Rating: 
Summary: Self-Praise
Review: Will Rogers once said, "The movies are the only business where you can go out front and applaud yourself." This must be what drew Kirk Douglas to the acting profession, for this slight volume (considerably slimmer than one might expect with its small trim size and double spacing), his third memoir after The Ragman's Son and Climbing the Mountain, can barely contain his ego.Although mostly peppered with the praise he has received over the years for his roles in over 80 films, the stated purpose of the book is detailing the aftermath of the minor stroke Douglas suffered in 1996. In doing so, he casts many side-glances at the film industry, a profession he advised his sons not to enter because, "The chances of success are so remote; the pitfalls of failure and depression lie hidden along the trail," but, "Alas, they don't listen to me." The reality of dealing with a stroke made Douglas sit up and take notice of fellow actors who have also had to deal with their own health challenges, among them, Christopher Reeve, Michael J. Fox and Dudley Moore, "who use their celebrity to bring light to the darkness." In 1996, Douglas was at his home in Los Angeles when he noticed a strange pain that ran from his temple to his cheek, after which his speech was impaired. Not realizing he had suffered a stroke, his cook added insult to injury by slapping him in the face in an attempt to "revive" him. But his wife's swift action - once alerted to the situation - in seeking medical treatment for her husband probably minimized the effects of the stroke, and may have saved his life. When it came to death, his mother had modeled acceptance, on her deathbed whispering, "Don't be afraid, it happens to everyone," but Douglas was not so sure he was ready to resign himself to such a fate. Upon his release from hospital, he retreated to a hospital bed in his room at home, his "cocoon." He shares the fear and bewilderment that accompanied his recovery: "Strokes are for elderly people," he writes, "I was only 80...." In the process, he speaks of depression and hopelessness (at one point considering suicide): "Each day I did nothing but lie in this black hole, which only seemed to get smaller and darker." To cope with being confined to bed, Douglas relived some of his most cherished memories in his mind. "When I found a good memory, like a dog I hid my favorite bone, to be chewed on later." Those memories included his mother telling him as a child that snow comes from "the angels sweeping the porch of heaven," and memories of getting ice cream with his father. Here, he shares the trials and travails of his rehabilitation. When he'd had enough of self-pity, anguish and despair, he turned his thoughts to doing something to help others. Inspired by how Ronald Reagan had "the courage to write a letter to the world when he knew he had Alzheimer's disease," Douglas established the Motion Picture Relief Home's Alzheimer's Unit in 1997. Douglas fans won't be disappointed since the book has its share of stargazing nostalgia. He recalls how he walked actor Patricia Neal home after the premiere of The Fountainhead, how he "kissed her good night, passionately, as I remember, and often. A jealous Gary Cooper was watching from across the street." Neal has had three massive strokes herself but was able to recover and resume work. Outside the acting profession, Stephen Hawking is hailed for dealing with Lou Gehrig's disease, as are Tipper Gore and Mike Wallace for their frank admissions about suffering from depression, and the message is clear: "Sometimes God gives us obstacles in life to overcome to make us stronger." Douglas borrowed the inspiration for the book's title from his friend Jim MacLaren, who, despite losing a leg in a motorcycle accident persevered as an actor and a triathlete. When MacLaren - unbelievably - was paralyzed by a further accident involving a truck, he later told Douglas, "I consider it a stroke of luck," adding, "it changed me. I didn't like the guy I used to be." As for Douglas's own experience, he reports he has "developed an appreciation for language" after being left with a speech impediment as a result of the stroke. But on a happier note, he relates his son Michael says he's noticed improvement in his father's golf game since he plays less aggressively now. Of Michael, Douglas once quipped, "If I knew he was going to be that famous, I would have been nicer to him when he was young." My Stroke of Luck also includes Douglas's advice on love and a tribute to his wife Anne, who herself had to endure breast cancer and whom he has been married to for 48 years. Since his stroke, Douglas has spent much of his time helping other stroke survivors and their families deal with the aftermath of a stroke. Now he offers further advice. Referring to his acting career, Douglas says, "For years, I was so busy, I had no time to think about anyone but me, me, me," and "How time flies when you're thinking only of yourself." That hasn't really changed here, given his constant references to the flattery he's received over the years, but still he is to be congratulated for his attempt at shedding light on this common affliction. Also admirable is Douglas's drive and determination. Post-stroke he has starred in a movie and made a guest appearance in a television series, and at the time of writing - at the age of 83 - he is anxious for more parts, still waiting for the phone to ring, hoping it's his agent.
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