Book review
Back to the future : What Marty McFly can teach us about life ’ s cycles
Book : A funny thing happened on the way to the future … Author : Michael J . Fox Review by : Elvira Wood
Life is not linear . There will be detours along the way . For the curious , new turns will await at every turn and may keep pointing toward the chosen destination . Or maybe you ’ ll stumble upon information that will inspire you to change course all together , delivering you to a future you never could have imagined .”
This quote , in the chapter called The Beginning … Finally ( and which just happened to be the very last chapter in A funny thing happened on the way to the future … by the world-renowned actor Michael J . Fox ) aptly describes the many cycles – or detours as he calls them – that we will experience in life .
And , if there was ever a person who experienced many “ detours ”/ cycles in life , then it is Fox . He recounts his life story from being a high-school drop-out in Edmonton , Canada , to rising to one of the world ’ s best-loved actors for – especially – his performance as Marty McFly in the 80s movie Back to the Future ( and subsequent follow-ups ), to a person whose illustrious career could have come to a very sudden stop due to the diagnosis of young-onset Parkinson ’ s disease .
In this book , published back in 2010 and a rather short read ( only 100 pages smaller than A5 ), Fox recounts the various lessons he learned from life as he moved through different stages . He wrote the book with students and / or recent graduates in mind . However , he states very clearly at the beginning of the book that it is not there to offer advice , but to “ draw a few observations based on my life experience and organise them in response to the broader quest : What constitutes an education ?”.
The lessons he learnt early on in his career , helped him to become the international star he is known for today .
Is this book a good read for a student or young graduate ? Without any doubt .
Is this book a good read for an experienced graduate professional who has long finished their studies ? Without a doubt .
No matter where you find yourself in the cycle of life , there is some recollection of Fox ’ s that will sound very familiar .
It is endearing and refreshing to hear from such a successful person just how the cycles in life have profound impacts on one ’ s life , but that the outcomes thereof is something we can more often than not , manage .
How do we do this ? In Fox ’ s words : “ live to learn ”.
Keep on learning !
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