Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist

LOVED this book!

Inspiring, moved me to my core. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is facing obstacles in their own lives. Truly amazing read.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Wanted to like, but SO disappointed in this book.

I would love to be able to say this book was a lot of fun to read. I've been a fan of MJF since 'Family Ties' and so I bought this book to learn more about him. I did learn more about him, especially about Parkinson's Disease and the MJF Parkinsons Foundation. But, had a hard time stomaching this book. MJF is, quite frankly, full of himself. He constantly name drops in this book. He knows a ton of other celebrities of course, and the stories in my opinion, are told to make MJF seem important. It just wasn't necessary. MJF also talks about how, on 9/11/, several security people who were employees of a friend of his, drove MJF from CA to NY so that he could be with his family during that upsetting and frightening time. I have no problem that he wanted to be with his family, but thousands (millions?) of other people could not be with their families that day, and so to me, to even talk about how he found some people to drive him across country, well that's arrogant. It angered me. Maybe it's just me but I was put out by this. I think the 9/11 story should have been left out of the book. Other stories in this book just seem to me to point to how MJF has sort an inflated opinion of himself. I managed despite my feelings to finish the book, but unlike other books--where you don't want them to end--I was glad I was done and felt disappointed that I bought the book at all.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Keeping Reality in Check

On a daily basis, I seem to think about what is and is not hard in my life. This book really forces the reader to take a good look at, and probably redefine what is really hard and what is truly a challenge. I have always enjoyed Michael J. Fox, and this writing is no exception. This is not a poor, pitiful me book in any aspect. Rather, it is a brave and humorous book about Mr. Fox's daily challenges. The reader can not help but laugh out loud and marvel at his perserverance. This is definitely a pick me up and fix my atttitude kind of book. My mom read it in the hospital as she prepared for the painful and long task of rehab after knee replacement. It really made a different for her too. I definitely recommend reading this book cover to cover.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Extremely Helpful

I'm so thankful to Michael J. Fox for sharing his story. My mom was diagnosed with Parkinson's this year and she didn't get many answers from her neurologist about the disease. We found a specialist, but she had to wait two months to see him. During those two months, her symptoms were running full force and she was scared about her future. I bought my mom Lucky Man and Always Looking Up to help her realize she wasn't alone. My mom could relate instantly with so many things that happened to Michael. Though reading about the progression of his symptoms was tough at times, being more informed about the disease really helped her. I want to thank Michael J. Fox. My mom has never been much of an optimist, but he helped her become one. He not only showed her she wasn't alone, but with his fight for a cure he gave her hope for the future.

I recommend this highly...

Fox picks up his inspiring life story where his first biography left off. The Parkinsons' diagnosis was explored in his first book; now, some years later, his tv career pretty much a thing of the past; he finds himself at the fore-front of fund-raising for stem cell research. His bi-partisan support of pro-stem cell research politicians puts him directly in the cross-hairs of Rush Limbaugh. Through all of these challenges, his loving family keeps him centered; and he finds an expanded and renewed faith.

Was it me?

The beginning of the book was great. Funny and inspiring. I tried really hard to get through the rest, but here it is over a year later and I just couldn't. I kept waiting for it to get better, but it never did.

Don't waste your time

If you want to read a book about stem cell research znd why it is important to Mr. Fox this is the book for you.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

bad digital copy

Please be advised that you may have problems with this digital copy!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Kritters Ramblings

April is National Parkinson's Disease, so let's take this spring month and think of those who are afflicted with this disease. As this hits close to home for me with a grandmother that is battling each day the shakes and quakes in her little body, I am inspired by the actions that Fox has taken to make awareness and forward movements to finding a cure.

Now for my review of the book - an amazing book with an uplifting message. I had never read anything about Michael J. Fox's personal or professional life, so this entire book was a joy to read because it wasn't anything that I had heard before. Divided in sections, I thought it was laid out interesting, but I had a hard time because within the sections it still wasn't absolutely chronological. The stories of his family, siblings and children, were touching and made me feel like it showed him as a whole human being. I loved hearing about his political pursuits, I had no idea how involved and how he crossed the political lines - how respectable.

Go find this at the library or at the local bookstore - a great uplifting read with the best message - hope in the midst of any struggles. I would recommend this book to all readers, young and old, male and female.

recommended

one comment was he sweared way too much for this to be in a school library, not so on the nook version.maybe 2 swears in the entire book.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful read

I have read this 3 times. Amazing and touching.

Inspiring

Michael J. Fox writes about his life, how he copes with Parkinson's Disease, his faith, and his dedication to his family in his inspiring autobiography, Always Looking Up. After reading this, I now have a more optimistic look on life and an appreciation for everything I have and am living for. This book is truly an inspiring one. Michael J. Fox is a true role model.

Great read!

I had not known what to expect before reading Michael J. Fox's book, but was completely impressed with his inspirational story. His devotion to his wife and children, first and foremost, is deeply touching. Their journey through life balancing the challenges of life and career while battling his devastating disease is absolutely riveting.

He describes his struggles with speaking out on behalf of all who suffer from Parkinson's, and offers an incredibly inspirational response to the inexcusable attack on his veracity from Rush Limbaugh.

Reading Michael's story made me realize how fortunate I am to be enjoying good health currently. Perhaps even more importantly, all who read his account will come away with a deep appreciation of how fortunate we all are to have such a selfless, passionately articulate, and wonderfully talented citizen who willingly shares so much of himself with all of us in the hope of one day finding a cure to a most hideous disease.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a loved one with this devastating illness. It offers a glimpse into what they experience and will leave the reader with a new respect for their moment to moment struggles.

Extremely well done!

Happiness

Who doesn't love an optimist? Read it. You'll feel better. Go to the Kingdom of Bhutan. You'll have a completely different perspective of your own life.

MJF Fan Forever

I have to admit that I've been a fan of MJF ever since the days of Alex P. Keaton. I loved all of his movies and the TV show Spin City. My fondness of this likable little guy led me to purchasing his first book. This time, I thought the book was very enlightening on the results of Parkinsons and what it does to the body; how he explained his daily ritual and struggles. I am not into politics, so the chapters that discuss campaigning and political maneuvers were not as good as chapters where he discusses his personal feelings about the disease, his family and the foundation that bears his name. The book did enlighten me on stem cell research and his advocacy for that research to help Parkinsons. I work for a big pharma company that has received grants from the MJFF and I am proud to know that my company will make some effort to curing this disease. In the end, you see someone living with something unbearable and making the most of his life by helping others.

the second as great as the first

This is an honest reality to the health problem of parkinsons. Anyone who has family or works with parkinsons will find his experiences of daily life and the expectations for the future informitive, as well as having humor. A must read compliment to his first book.

Marty McFly is a real person

I don't typically read movie star biographies, nor do I follow their lives too much.

"Always Looking Up" is a revealing look into the life of a famous individual before he had Parkinson's Disease, before he admitted it to the world and after that admission came to light.

Mr Fox easily slips his humor into his writing and makes what may have been a tragic development in his life and turns it into something positive. He explains his own difficulties with PD and how it has affected his career and changed his entire life.

While reading this book, I was interested to find out that he wasn't the only one of his kin to have a brain disorder. Dealing with his sister's death due to serious epilepsy, I found some common ground in her diagnosis.

We don't realize how good the brain is at doing what it is supposed to do until it starts misbehaving and reading this book endorsed that we don't have to take the blows that life deals us lying down. We can choose to arm ourselves with those blows and try and give them back.

I would endorse anyone to read this book. I typically read non-fiction history and medical history, while my fictional reading is normally thriller or horror.

MJF's book is one I believe would appeal to anyone who knows who he is, or anyone that wants a personal account of living with Parkinson's.

amazing

Very Touching

Remarkable book by an icon of TV fame.

The format and writing style made this book very readable.
Kudos all round.

Heart filled, moving forward through a disability

I found this to be a very moving book about Micheal's life. Ejoyed but sad in many areas. I believe that his views are in the right light!