Product Description
Michael J. Fox abandoned high school to pursue an acting career, but went on to receive honorary degrees from several universities and garner the highest accolades for his acting, as well as for his writing. In his new book, he inspires and motivates graduates to recognize opportunities, maximize their abilities, and roll with the punches--all with his trademark optimism, warmth, and humor.

In A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future, Michael draws on his own life experiences to make a case that real learning happens when "life goes skidding sideways." He writes of coming to Los Angeles from Canada at age eighteen and attempting to make his way as an actor. Fox offers up a comically skewed take on how, in his own way, he fulfilled the requirements of a college syllabus. He learned Economics as a starving artist; an unexpected turn as a neophyte activist schooled him in Political Science; and his approach to Comparative Literature involved stacking books up against their movie versions.

Replete with personal stories and hilarious anecdotes, Michael J. Fox's new book is the perfect gift for graduates.

Customer Reviews (28)

A charming and inspiring quick read
You can easily finish this book in one or two casual sittings -- and I think you will enjoy it.This book is specifically written for graduates, but even if you are well beyond your school days, I think you will be charmed and inspired by Michael J. Fox's words.Learning to live in the moment, being grateful, finding a mentor and mentoring someone else, and making the best of what life dishes out to you -- these are all lessons that he passes on through his life stories.

Much ado about nothing.
So the guy is well-known. So what?He milks totally ordinary life experiences as though they were something special.I did not bother to finish it.And his writing isn't particularly good.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Future--Wonderful!
If you enjoy Michael J. Fox, his speaking, humor, I think this book is great. It's wonderful to hear him speak from experience and those who love him best, will get a kick out of it. I'm a huge fan & enjoy hearing what he has to say on his viewpoints, personal experience, etc. Enjoy!

If You've Read Lucky Man and it's Sequel, There's Hardly Any New Content With This Thin Book
If this is your only exposure to Michael J Fox biographical books then you will no doubt get a lot more out of reading this, rate it higher and probably enjoy it a bit more too.But as someone who has read the sensational Michael J Fox autobiography Lucky Man and the not as good but does fill in timeline wise the gaps of what happened after the final pages of Lucky Man, Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, there's very, very little new content here.Granted A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future, is a much catchier title than the other two books, and being it is a lot thinner you wonder if Fox and the publishers had regretted not using it before and just decided to do a summary book under the better title.This book is sort of like one of those cheat books students buy that summarise books so they don't have to read the thicker main book.That's pretty much what reading it is like, Fox basically just summarises his life experiences instead of taking you the reader into his childhood, school days, life as a struggling actor, successful actor, diagnosis of and living with Parkinson's Disease like he did with Lucky Man and to a lesser extent its sequel.It's like someone telling a really good story at party and the next week you hear them retelling it when there's new people there, but leaving out all the details.For example in this book we the reading audience are simply told another actor originally started filming as the character Marty McFly.In Lucky Man we were told who that was, (Eric Stoltz) and how Cher snubbed him at the Oscars (she had made the movie Mask with Stoltz) and a heap of other details.Teen Wolf and his feelings about the quality of that film, which he was making when Back to the Future started filming with Stoltz isn't even mentioned.The quality is in the details with Fox's autobiographical tales and that's missing with this hour long read.

There is very little new stuff you haven't read before in this book, in fact there's very little at all (it's just 100 pages). There's an account of the jungle taking over a film set in South East Asia, Fox compares five films to their original (or later written for Arthur C Clarke's 2001 Space Odyssey) novel, but that's pretty much it. Not enough content to warrant paying any money for, but you may want to check out A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future from your local library for the miniscule amount of new stuff that's in here.

A Perfect Gift Book
What was I thinking?What made me pick up this book?Was it the author's name on the front cover?Was it the incredibly funny cover itself?Was it the fact that I needed to read something funny at a time when not much seemed funny?Yes, yes and resounding yes!"A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Future...Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned" by Michael J. Fox (yes, THE Michael J. Fox) is a witty, inspiring, encouraging gift book for graduates...of high school, college and the school of hard knocks!

The front cover and title sum up what many of us know about the author.This may draw us to pick up the book.But leafing through the content and reading a few paragraphs will reveal an intelligent vocabulary, a realistic - and optimistic - outlook, and some very sage advice that I have quoted several times already.What was I thinking?I was thinking that I needed a bit of laughter at a time when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.I was thinking that I needed a bit of encouragement from someone who is notably an incurable optimist.I was thinking that I like Mike as an actor, maybe I'll like him as an author.I was thinking I could read this book with my current depleted attention span.I was completely right in my thinking. ... Read more

Product Description
At the turn from our bedroom into the hallway, there is an old full-length mirror in a wooden frame. I can't help but catch a glimpse of myself as I pass. Turning fully toward the glass, I consider what I see. This reflected version of myself, wet, shaking, rumpled, pinched, and slightly stooped, would be alarming were it not for the self-satisfied expression pasted across my face. I would ask the obvious question, "What are you smiling about?" but I already know the answer: "It just gets better from here."

-- from Always Looking Up ... Read more

Customer Reviews (131)

Disappointing on many levels
I had read "Lucky Man" - MJF's first autobiographical book - and enjoyed that for the most part.Living the life of a celebrity amidst celebrity friends was the parts of the first book that gradually grew annoying.Here in this book, we see that even more - the name dropping, in-jokes, and the recounting of experiences that he had just because of who he is as a celebrity - not as if he earned those experiences any other way - is played out ad nauseum.Even in describing his family, he makes it seem that they are so unique that no other family could match their adventures.In describing a trip he made from LA to New York in the wake of 9/11 to get to his family, it's as if no one else would have made the same kind of a trip that week when airports were shut down and people had to hit the roads from points all over the US to get home to their loved ones in an uncertain time.This is not an experience that is exclusive to MJF.But if the average Joe wrote a book and described some of the same things about their personal life without giving deeper insight on how that can relate to the reader's life- the book would not even be published.So, just because MJF is a celebrity with a cause, his stories are more fit to print than other Americans involved in similar concerns and experiences with much less in the way of means and access than MJF has.

The title of the book is also misleading.I thought that he was going to explain why he is still optimistic on life and about finding a cure for Parkinson's even though he has been living with it for as long as he has.Then I thought that he would apply that to the reader and give us insight on why he feels that way and why he has chosen not to be pessimistic.But no.He just goes on describing how it is to be him and how he gets to do so many neat things.I would be more interested in reading a book about a Joe shmoe with a debilitating disease who has to worry about feeding his family and who is able to be optimistic through all that.MJF in this book, is not relatable to the mainstream reader.

He's also extremely political - though inconsistent with how he conveys his politics.Not wanting to alienate readers who are against stem cell research he states that he completely respects the other point of view.But when it comes time for Bush to veto the stem cell bill that's when the political veneer from earlier is long forgotten as he disrespectfully rips into the other point of view.

The most disturbing part of the book is the chapter on Faith.Because he's MJF, he invites himself to meet with Bishop Carlton Pearson, who he explains has been abandoned by his peers of televangelist ministers for questioning the existence of hell.While with Pearson, MJF tells the story of a childhood friend of his who became a traveling Christian missionary whom MJF donated money to from time to time.MJF said he was disturbed when the friend - Russ - had said that he should stop seeking a cure to his disease through stem cell research advocacy and turn to Jesus for healing.On relating his friend's urging to Carlton Pearson, Pearson is quoted as having said that if Russ were able to convince MJF to take a Christian point of view, " You'd be a big win for Jesus.And for Russ's church and in his ministry, you'd be a big notch in his belt."In the following paragraphs, MJF, while stating he is not ascribing this to his friend, he leans toward actually believing Carlton Pearson because of course this man should know that Christians would want to cash in on MJF's celebrity if he was healed through Christ.first of all, if I were Russ, I would not accept a single dime from MJF again for putting this in print and questioning his motives.How does anybody think that someone who cares about you and wants to enlighten you on a different path automatically wants to put you on "The 700 Club" and make you the celebrity poster child of Christianity?If MJF were to give a more Christian path in fighting his disease a shot, it would be up to him if he were to become a Christian exploitation - though he thinks its perfectly fine to exploit his celebrity in every other aspect.I just don't think questioning your friend's heart - who seems to genuinely be trying to help you - because of a conversation with a celebrity minister - who just has to be an expert- should be published for the whole world to read.What that tells me is that MJF is stuck in his ways, is conceited about his worldview, and isn't acting the part of a good friend.

As you can probably surmise, I do not recommend this book.If you like MJF now and think he's a likable everyman, then don't read this book.You'll continue to like him if you don't read it.

Aptly titled
Fox lays it on a little thick in this book, as the title implies. But overall, this is a nice, uplifting read. Despite the challenges of being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease at such a young age, Fox recognizes the many blessings in his life and looks to the future with hope and enthusiasm. The book is arranged by topic (work, politics, family, etc.). So if you don't agree with his politics and want to remain a fan, you can easily skip that entire section and still enjoy the book.

ALWAYS LOOKING UP!
Well written. I have faith in the guy! He'll kick-it (right, The PD too), if anyone can (with his GIANT spirit.)

outstanding cooperaton and service
When I received my item, i discovered it wasn't the format which I believed I ordered.After contacting Bordeebook, they offered to have me return the item and credit my Amazon account in full.Needless to say I was very pleased with their cooperation and assistance.I would welcome an opportunity to do business with them again.Their courtesy is outstanding.

Inspiring Story with Informal Advice
I highly recommend anything written by Michael J. Fox as you can guarantee the words come from the heart and most of all - he writes his book to fund research Parkinson's research. While this book does not outline any concrete ideas or research on achieving optimism and happiness, it's a clear demonstration of one man's journey from good to greatness. This is a must-read for any fans of Michael J. Fox or die-hard Canadians! I bought my copy on Amazon for a very low price!


For my full review of Always Looking Up, visit my blog at [...]

Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist ... Read more

Product Description
The remarkable memoir of film star Michael J. Fox and his first ten years living with Parkinson's Disease. Diagnosed in 1991, Michael eventually lost his balance, his grace, his spontaneity, and the ability to read the morning newspaper. Even so, he realizes that, in fact, he is a lucky man.Amazon.com Review
The same sharp intelligence and self-deprecating wit that made Michael J. Fox a star in the Family Ties TV series and Back to the Future make this a lot punchier than the usual up-from-illness celebrity memoir. Yes, he begins with the first symptoms of Parkinson's disease, the incurable illness that led to his retirement from Spin City (and acting) in 2000. And yes, he assures us he is a better, happier person now than he was before he was diagnosed. In Fox's case, you actually might believe it, because he then cheerfully exposes the insecurities and self-indulgences of his pre-Parkinson's life in a manner that makes them not glamorous but wincingly ordinary and of course very funny. ("As for the question, 'Does it bother you that maybe she just wants to sleep with you because you're a celebrity?' My answer to that one was, 'Ah...nope.'") With a working-class Canadian background, Fox has an unusually detached perspective on the madness of mass-media fame; his description of the tabloid feeding frenzy surrounding his 1988 wedding to Tracy Pollan, for example, manages to be both acid and matter-of-fact. He is frank but not maudlin about his drinking problem, and he refreshingly notes that getting sober did not automatically solve all his other problems. This readable, witty autobiography reminds you why it was generally a pleasure to watch Fox onscreen: he's a nice guy with an edge, and you don't have to feel embarrassed about liking him. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Customer Reviews (231)

Michael J Fox
Awesome book. Even better as a audio book because it is read by Michael himself.

I listened to the Audio book. It was great.

Lucky Man
I have always been a fan of Micheal J. Fox since his early days as Alex P. Keaton on Family Tiesand then as the quirky but loveable character, Marty McFly in Back to the Future - The Complete Trilogy (Widescreen Edition) and Mike Flaherty on SPIN CITY .

I picked this book up on a whim; it was the cover that caught my attention. I knew about Michael J. Fox's struggle with Parkinson's Disease, like most of America, but there was something about this photograph that was so endearing and made me wonder, what aspect of his life made him look so happy and almost giddy on the cover?

This is a wonderful book about courage, adjustment and acceptance, not in that particular order. The amazing grace with which Michael J. Fox chronicles his life and speaks openly about drinking, depression, marriage and family. This is an honest and refreshing book about his outlook on Parkinson's Disease and how it has impacted his life and that of his family. This book touches on his plans for the future and his work with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, created to help advance a research path to Parkinson's Disease through embryonic stem cell studies.

Michael J. Fox is a leading advocate for Parkinson's Disease research, this book offers a message of hope and compassion for anyone who has know someone affected by PD. My admiration for Michael J. Fox continues after reading his memoirs of such an intimate illness.

Shows a Michael J. Fox you don't know
This book shows a Michael J. Fox you don't know. Fox was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth but took his charismatic personality to Hollywood and almost destroyed himself in the process. Even after early onset Parkinson's disease, he still considers himself a "lucky man." Read it and see why.

Funny recomended
I am reading this book and I am really surprise about how Michael explain the drama. It's just the best way to be positive and fight. Also interesting to know details about the life of these great actor.
Really fun and recommneded.

Life's lessons
I enjoyed this honest and heartwarming autobiography by Michael J. Fox, and learned a great deal about PD. I loved how candid he was about everything in his life, and he talked to me through his writing like we were friends. He is in my thoughts, and I look forward to reading his other memoir. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Michael J Fox's book...with my feelings
This was an incredible story about a real person withand very tough disease and very truthful feelings and humor that he shares so well. I recommend this book to anyone facing tramas in their life. It is all about attitude...and Michael has a great one! ... Read more

Product Description
Growing up in Canada, Mike Fox dreamed of playing hockey—or being a writer, or a musician—anything that wasn’t nine to five. Somewhere along the line, Michael realized he was too short to play hockey, and what he was really good at was being funny. By the age of 15, Michael’s dreams had changed to acting. From his first part in Leo and Me to his last in the successful sitcom Spin City, Michael J. Fox had led what appeared to be a happy and successful life. With a family and a wonderful wife, he had everything to be thankful for. Then, one day, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Several years later, this degenerative brain disease ended his career. But Michael still thinks of himself as a "lucky man," and these days, he devotes himself and his resources to conquering Parkinson’s disease. ... Read more

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One of a series aimed at busy managers, and based on a belief that most managers do not have the time - or possibly the inclination - to read heavyweight tomes. The reports are written in a straightforward style, so that the information can be quickly and easily absorbed. ... Read more

Product Description
Traces the life and career of the young Canadian actor whose move to the United States brought him enormous success in television and films. ... Read more

Product Description
Follows the life and career of the diminutive Canadian actor who has achieved phenomenal success in both television and film work. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines the life and career of the popular television and film actor and provides little-known facts about him. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines the life and career of the young Canadian actor who found enormous popularity and success, first on television and then in films. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A neat little fan book about Michael J. Fox's early days!
This is a pretty easy read, quite entertaining and tells the story of a young Michael J. Fox upto his Back to the Future and Teen Wolf success. It also has some cute and spunky B&W photo's of the little stud. It is amust have for anyone who adores THE MAN. ... Read more

Product Description
Profiles the life of Michael J. Fox through his career in film and television. ... Read more

Product Description
Archival collections offer unique challenges to their custodians. Though each collection is intimately tied to the people, era, and events that generated the collection, and thus needs to be organized and described individually, archivists recognize the imperative to standardize their procedures for consistency. This book provides an introduction to the common organizational and descriptive practices that have developed in response to the particular requirements of archival collections. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a clear and succinct source of reference for achieving registration to the new ISO 9000 series of standards updated in 1994. A unique feature of the book is that it goes beyond the standards to provide essentialinformation on the broader issues of quality management. The second edition has been carefully revised and follows the structure of the successful first edition. Using examples, practical checklists, charts and tables, with copious reference to key international standards, the author provides an essential sourcebook for the professional manager. ... Read more

Product Description
Morton Kondracke never intended to wed Millicent Martinez, but the fiery daughter of a radical labor organizer eventually captured his heart. They married, raised two daughters, and loved and fought passionately for twenty years. Then, in 1987, Milly noticed a glitch in her handwriting, a small tremor that would lead to the shattering diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Saving Milly is Kondracke’s powerfully moving chronicle of his vital and volatile marriage, one that has endured and deepened in the face of tragedy; it also follows his own transformation from careerist to caregiver and activist, a man who will “fight all the way, without pause or rest, to ‘save’ his beloved Milly.” *


(* Linda Bowles, The Washington Times)Amazon.com Review
Morton Kondracke chronicles his wife's 13-year battle against Parkinson's disease with the same attention to nitty-gritty details and shrewd understanding of how power works that distinguish his political commentary. Kondracke doesn't airbrush how horrible it is to have Parkinson's (the squeamish should avoid the passages about Milly Kondracke's two rounds of deep-brain surgery), or how difficult it is to live with someone who does (the mere recitation of his caretaking activities will exhaust most readers). He provides unvarnished accounts of the battles among members of the Parkinson's Action Network and other disease activists competing for limited federal research funds, until they got real and decided to fight to double the National Institutes of Health's budget so everyone would get more money. And he refuses to offer a feel-good ending charged with false hope; the book's closing pages include a grim account of the Kondrackes' discussions about what to do if she becomes unable to swallow. (They settled on refusing the feeding tube and allowing her to starve to death, which "is not painful if the patient doesn't take liquids.") Offsetting this bleak material is a vibrant, loving, and equally candid portrait of the indomitable Millicent Martinez Kondracke, who began up-ending the admittedly self-absorbed, drivingly ambitious Kondracke's life from the moment they met in 1966. He'd planned to marry an Ivy-educated heiress who could further his career; instead he was swept away by a Mexican Jewish American firebrand who challenged authority on everything from a botched car repair to the school system's poor handling of their daughter's dyslexia. Seeing how powerful she once was, we share her anguish as she descends into disability--and her husband's hope that, despite all the current scientific projections, research will provide a breakthrough in time to save Milly. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

Dealing with Parkinson

My name is Alton Bloomfield, I was diagnosed with parkinson in Nov. of 2003.
My early symtoms differed some from Milly's in the book. This was probably
due to the difference in our ages when we were diagnosed. I have been able to
control it with medication to the point where I can still drive and do most anything I want to do. The book Saving Milly was in excellant condition when
I received it. I highly recommend Amazon Books.


Alton Bloomfield

Saving Milly
Book was used one, but well preserved. Price was just right.
Saving Milly was a heart breaking real life story. Had to draw paralels
with my story spouse has Parkinson's for last 10 years.

Saving Milly, a Parkinson's Story
Excellent book, well written. Anyone who has, or is spouse or friend of
someone with Parkinson's should read this book. It will make you cry and then make you mad, really mad. The U.S. Government should read it and see
how poorly funds are distributed for aid and research. It's a shame.

Outstanding interview + reader's guide in paperback edition
Paperback includes both a reading guide and a compelling interview with Kondracke by his comrade, Fred Barnes. In particular, it is interesting to learn about what Kondracke wishes he had done a bit differently in telling the story. In a sense, Kondracke stands outside the story to evaluate how faithfully he told it, an extraordinary exercise.

Maybe this book is less about Milly and more about "saving Milly" and what that meant: pragmatically, socially, politically, spiritually. It's a useful distinction to bear in mind. There is some background information about this brave and lovely woman, but inasmuch as the topic is an encounter with a disease she has, this is not a biography of Milly. It is a picture of sickness and its impact: not of the woman, herself.

There are plenty of books about people with illness: fewer, by far, about the very flawed, though devoted, individuals who care for them. Kondracke seems no longer to flinch at the shadows of his inadequacy and pomposity, which might encourage the reader to consider a similarly brave examination of conscience. Many of us will be called to be caregivers. Thisis no map, but it is a clear narrative of costs, rewards, pain, and delight that bubble up in the dynamic between cared-for and caregiver.

I liked the book a lot and absolutely recommend the paperback edition because of its additions.

Saving A Friend
I had known Milly Kondracke for a quarter of a century before her death last year of Parkinson's disease. She was my mentor. Morton's memoir of their marriage is touching, well-written and a quick read.

My only regret is that Morton glossed over Milly's wonderful gift as a social worker/therapist in a paragraph, for that was her career identity. Milly did her own mourning when she had to cease her private practice due to her illness. Still the book gives you a taste of her personality, one of those persons who were larger than life.

"Saving Milly" achingly illustrates the struggle of a family who must care for a loved one through a long term illness and raises the question of politics, funding and ethics for those with incurable illnesses. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more