Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist

While Lucky Man seemed like an intimate portrayal of the life and beliefs of a man who just happens to be a celebrity, Always Looking Up seems to be the life happenings of a celebrity, post the makings of said- celebrity. Lucky Man is set up chronologically, though still fully gives affirmation as to why the selective dialogue Fox has with the reader truly connects us to the man inside the celebrity “bubble”. Always Looking Up, however, is thematic-- separating life events post-Lucky Man into 4 sections: “Work”, “Politics”, “Faith”, and “Family”. “Work” gives us insight in how Fox goes about creating a non-profit, with the motivation of urgency and optimism to succeed in the goal to cure PD. “Politics” gives good insight to what it is like to be a political outsider with a powerful voice and straight forward message working on a campaign. These two chapters give air to Fox’s motivation to work with his celebrity status to empower people from all over the country and the globe to help in the fight for not only PD, but—in the case of “Politics” -- other incurable diseases. His personal goal to move away from “PD Poster Boy” and into a deeper, more meaningful role in the fight against the disease is well defined and pursued in these chapters.However, “Faith” and “Family” seemed to leave much to be desired. Not in the way of stories—both are rounded off well with those—but with a conclusion of “so what?”. I feel both pillars seemed forced, riddled with stories that fit the theme, but seem shallow in connecting the reader to Fox, his beliefs and goals. These chapters seem to be there for little more than informative or entertaining purposes. Among the stories throughout the entire book are stories that confirm Fox’s “lucky” celebrity privileges, which can strongly separate him from the average reader—something the first book so magnificently avoids.Micheal J. Fox is a man that deserves the world’s attention, not merely as an actor, but as an activist, philanthropist, and optimist. He has deep morals, integrity, and an unconditional love for his family that, for anyone looking, can serve as a model and confirm that Micheal J. Fox truly does deserve our deepest respects. While I did find problems with the book, I do not reflect these as limitations to the integrity of the author.

This is a pretty good book and very easy reading. I liked that it was written through the prism of someone with Parkinson's Disease. Is Michael J. Fox a great writer? No, but most of the story is good and there's no doubt that he loves his Life, his Wife, and his Family. We all face struggles and none of us have all the answers in Life, that's what you realize with the turn of each page. Reading this book came at a time of Loss and Change in my own Life, so some of what he has to say made a pretty significant, relatable, impact.The story flows along at a fairly steady pace, though there were times when I thought to myself "okay, let's get past the Politics and back to the story". But, it's all interrelated so you just have to take that into consideration.

I thought my head was going to explode when my adult daughter was diagnosed with Parkinsons. That night I started looking for info, and found this book. I ordered it immediately. He proved that the PD path is walkable. It is a path I walk with my daughter, with Michael by our side.

Linda Husvar reviewed Always Looking Up on Goodreads — 5 starJust now ·Goodreads ·This sequel to Michael J. Fox's "Lucky Man" takes us deeper into to his work, politics, faith, and family life. As a PD patient, I appreciate Michael's amazing commitment to advocate for research and a cure. His courageous willingness to demonstrate what Parkinson's Disease looks like is inspiring. There are no words to adequately express the impact Michael has had on me and millions of others fighting this terrible disease. Highly recommended!Always Looking Up

Memoir288 pagesfootnotes/endnotes: Noillustrations: Yes (b/w photos)suitable for eReaders: YesRemember the old saw, "I used to complain because I had no shoes, and then I met a man who had no feet"? Well, I complain because I has to get up in the morning and feed the critters (before they find and dine on her toes), and then I read Always Looking Up. After reading the struggles Mike Fox has to go through to get out of bed, I will try not to complain so bitterly that the critters can't/won't get their own breakfast! For those of you who have spent the last decade or so living in a cave, or under the ocean, and don't know -- he has Parkinson's Disease (PD).This memoir is not in chronological order, it is in sections about what he values – Work, Politics, Faith, and Family, with a Prologue and an Epilogue. This bothers some people, but I had no problem with it.The Prologue is important, don't skip it;-)It covers the time since his previous book, Lucky Man, and is a very entertaining read. This isn't a 'coming of age' book, but it is a 'finding myself' book. He describes how he finds humor and happiness in the most mundane things, and how he is living a happier and more satisfied life.Michael J. Fox has long been one of my faves, and I think he has just moved to the top of that list. I love an optimist, and think there is nothing sexier than an intelligent and optimistic man. Michael J. Fox is both!This book could have easily gone into the Why Me/Poor Me category, instead it is a testament to his ability to find the humor, and the good, in life that cloaks him with the ravages of a horrid disease.Michael J. Fox is an actor, a devoted husband of more than 20 years, a loving father of four, and an activist. He lives with PD as an incurable Optimist.Buy this book. Read this book. And the next time you're feeling grumpy about lack of shoes, or having to get out of bed before you're ready, remember Mike, and Muhammad Ali, and all the other people out there living with PD.

On the whole, I like Michael J. Fox. The work he’s done in the last 30+ years – in TV, movies and for Parkinson’s – is admirable. He’s brought a great deal of joy to countless people’s lives with his film and TV work, whilst his dedication to developing a cure for Parkinson’s is nothing short of commendable. His determination to continue working and living his life on his terms no matter what, gives others in a similar situation the hope they often need that receiving a diagnosis doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the road.Having read his previous book ‘Lucky Man’ (which I thoroughly enjoyed), I was very much looking forward to reading ‘Always Looking Up’. The synopsis for the book seemed to promise a follow-on of sorts, with the suggestion that the reader would learn more about how Michael has been coping and adapting since his initial diagnosis in the early ‘90s. Sadly though, I found ‘Always Looking Up’ to be far removed from its predecessor and as a result, I struggled to finish it.Whereas ‘Lucky Man’ was very personable in tone – detailing his early life before PD, how he learnt to live and work with the condition post-diagnosis, the unfaltering support from friends and family, etc – ‘Always Looking Up’ takes a much more aggressive and stripped back approach. There are small references to family life (Fox’s description of a typical morning living with PD is particularly insightful), but for the most part the book concentrates on the political issues he’s encountered surrounding stem cell research and the important part he believes it plays in developing a cure for PD. These parts are difficult to follow at times, often going off on tangents and referencing specific policies and/or individuals which are clearly important in the American political arena, but don’t make much sense to anyone on the outside looking in.Another aspect is the seemingly constant name dropping. At some points in the book it becomes nothing more than a ‘Who’s Who of Hollywood’. And although I appreciate this is the world Fox lives and works in, the constant references to his famous friends, the glitzy parties, flying by Concorde and staying in fancy 5 star hotels, didn’t endear me to him. There’s no denying or avoiding the fact that he’s a famous actor with the money and privileges that inevitably come with that, but the constant references felt a little too much like bragging for my liking. Also, there’s around 5-6 pages almost solely dedicated to Fox’s hero worship of Lance Armstrong, which made for uncomfortable reading given what we now know about the athlete.If you’re interested in the political side of PD – particularly in relation to American policies – and don’t mind a rather one-sided view of proceedings, then you might enjoy this. However, for me ‘Lucky Man’ is by far the superior book and the one I would recommend reading if you’re looking for a more personal viewpoint. ‘Always Looking Up’ is too self-indulgent and not focused enough in its delivery to make for an enjoyable or truly insightful read. In my opinion it could easily have been condensed into a 3-4 page special report for a magazine which would have told a better, more succinct and informative story.

It is difficult to appraise "Always looking up" without tripping over the cliches...funny...moving..uplifting... Fortunately for people who prefer reading books, rather than reviews, Michael J Fox is a true original, with the sharp, vivid prose of a natural author, and a genuinely remarkable story to tell. Stricken with early-onset Parkinson's disease at the age of 29, and the height of his Hollywood career, his early struggles to come to terms with his illness were recounted in the astonishing, must-read "Lucky Man". Now,in its sequel, he ranges widely over his recent life and explores his very personal philosophy of optimism. Whether writing with deep affection about his family, or unconcealed frustration over bruising encounters with the American political machine, a boundless energy and love of life illuminates every page - more incredible still when you consider that this is the work of a man trapped inside an increasingly unresponsive body.He casts himself neither as saint, nor victim, revealing his flaws with entertaining candour. This is not your standard celebrity illness story, but a witty, inspirational portrait of an unsinkable human spirit. You finish this book feeling just a little better about life, the universe and everything. He may joke about being on the short side, but it is impossible not to look up to Michael J Fox.

He'll always be Marty Mcfly to me, but in this book Michael J Fox is a true inspiration and a true, real life hero. He's raised not just money but most importantly awareness of Parkinson's Disease and put himself out there to stand side by side other PD sufferers and their families. When you're famous, showing a less than perfect facade can bring misconceptions and with it less work and increased press interest for the wrong reasons. Michael has used his celebrity status to increase awareness of PD and shown his true self to the press and anyone who cares to look at someone suffering with the various symptoms that accompany PD. This is a selfless act on his part, he incurred ridicule from one named radio presenter who thought it hilarious to mock PD sufferers and their symptoms because of an ill informed, ignorant opinion that completely backfired. If anything this made me love and admire Michael J Fox even more. All I can say is read this book, you won't be disappointed and you may just learn something along the way.

`Always Looking Up' explores what has occurred in Michael J Fox's life since publication of his first memoir `Lucky Man'. Like his first book this is immediately engaging, open and heartfelt and I found it to be written with humour, human insight, passion, humility and a full range of other emotions. Based around four themes (Work, politics, faith and family) this tells of his stem cell advocacy, the minor screen roles he has played and his greater involvement with his family. I found some parts quite emotional to read and got choked up when he described his feelings and experiences at the time of his sisters death. This is as inspirational as `Lucky Man' and if you enjoy both of these books I highly recommend `Still Me' by Christopher Reeve which is one of the few books that honestly changed my life. Overall Michael J Fox manages to inspire and enthral and this made for a couple of days reflective and motivational reading.Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.

Not as good as first book, by a long way. I get that he needs to share his story further, but this book is all about raising awareness of Parkinson's and not about entertaining the reader in any way.I hope that by buying it, I have helped in some small way, but cannot in all good conscience recommend anyone else buys it. Better to just make a donation to the foundation and buy another book to read