At age 29 Michael J. Fox was dealt a devastating blow when he was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s Disease. At the height of his career, Fox battled the disease privately until he decided to disclose his diagnosis to the world in 1998. Since then he has continued to act on and off, and he set up The Michael J. Fox Foundation to raise funds for Parkinson’s research. He’s also kept his fans up-to-date on his life with the release of three books – 2002’s ‘Lucky Man: A Memoir’, 2009’s ‘Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist’ and 2010’s ‘A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned’. Last month he released his fourth book – ‘No Time Like The Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality’ – chronicling his health battles from the past few years.
As with all of his books, ‘No Time Like The Future’ is a mixture of anecdotes from Fox’s life and career, as well as candid stories about his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Much of what’s covered in here is from 2018 onwards and Fox opens up about a spinal tumour that almost paralysed him and a fall that saw him break his arm, and set back his recovery from spinal surgery. Despite the constant battle he’s been up against, Fox recalls these stories with humour, and even allows his frustration to shine through at points, making the reader feel like they’re getting a real insight into what he’s gone through.
The meat of the book is about those two incidents but Fox finds time to share plenty of other stories too. His love/hate relationship with golf provides plenty of comic relief as he reveals his ups and downs with the sport, made all the more complicated by his unpredictable Parkinson’s symptoms. We get to hear about the incredible work Fox has done with his Foundation, raising over $1 billion over the past two decades – an incredible achievement that has greatly impacted the lives of those with Parkinson’s Disease.
There are also stories about Fox’s career nestled in the chapters too. He enthuses about his recurring role on the huge TV hit ‘The Good Wife’ and discusses some of his other acting work, including a small role in a Spike Lee Netflix movie that nearly didn’t happen. Throughout all of his stories, Fox is optimistic but he’s also a realist. You can tell this is a man that has, in some ways, made peace with his diagnosis and has had to (albeit at times reluctantly) understand his limits. Whether that’s realising he can’t do 12-hour shoots for TV and film any more or that he needs to rely on his family more than he’d like, Fox is open about the challenges he faces.
As with his previous books, Fox allows his charisma to radiate from the pages and at times it feels like you’re catching up with an old friend. He’s remarkably candid about his life and struggles, and that makes you even more endeared to him. There’s no question that Fox has been dealt a series of cruel blows in his life but the way he’s dealt with them are nothing short of inspirational. Even when life seems to be hitting rock bottom, Fox manages to find a way to be optimistic and his attitude is what we all need as we continue to fight against this ongoing global pandemic that has locked most of us in our homes all year.
Publisher: Headline Release date: 17th November 2020 Buy ‘No Time Like The Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality’ now
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