No Time Like the Future by Michael J. Fox

Book Description:

‘The book is great: moving but also properly funny.’ Hadley Freeman, The Guardian

‘A memoir with an unusual sense of purpose. . . pithy, highly readable’ The Times


The entire world knows Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, the teenage sidekick of Doc Brown in Back to the Future. 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.

In No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality, Michael shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, ageing, 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 humour, 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.

My Thoughts:

I’m sure many of us are huge fans of Michael J. Fox. The Back to the Future films alone were a big part of my life when growing up, as were many of his other films. I remember being very saddened when I heard the news that he had been diagnosed with young set Parkinson’s disease. Whilst he has done the odd cameo as well as some other television work, I have to admit I haven’t really kept up to date with what or how he had been doing and thought this book would be a great way to do so.

For some reason even though I had read the blurb for the book, I had gone in with expectations that it would be like many celebrity books, filled with images as well as their whole background. This one isn’t like that. Having not read any of Michael’s other books that would probably have offered me this insight, I do feel like I have missed out a bit as apart from seeing him in films, I know very little about the man himself. Once I got over the disappointment through my own fault, I enjoyed this book for exactly what it is supposed to be. An insight into one mans life, living with a life changing disease.

Even though my aunt, who was a lot older than Michael, suffered and died from the same illness, I don’t really know much about it or understand it. I learned so much from Michael opening up about his day to day life and how, what many of us take for granted, is a constant struggle for him. Trying to co ordinate simple things like walking and using your phone at the same time. This really is an eye opener. Not only is he having to deal with ongoing treatment and changes in his life with Parkinson’s but he also shares about a tumour that had to be operated on, on his spine.

No Time Like The Future is a very deep and personal account of Michael J. Fox’s own thoughts and feelings. It moved me to tears in quite a few places at what he has had to over come and deal with in his life. Through his foundation, him and others do so much in the fight to find a cure for Parkinson’s and whilst it is a very heartfelt read, it was also uplifting and offers hope. Highly recommended.