witty, sometimes carefully measured melancholy narration. Michael J. Fox - his past, present, and Future!

Thank you

This book helped more then I could ever say it did. It helped with some fears too.

I wish I'd listened to the unabridged version

I completely missed that this was abridged version. I'm not sure if there even is unabridged version as an audio book, but if there is, listen to that instead. It can only be better.

That was pretty much the only downside worth mentioning about the listening experience. Michael reads the book him self, which really makes it so much better. The story is heartwarming yet honest and humble. He admits his problems, talks about'em openly and tells what are the most important things for him. He does not preach or try to be condescending.

If there has to be some other downside it is that only so much trivia and stories can fit into a book, especially abridged version. I really hoped there would be even more stories on back scenes of the movie sets and such. Michael seems to be pretty protective on his personal life what comes to his family, so that part is kept relatively shallow.

I thought I liked Michael J. Fox before, but now I like him even more. If you think you do, too, it's certainly worth listening.

Great story of his inspirational journey.

Any additional comments?

I listened to the abridged audio book as it was read by Michael himself and it was lovely listening to him telling his own story. I didn't find it as emotional or as touching as i was expecting and moments that i was expecting to be teary just weren't. Not sure if this was it due to it being an abridged version and parts had been left out, as i found the story to jump around a bit and the poignant moment at the end with the walnut tree just seemed a bit lost.

Still a great story about an inspirational man.

This warmed my heart

Thank you for sharing your story. My husband also had PD.. Your openness will help others not feel so helpless. As you know, there are ways to live with this disease. However, everyone’s situation is a bit different.

I seriously love this guys strength

I am so proud of what he has done. he is an amazing beautiful person who has done so much with what he has.

Thank you!

Thank you for this book. I work with an individual with this devastating disease. It helps me understand what he feels and his struggles. I would enjoy to learn a little more of your interpersonal relationships on a deeper level, and with more individuals in the future!

Just a really good well written story

Really a lovely story. Michael J. Fox is an excellent writer and I feel like hes really invites us in with this incredible And humble betrayal of his journey.