Norman MacIsaac was alone on a cold December day when he received his worst news. At first, he didn’t know what to do with a prognosis of just a few years to live, growing more and more disabled until he could no longer move, swallow, or, in the end, breathe.

Travel the world with the author in search of wisdom and inspiration, from the Himalayas to the slums of Mumbai, from his home in Montreal to the African savannah. Written over nearly five years, this is an authentic live look at the multiple and evolving challenges, the frustrations and unparalleled joy that mark living with a degenerative terminal illness.

This book is about the emotional and psychological aspects rather than the medical side of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)–also known as Lou Gehrig’s or Motor Neuron Disease. It’s about focusing on what’s really important and overcoming obstacles to experience the best that remains to be lived. It’s an ode to a life well lived and an audacious approach to defiantly embracing the best of the worst news.

Norman MacIsaac has spent a lifetime travelling, living abroad, and working with inspiring people from diverse cultures around the world. His diagnosis with ALS led him to share the experiences that have heightened his perspective and resilience in the face of this incurable, crippling and ultimately terminal condition. He lives in Montreal, Canada with his wife of thirty-two years, and has two sons and one daughter.