Amazon.com
The same sharp intelligence and self-deprecating wit that made Michael J. Fox a star in the Family Ties TV series and Back to the Future make this a lot punchier than the usual up-from-illness celebrity memoir. Yes, he begins with the first symptoms of Parkinson's disease, the incurable illness that led to his retirement from Spin City (and acting) in 2000. And yes, he assures us he is a better, happier person now than he was before he was diagnosed. In Fox's case, you actually might believe it, because he then cheerfully exposes the insecurities and self-indulgences of his pre-Parkinson's life in a manner that makes them not glamorous but wincingly ordinary and of course very funny. ("As for the question, 'Does it bother you that maybe she just wants to sleep with you because you're a celebrity?' My answer to that one was, 'Ah...nope.'") With a working-class Canadian background, Fox has an unusually detached perspective on the madness of mass-media fame; his description of the tabloid feeding frenzy surrounding his 1988 wedding to Tracy Pollan, for example, manages to be both acid and matter-of-fact. He is frank but not maudlin about his drinking problem, and he refreshingly notes that getting sober did not automatically solve all his other problems. This readable, witty autobiography reminds you why it was generally a pleasure to watch Fox onscreen: he's a nice guy with an edge, and you don't have to feel embarrassed about liking him. --Wendy Smith
Book Description
The same sharp intelligence and self-deprecating wit that made MichaelJ. Fox a star in the Family Ties TV series and Back to the Futuremake this a lot punchier than the usual up-from-illness celebrity memoir. Yes,he begins with the first symptoms of Parkinson's disease, the incurable illnessthat led to his retirement from Spin City (and acting) in 2000. And yes,he assures us he is a better, happier person now than he was before he wasdiagnosed. In Fox's case, you actually might believe it, because he thencheerfully exposes the insecurities and self-indulgences of his pre-Parkinson'slife in a manner that makes them not glamorous but wincingly ordinary and ofcourse very funny. ("As for the question, 'Does it bother you that maybe shejust wants to sleep with you because you're a celebrity?' My answer to that onewas, 'Ah...nope.'") With a working-class Canadian background, Fox has anunusually detached perspective on the madness of mass-media fame; hisdescription of the tabloid feeding frenzy surrounding his 1988 wedding to TracyPollan, for example, manages to be both acid and matter-of-fact. He is frank butnot maudlin about his drinking problem, and he refreshingly notes that gettingsober did not automatically solve all his other problems. This readable, wittyautobiography reminds you why it was generally a pleasure to watch Fox onscreen:he's a nice guy with an edge, and you don't have to feel embarrassed aboutliking him. --Wendy Smith
Download Description
This memoir discusses Michael J. Fox's life--growing up in Canada and then becoming a national television star in the U.S. at the age of 19. Fox reveals the excess and temptations he fell into as a young star, and how with the help of his wife, Tracy Pollan, he quit drinking and drowning in self-pity. He tells of noticing the first tremors of Parkinson's disease, which he ignored; finding out at the age of 30 that he was suffering from early onset of Parkinson's; how this has affected his family and the extraordinary support they have provided him. He spent nine years hiding his condition from all but his closest family and friends. His courageous decision to go public and retire from active performing in order to devote his time to the foundation and to finding a cure for Parkinson's Disease makes up the last part of the book. Recounted in a witty and reflective fashion, Fox displays the kind of courage that has inspired the hundreds of thousands of fans who care about him.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book for a person with a neurological disorder.......2007-09-24
I truly loved this book. I have been a fan of Michael J. Fox's since "Family Ties" was on. He is an awesome person and I think that he is very courageous in the way he faces his own disabilty.
Like Mr. Fox, I also have a progressive, degenerative, incurable neurological disorder (mine is called Cerebellar Ataxia and you can add the word "genetic" to the descriptive adjectives). Some of the symptoms of his Parkinson's Disease are similiar to mine, so I can sympathize with what he is going through. He cites a book that he read when he was first diagnosed (page 146)-Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' ON DEATH AND DYING which tells about the five stages of grief (denial/isolation, anger, bargaing, depression, and acceptance). I read the book in college (for my major) and thought of it often after I was diagnosed with my brain disorder.
Anyway-I wish to thank Mr. Fox for writing this book because I had never read about a person, like me, with a brain disorder. It was so well written, also. It is truly a literary gem.
My book is called Dreams in August: Life, Love, and Cerebellar Ataxia
AMAZING.......2007-08-18
The fact that I'm a huge fan of Michael J. Fox has no bearing on my opinion of this book. His sophisticated yet humorous outlook on life is bound to keep you entertained from start to finish. He helps the reader to understand more about what he is all about, what he went through to get where he is today, and what Parkinson's Disease really is. Michael does not write with pride or ask for pity in this text, rather he's just sharing his story from one human being to another. I HIGHLY recommend this book!!
Lucky for us there is a "Lucky Man".......2007-08-03
This book is simply great. Michael J. Fox provides a clear, and very interesting look at aspects and highlights of his life with regards to his career, family, and especially his dealings with Parkinson's disease. He has great courage and is very candid. He also is a good writer and is very intelligent, but is not perfect. He reveals how he has also overcome alcoholism and his time in the Hollywood "funhouse," as he calls it to discover what really matters in life. His discovery has been aided by his struggle with Parkinson's Disease at a very young age and I believe that is why he considers himself a "lucky man." He says the ten years since Parkinson's have been the best of his life. His foundation strives to bring awareness to sufferers of Parkinson's in order to curtail discrimination and possibly foster a cure through research, especially stem-cell research, in ten years. I recommend this book to everyone, especially people suffering Parkinson's, and other devastating brain diseases. It will give them hope and encouragement. The book was so interesting I could not put it down and I read it all in about three days.
Lucky Man Review.......2007-06-08
An excellent memoir of a young person's battle with Parkinson's Disease.
Easy reading and uplifting too.
Michael J. Fox.......2007-06-08
A very interesting book! Easy to read, very entertaining, funny and sad.
Average customer rating:
|
LUCKY MAN: A MEMOIR.
Michael J. Fox
Manufacturer: Ebury
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
| Actors & Actresses
| Artists, Architects & Photographers
| Authors
| Composers & Musicians
| Dancers
| Entertainers
| Movie Directors
| New Age
| Television Performers
| Theatre
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0091879205 |
Average customer rating:
|
Oh Lucky Man
Bud Miller
Manufacturer: Elderberry Press, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Memoirs
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1930859996 |
Book Description
The definition of a curmudgeon is, a surly, ill-mannered, bad-tempered person; a cantankerous fellow. Right on! My definition is somewhat altered. It?s a guy who?s become so fed up with what is happening in the world?especially in government?that he has been driven to become that cantankerous fellow.
The fact that our curmudgeon lies upon a couch makes him even worse. This means that his wife (if he has one?I don?t) must endure the brunt of his ranting. So, while I lean back and lay it on you, just remember: should the need arise, you can always close the book and go have a martini (if you have one?I do).
So, we must ask: who wants to read the rantings of a curmudgeon? Perhaps another curmudgeon (or a misanthrope?the female equivalent of our couch character), that?s who. This cantankerous couple may, in fact, enjoy having their fuel fired so that they may then rant and rave right along with the best of us.
Concerning subject: There are three elements of today?s world warranting a rant. One is the shape of our culture, which covers a lot of territory. Another is our communities?looked around lately? And then there is the biggie?the federal government, which easily merits a book itself. So begins the unforgettable memoir of Bud Miller.
Book Description
The P-38 was used on virtually every front to which the USAAF were committed, but enjoyed its greatest successes in the Pacific and China-Burma-India (CBI) theatres. The speed, range and firepower of the P-38 made it the favourite of nearly all aircrew fighting in the Solomons, New Guinea and the Philippines, and over 1800 Japanese aircraft fell to its guns. From the first encounters at the end of 1942 until the Lightning scored the final Fifth Air force victories in August 1945, these pilots made the Pacific skies very much their own battleground.
Customer Reviews:
P-38.......2007-01-10
This was a Christmas present for my father in law. He is 90 years old and was an engineer for Lockeed. He helped design the P-38,U2 and SR71. He was asigned as an engineer to some of the squadrons in the book. He loved the book has read it 3 times already. Knows many of the pilots in the book. It brought back many good memories.
NO BIG DEAL.......1999-11-20
Comparing to other titles of this colection, this book could be much better. It lacks coehesion and sequence, contraty to the books written by John Deal and the best of this collection, "HUrricane Aces", by TOny Holmes (who, by the way, is the editor os this series.
Outlines a key WWII Allied fighter & the people with it........1999-09-22
John Stanaway has authored a number of outstanding aviation books, both large and small, hard and soft cover, for various reading levels and age groups. Here is a book (100 pages or less) suited for young people who want to know the key facts about the best WWII fighter and the most important people involved with the P-38. This is also a good quick reference book for those arm-chair generals who have forgotten a fact about the Lightning and its pilots. The larger books are great and offer mountains of details and wonderful hours of reading. However, here is a book with "just the facts" in paragraph form. Its twin is the "P-38 Lightning Aces of the ETO/MTO" - get them both!
Great research book by one of the masters........1999-07-15
John Stanaway has long been one of the experts on the P-38 and other WWII aircraft. This volume along with No. 19 should be in every P-38 nut's library. Pictures and drawings are great. For more about P-38 in the Pacific and McGuire check out a new book: THE LAST GREAT ACE.
very interesting and informative book.......1998-10-08
Lots of photos and information. Perfect for P-38 and aircraft enthuseists. Exelent drawings of dozens of P-38,s. Lots of information on specific battles, and encounters with the Japanese air forces. Good info on Bong and McGuire, the top-scoring U.S. aces. I want to emphasize the exellent color drawings of aircraft in this book, which really adds to it.
Average customer rating:
- lLiving History
- An Amazing Synthesis
|
The Model Maker: A World War II Veteran's Story
Brett S. Weber & Illustrated By Eileen Slifer
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| 20th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1419651803
Release Date: 2006-11-27 |
Product Description
The Model Maker is inspired by the personal account of a World War II veteran's experiences during the Battle of the Bulge. Bill spends a good deal of his time working on his model airplanes. They mean more to him than just a usual hobby, however. They remind him of a time and a place when these models were replaced with real planes, and his tranquil, rural setting was replaced with gunfire, thick forests, and an ever-present danger. Through his models, he recalls his story in a simple, quiet way that belies the harsh reality of the Battle of the Bulge. This story is meant to capture the interest of the young reader, and to serve as a springboard into an important historical lesson. The event of World War II was a pivotal point in modern history. It is imperative that the lessons learned by this "Greatest Generation" should never be lost or forgotten.
Customer Reviews:
lLiving History.......2007-04-27
When I finished reading The Model Maker I felt like Uncle Bill was now my Uncle Bill. Brett Webber's simple yet clear and engaging text drew me into Uncle Bill's WWII experiences as well as his present purpose in making the model airplanes. As a retired elementary school teacher and reading specialist I can see that Model Maker as a useful tool to help children understand a significant yet often ignored time in American history. The glossory also makes this a useful book for children learning how to do research and write reports. Eileen Slifer's illustrations and color choices bring Uncle Bill to life. The black and white images of the WWII flashbacks give young readers visual clues that these pages are a story within a story. My dad is also a WWII veteran and I intend to give him this book as a gift.
An Amazing Synthesis.......2007-01-04
The Model Maker is an incredible synthesis of art and history. Weber's lucid writing is brought to life by Slifer's innovative and lifelike watercolor illustrations which establish a powerful mood on the first page that continues through the entire book.. The book gives a straight forward history of the Battle of the Bulge that is easily within the grasp of school age children.
The story is told from the perspective of a veteran looking back on the events that shaped his life and altered the course of history. Way beyond just history, the book is a personal, inviting the reader into the confidence into the home of the narrator.
The simple writing style and full page illustrations work together to create a book that is at once inspiring and informative.
Book Description
The P-38 made its combat debut in Europe in mid-1942, the first American fighters being flown to the UK before heading further east to Twelfth Air Force units in North Africa. Its service in this theatre, and later over the heartland of Germany itself, earned the P-38 the nickname 'der gabelschwanzer Teufel' (the 'fork-tailed' devil). This volume traces the careers of many previously unknown aces within the USAAF in Europe, and helps redress the balance which has in the past seen all the 'glory' for the fighter victories in this theatre shared between the pilots of the P-47 and P-51. Some 17 pilots scored 7 or more kills on the P-38 in the ETO/MTO.
Customer Reviews:
Definitive Book on the Fork-Tailed Devil.......2002-06-21
Warren Bodie's book is a marvel of completeness, including photos of all series and one-offs, and favorably presents what was arguably the best all-around fighter of World War Two. All the subjective criticisms of the famous Lockheed twin-boom plane are clearly discussed in their proper historical context, with ample support from the main historical actors. The book also demonstrates that the P-38, as a good child of Clarence "Kelly" Johnson's genius, was several years ahead of its time both in its technology and in the capacity of air strategists and pilots to fully exploit the advances it had over current aviation designs, as well as to foresee its potential. For example, the P-51 Mustang was a pig (and used the same Allison engine of the P-38) before being refitted with the famous Rolls-Royce Merlin engine which made it the masterpiece we know; just imagine a P-38 with two Merlins, something that never happened but that could have dramatically changed the air war before 1944 in all theaters. Bodie demonstrates that the P-38 was already the long-range fighter the Allies needed a couple of years before the P-51D and P-47N, but was stupidly underused and underdeveloped; its firepower was overwhelming and almost unparalleled throughout the war; it could turn with any enemy fighter and outrun most of them and, finally, having another engine was a priceless safeguard in the long flights over the Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean. Highly recommended reading about my favorite fighter plane.
info packed book.......2000-10-21
This book is a must for anybody researching the P-38. It gives perfomance data and is packed full of tech data. It also gives you a picture of how the plane performed against german and japanese fighter during ww2
This is the P-38 Bible, pure and simple........1999-09-22
If you had to select only one P-38 book from the 50+ on the shelves, this is the one. Excellent quality from author Warren Bodie, outstanding quality in production, details that just don't quit, and a ton of photos. What more can I say. If there is one fault with this book, it has so much information, an index would be nice.
Required reading for P-38 Fans.......1998-03-12
I have been a fan of the P-38 Lightning for many years, despite having no personal ties to it. I had been looking for a book on the Lightning which would combine pictures and text to tell its story. Bodie's book is well written and shows his passion for the subject. It is well organized and there are many excellent pictures (including a color section) accompanied by wonderfully informative captions. If there is a fault with the book, it is that Bodie spends perhaps too much time on the period before the P-38 was developed. Background is important, but I felt that it was somewhat excessive. Still, this is a required book for any Lockheed P-38 Lightning fan's bookshelf. I struck up a correspondence with Bodie after reading the book and found him to be very friendle and helpful in my research on the P-38.
Lots of great pictures and detailed history of the P-38.......1997-11-18
Warren Bodie has done his research and brought together a wonderful collection of pictures of the P-38. There is a vast amount of detail, which sometimes becomes repetitive. Included are production and testing history, and some highlights of the P-38 operations in WWII. This book is not for the casual reader unless you just want to look at the pictures.
Book Description
Graphically illustrated with over 200 action photographs and many eye witness accounts, this book tells the story of a unique and innovative aircrat, revered for its adaptability and ability to limp home on one engine where other aircraft would have been destroyed
Customer Reviews:
info packed book.......2002-12-29
this is another book to add to a collection of P-38 books. it covers the PTO, MTO, ETO, as well as alaska. goes into much greater detail of the P-38s performance than most general reference books. lists the speeds and rates of climb higher than those listed by general reference books also. it is an interesting read as well as many photos that I have never seen before. I mean large and clear photos. bolillo_loco
Average customer rating:
- P-38 lightning in World War II Color (Enthusiast Color Serie
|
P-38 Lightning in World War II Color (Enthusiast Color Series)
Jeffery L. Ethell
Manufacturer: Motorbooks Intl
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Aviation
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Weapons & Warfare
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
| Biological & Chemical
| Control
| Conventional
| Nuclear
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Military Science
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Aviation
| Transportation
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Aerospace
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
| Advanced Mechanics
| Aerodynamics
| Aircraft Design & Construction
| Applied
| Avionics
| Gas Dynamics
| General
| Heat Transfer
| Propulsion Technology
| Structural Dynamics
Military Engineering
| Special Topics
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0879388684 |
Customer Reviews:
P-38 lightning in World War II Color (Enthusiast Color Serie.......2000-05-26
This is an excellent picture book and a very nice introduction to research on the P-38. It features photos taken in color from production shots to training photos, to pictures taken at wartime bases of operation. Also presented are snapshots of pilots and ground crew members, showing a reality that is sometimes lost to black and white photography. Text is informative but not intrusive. I think this is a fine book, and well worth many re-visits. There is also a good B-17 Bomber book in this series, which shows that plane's evolution and increasing armament.
Book Description
The 'Cadillac' of USAAF fighters in World War 2, the Lightning was a highly innovative design produced by Lockheed of Burbank, California, in response to a challenging requirement for a long range, high speed and high altitude fighter to escort the AAF's rapidly expanding B-17 bomber fleet. To meet the criterion laid down in the requirement the company adopted a revolutionary twin boom layout and supercharged Allison engines. The latter initially proved troublesome, but the gremlins were eventually sorted out and the type went into action both in Europe and the Pacific.
Book Description
Lightning! One of the best-named aircraft of WW2, the Lockheed P-38 was also one of the few fighters in production throughout hostilities. Immediately recognizable by its twin-boom tail layout, the P-38 Lightning was one of the mainstays of the USAAF's fighter inventory. Deployed in all theaters, Lightnings excelled in most, being one of the few American fighters armed with cannon. Subject to lengthy development throughout the war, the P-38 exemplified the technical peak reached by aeronautical engineers in the 1940s.
Average customer rating:
|
Lockheed P-38 Lightning (Warbird Tech Series , Vol 2)
Frederick A. Johnsen
Manufacturer: Voyageur Press (MN)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Aviation
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Conventional
| Weapons & Warfare
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Military Science
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Aviation
| Transportation
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Aerospace
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
| Advanced Mechanics
| Aerodynamics
| Aircraft Design & Construction
| Applied
| Avionics
| Gas Dynamics
| General
| Heat Transfer
| Propulsion Technology
| Structural Dynamics
Military Engineering
| Special Topics
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0933424655 |
Book Description
The WarbirdTech series is the first new, innovative look at military aircraft to arrive in the marketplace in the last fifteen years. Individual volumes in this series provide a first-ever "layman's technical" analysis and review of the world's most exciting combat aircraft. Included are photos, drawings and excerpts from previously "secret" and "restricted" technical manuals produced by the government and the aircraft manufacturers. Included are vintage photos of aircraft during prototype and manufacturing stages, exploded views, cutaways and phantom drawings form tech manuals, disassembled aircraft, rare variants and experimental models etc. Special emphasis is placed on the unique and ground-breaking design and performance aspects of each aircraft.
This series is for the enthusiast who has read all the combat stories, seen all the camouflage and markings books and now wants to learn the fascinating technical details behind the design and performance of combat aircraft.
Customer Reviews:
Warbird Low Tech Book.......2002-11-09
First the good: Lots of pictures, some diagrams right out of the repair manuals, covers lots of ground, nice size at aprox 8 1/2 x 11 in., good forward by Lockheed test pilot Tony LeVier, some coverage of rare and never built variants. But for a book that is touted as a "fresh approach" using a more "technical" format, this book does not fulfill. Not so much in what it says or shows, but in what it leaves out. Not much of the Allison engine story, no technical details on wing loading or airfoil type, not even any specification charts. Other negatives include: More pictures than text, which leaves very little space in the 100 pages for the story. This forces the author to jump around, sometimes with each paragraph on a totally different subject. Only two aces are covered. All in all, it comes off as a low budget effort. If this book were to sell for (cheaper), and be described as an introduction and overview of the P-38, I would consider it a fair deal. But at twice the price, and sold as a technical approach, it is somewhat of a disapointment.
Books:
- Make the Jerk Pay: Tracking Down a Deadbeat Dad and Getting Child Support
- Making Loss Matter : Creating Meaning in Difficult Times
- Making the Connections That Help Children Communicate
- Master Patterns and Grading for Women's Outsizes: Pattern Sizing Technology
- Maus : A Survivor's Tale : My Father Bleeds History/Here My Troubles Began/Boxed
- Meatless Diabetic Cookbook: Over 100 Easy Recipes Combining Great Taste with Great Nutrition
- Mommy, Please Don't Cry: There Are No Tears in Heaven
- Music Play: The Early Childhood Music Curriculum Guide for Parents Teachers & Caregivers Spiral (Jump Right in Perschool Series)
- My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror
- October Sky: A Memoir
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Straight from the Heart II: More True Stories of Remarkable Encounters with Once-in-a-Lifetime Horse
- Fruits and Vegetables/Frutas y vegetales
- Bucking the Tiger: A Novel
- Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens
- Evita: The Real Life of Eva Peron
- History: Fiction or Science
- Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates
- Multilateral Tax Treaties - New Developments in International Tax Law
- El Futuro De Dilbert
- Corporate Forms Kit, Rev.
The First Year---Parkinson's Disease: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed
Still Me
Parkinson's Disease: A Complete Guide for Patients and Families (A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book)
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Parkinson's Disease: A Holistic Program for Optimal Wellness
Parkinson's Disease & The Art Of Moving
