No Time Like the Future

An Optimist Considers Mortality

By: Michael J. Fox

Narrated by: Michael J Fox

The entire world knows Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, the teenage sidekick of Doc Brown in Back to the Future; as Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties; as Mike Flaherty in Spin City; and through numerous other movie roles and guest appearances on shows such as The Good Wife and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Diagnosed at age 29, Michael is equally engaged in Parkinson's advocacy work, raising global awareness of the disease and helping find a cure through The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, the world's leading non-profit funder of PD science. His two previous best-selling memoirs, Lucky Man and Always Looking Up, dealt with how he came to terms with the illness, all the while exhibiting his iconic optimism. His new memoir reassesses this outlook, as events in the past decade presented additional challenges.

In No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality, Michael shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, ageing, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality. Thoughtful and moving, but with Fox's trademark sense of humour, his book provides a vehicle for reflection about our lives, our loves and our losses.

Running through the narrative is the drama of the medical madness Fox recently experienced, which included his daily negotiations with the Parkinson's disease he's had since 1991 and a spinal cord issue that necessitated immediate surgery. His challenge to learn how to walk again, only to suffer a devastating fall, nearly caused him to ditch his trademark optimism and "get out of the lemonade business altogether".

Does he make it all of the way back? Listen to the audiobook.

©2020 Michael J Fox (P)2020 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

What an inspirational man

Being in my early fifties, I got to know Michael J Fox as Marty McFly and Alex P Keating, as the most of us did, I suppose. I simply adored (still do) the Back to the Future movies and Family Ties. He was very cool and seemed to enjoy life through his characters he portrayed.

I watched the Graham Norton show two weeks ago that had MJF as a guest. He stunned me into speechless adoration when he told his story while lying on the ground in agony after a shattered arm, shortly after having a tumour removed from his spine and suffering from Alzheimer's for 30 years, he felt depressed and sorry for himself. And then it came to him, "How can I feel this way? What about people with real problems?" I immediately downloaded the book on Audible.

I've always liked him as an actor, but now I respect him as a man who has done so much for his foundation fighting Alzheimer's. He is an inspiration and put much of my life in perspective. His positive spin in life and quirky humour made me realise that there is much more to the man, Michael J Fox.

The only negative point about the book is that I would have loved to hear more about the foundation that he and Tracy is involved in. I suppose as a humble man he didn't want to elaborate too much about it, but anyone who has managed to raise a billion dollars to help others, certainly deserves my respect.