Always Looking Up: Book by Michael J. Fox

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/04/07 - Updated: 2024/03/04
Publication Type: Product Release / Update
Category Topic: Disability Publications - Academic Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Always Looking Up a book by Michael J. Fox is about his personal philosophy that carried him through his darkest hours with Parkinson's disease. Struck with Parkinson's, a debilitating, degenerative disease, at the height of his fame, Fox has taken what some might consider cause for depression and turned it into a beacon of hope for millions.

Introduction

Fifteen years after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Michael J. Fox tells his personal story of how he turned his challenges into opportunities in his new book, "Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist."

Main Content

Fifteen years after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Michael J. Fox tells his personal story of how he turned his challenges into opportunities in his new book, "Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist." His first book, Lucky Man, documenting his career and his experience with Parkinson's disease, which, nine years after diagnosis in 1991, forced the end of his full-time acting career.

Struck with Parkinson's, a debilitating, degenerative disease, at the height of his fame, Fox has taken what some might consider cause for depression and turned it into a beacon of hope for millions. Now, in Always Looking Up, he writes about the personal philosophy that carried him through his darkest hours, and speaks with others who have emerged from difficult periods with optimisms to spare.

Instead of building walls around himself, he developed a personal policy of engagement and discovery: an emotional, psychological, intellectual, and spiritual outlook that has served him throughout his struggle with Parkinson's disease.

Always Looking Up is a memoir of this last decade, told through the critical themes of Michael's life: work, politics, faith, and family. The book is a journey of self-discovery and reinvention, and a testament to the consolations that protect him from the ravages of Parkinson's.

Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist provides an uplifting account of how he has become a happier and more satisfied person by recognizing the gifts of everyday life.

For the past ten years, Michael J. Fox has been a spokesman for research into Parkinson's disease.

Michael Andrew Fox

Born Michael Andrew Fox in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on June 9, 1961. he adopted the "J." as an homage to character actor Michael J. Pollard. Fox made his acting debut in the comedy "Leo and Me" at the age of 15, after quitting high school. He moved to Los Angeles at 18, appearing in small roles and the television series Palmerstown, U. S. A. in 1980, before landing the role that would make him famous, that of Alex P. Keaton in the television series "Family Ties" in 1982. The show was a springboard for Fox, who hit big screen stardom as time-traveling teen Marty McFly in the hugely successful Back To The Future film series: Part I (1985), Part II (1989) and Part III (1990).

Fox is sometimes compared to Christopher Reeve, the Superman actor who became an advocate for scientific research after being paralyzed in a riding accident.

Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist is available at Amazon and other book stores.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.

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Citing and References

Founded in 2004, Disabled World (DW) is a leading resource on disabilities, assistive technologies, and accessibility, supporting the disability community. Learn more on our About Us page.

Cite This Page: Disabled World. (2009, April 7 - Last revised: 2024, March 4). Always Looking Up: Book by Michael J. Fox. Disabled World (DW). Retrieved October 30, 2025 from www.disabled-world.com/disability/publications/always-looking-up.php

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