A moving account of resilience, hope, fear and mortality, and how these things resonate in our lives, by actor and advocate 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 … 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 bestselling 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, aging, 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 humor, 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, that 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? Read the book.
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With everything 2020 has dished out … uncertainty, chaos, sickness, pain, devastation … there’s no better way to finish off my reading year than with Michael J. Fox.
With all that life has thrown his way, he STILL manages to stay positive, find the silver lining and keep a sense of humor about him. I grew up watching him (Family Ties) and have always loved him … I mean come on Back to the Future!!! Nerd alert
If he can keep his head about him, work through his grief, pain and neverending struggles .. I can change my thinking and keep a more positive attitude around me. Bring it on 2021!
Celebrity memoirs are usually popular reads because we get to learn about a celebrity’s life and career from their own mouth. But readers pick up actor Michael J. Fox’s books for a different reason. They want to know how he’s doing. And has his subtitles suggest, he’s not only doing fine, but he’s got a collection of life experiences to share and wisdom to impart. His writing goes way beyond the celebrity tell-all. They offer a witty, vulnerable, and unshakingly stable view of the world that we can all learn from and which transcends his acting career and Parkinson’s diagnosis.
You can read my full review here: https://laurasbooksandblogs.com/no-time-like-the-future/
One of my favorite 80’s actors was Michael J. Fox. He tells his story with such wit and humor that you almost forget that he has a terminal illness. He is so inspiring!
“No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality” is the newest memoir by Canadian actor and advocate, Michael J. Fox.
In “Future”, Michael is twenty-plus years into his Parkinson’s diagnosis, and he has come to terms with it (in every way he can). Now, he is watching his children embark on new adventures (high school graduation, new jobs) and occasionally appearing in cameo roles on hit television shows. When his health begins to seriously decline (separate from his Parkinson’s), he is faced head-on with his limitations, and begins to question his future.
Fox is hilarious, poignant and honest in this memoir. He is very open about his struggles in the past with alcohol, his Parkinson’s’ diagnosis and symptoms, and his mental health. He touts the support of his family as helping him get over his biggest hurdles, and, if anything, it made me love him more.
The novel is quiet short, which makes it an easy read. It is well-formulated, flows nicely and will have you running the entire gamut of emotions (laughing one minute, thoughtful the next). I really enjoyed reading about Fox’s life from his eyes, and cheered him on as he overcame obstacles one by one. This memoir portrays Fox as a father, a husband, a patient and, more importantly, a human.
I picked up this book hoping for some positive in my life and, that is what I got! I was drawn into the story, where I laughed, I cried, and ultimately found optimism. Mr Fox writes a compelling memoir.
Alternately harrowing, uplifting, and humorous, the latest book by the indomitable Michael J. Fox reflects on a life well-lived.
My oldest brother has been living with Parkinson’s for over a decade, the reason I was so drawn to read this new memoir by Michael J. Fox. In looking it up, I discovered I somehow managed to start with the third (or fourth) book in his memoir series. However, as my brother is also years down the road in his journey with PD, perhaps this was the perfect title to start with. No Time Like the Future covers Fox’s last decade living with the increasing effects of Parkinson’s Disease and how his outlook is changing as he copes with new challenges and limitations.
This book was an eye opener for me. I live far away from my brother, so really not aware of those small daily challenges he faces. Fox shares his story with honesty and humor. It’s not a sad “poor me” tale looking for sympathy. It’s a door he has opened into his world, the challenges he faces on a daily bases, how it affects his emotions and the amazing support that surrounds him. Just navigating walking requires super human coordination and a checklist of things to be aware of. And when he doesn’t focus – the consequences are serious.
I believe we all grow and benefit by reading stories shared by real people about their real lives. It helps us better understand and have empathy for others, and breaks down barriers. I’ll definitely be looking at reading his other books, but this time I’m going to read them in order or release.