Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox

I recently finished reading Michael J. Fox's Always Looking Up and found it pretty insightful. I don't usually read many autobiographical type books but was pleased by this one. I'm not even sure why I picked it up and bought it to begin with. I think truthfully it may have been the title. I've always strived to be optimistic and though that has gotten harder for me reading this book makes me realize a bit more that everyone has hurdles and challenges in their lives. Fox dives right into all of the troubling times he's had living with Parkinson's and pushing for stem cell research to find a cure. Some of the people he's had to face are just plain ignorant but he's faced them with a certain style and dignity that they probably aren't worthy of.

Fox doesn't just talk about Parkinson's and research and his foundation but also delves into his family life and even his beliefs (it's hard for me to even talk to other people about my beliefs let alone write about them for thousands of people to read). I love that through it all he retains some kind of humor about him. He's had his share of difficult times but he's able to reflect on them and come to a place that's both light-hearted and poignant.