The Time of My Life

By Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi

In January 2008, movie star Patrick Swayze was given the worst news of his life. What he hoped was just a stomach ache was actually stage four pancreatic cancer, a diagnosis that is fatal within a year for 79% of the people to whom it is given. Remarkably, Patrick is not just alive a year later but continuing his treatment, and responding well.

But this book isn't just the story of Patrick's fight against cancer. In the public eye from the early 1980s, this is the story of a remarkable life and career. Intended as a low budget, straight-to-video production, Dirty Dancingbecame a cult hit and remains one of the most enduring films of the 80s. Ghost cemented Patrick as a hugely bankable star, in a role that has had a considerable cultural impact. Most recently Patrick has returned to the public's adoring arms in TV's The Beast. This book will chronicle Patrick's personal life as well -- including his treatment for alcoholism following the death of his father and sister's sudden death.

What has remained a constant in Patrick's life is his marriage and Patrick and Lisa's love story is inspiring, honest, heartfelt and transcends the typical celebrity marriage. This is a book that anyone who has faced cancer or a terminal illness can turn to: Lisa and Patrick have shown the world that cancer isn't just a diagnosis given to one individual, but a disease that can bring a household together or pull a family apart.

Bold, honest and inspiring, Patrick Swayze's memoir is the story of a remarkable man's life and career and of his refusal to give in.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Oct 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9781847378200

Patrick Swayze

Patrick Swayze was a three-time Golden Globe–nominated actor best known for his leading-man roles in two of the most beloved pictures of all time: Ghost and Dirty Dancing. Along with these high grossing, history-making films, many of his other movies have achieved a cult following, and his television series The Beast was a critical success. Also a singer/songwriter, dancer, and stage actor, Swayze grew up in Houston, Texas. He passed away in September 2009.

Reviews for The Time of My Life

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Like many females, I had a crush on Patrick Swayze resulting from the movie "Dirty Dancing". I knew he'd been a dancer but I didn't realize how much dancing he'd done before his movie career. I was surprised to read that he'd done so well in the ballet world. I also knew his wife was a dancer but didn't realize the extent of her career in it either. I was surprised to read that both of them smoked. I wouldn't have thought dancers would be smokers--and it turned out the smoking caused problems in their airplane too as well as making it more likely that he would get hypoxic while piloting.I also didn't realize Patrick had done gymnastics (also doing quite well at it) and diving and football. I didn't realize he had knee issues stemming from football that recurred throughout his professional career. Or that he drank so much.By the time he passed away, Patrick and Lisa had been married at least 34 years. These days, I almost feel like long marriages do not happen in Hollywood, so I applaud them for staying together that long. They are honest that there were rough spots in their marriage that they had to work through, but they did work through them. I was also disappointed that he chose Buddhism. I can't really fault him for moving away from Catholicism--I too have issues with aspects of Catholicism--but if nothing else, growing up Catholic should have exposed him to the truth--something he later chose to reject. It made it hard to read about him wondering about Heaven knowing that.

[booklover3258 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What an amazing story! Mr. Swayze takes us on a journey of his life from growing up to getting pancreatic cancer. It's very interesting the types of careers he did before acting. A lot of behind the scenes information I did not know about with some of the movies he made. Very very sad at the end knowing he wrote this book the same year he died of pancreatic cancer. I did tear up at the end because he was talking about beating the cancer and everything he wanted to accomplish in the future. He was a brave man who wouldn't take no for an answer and lived life to the fullest. Yes he had his demons (we all do) and I'm glad to have read about them and how he coped/dealed with them. RIP Patrick Swayze. Highly recommended read.

[fennecgirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you can find the audiobook version of this, I highly suggest getting a copy.

I grew up watching Swayze on screen, and felt a tug at my heart when I heard of the cancer. His situation really hit home for me as pictures of him near the end surfaced - having lost my own father to cancer, the similarities in their physical appearances stunned me. I knew reading the book alone wouldn't be enough for me, and waited until I was able to indulge in the audio version.

I am glad I did! His personality is now preserved within this book, and I was able to laugh along with him & his memorable stories as I would an old friend. Every little chuckle brought a smile to my face, and hearing through his own easy drawl, the journey of the ups, downs, struggles, and accomplishments - gives me a whole new respect for Patrick Swayze. I predict I will be listening to this edition many times over throughout the years.

[nicdar111 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great story. Just a tad repeatitive.

[senorag163 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Patrick Swayze and listening to his book, his words, his voice brought it all alive. I laughed, cringed and cried. Excellent telling of his hard road to fame.

[bons_11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Patrick Swayze & Lisa Niemi have managed to review their lives at a very critical stage. This autobiograpgy has given me a wider perspective on how talented they both were as well as how rare and special of a love they both were blessed with.

[rperritt_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. I found out a whole lot about Patrick Swayze that I never knew. He really was a fighter. I think that all Patrick Swayze fans should read this book.

[mjmbecky · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've always loved Patrick Swayze and his work, loved his passion for life, and loved his absolute dedication to the people closest to him. To me, he was a wonderful, surprising man of conviction in an industry that often lack such qualities.Having said that, and knowing some of his background already, I was so touched to learn more about his life. In his autobiography, The Time of My Life, Patrick Swayze reveals many of what he felt were vulnerable aspect of his character, which included his need to master whatever skill he attempted (feeling that he always had to be good at whatever he did), his abiding love for his wife Lisa (which he revealed he always felt she wasn't as in to him as he was into her, which he later learned was totally wrong), and his deep pain over losing a much loved father and its effects on him. I was moved to hear about his vulnerable moments, to hear how he faced them, and even how he overcame the problems he developed with alcohol as he dealt with his pain. To me, Patrick Swayze's life is a real testament to the ups and downs of any person's life, and how we can approach them.As I knew heading into his life story, I also knew that the book was completed shortly before his death in September of last year. Patrick Swayze's battle with pancreatic cancer was known from the beginning, and seems to float over the book as you read, making you think, "Just give it all you've got!" From this, I mean that I kept thinking that had he known, how would he have changed things? I think we all would just say to ourselves, to dig deep and give life all you have.It seemed to me, that in the end, Patrick Swayze honored his own life and what he had accomplished through the way he battled cancer. Cancer will never define him, but strangely shed a light on all the good he had done, and reminded us all of how important it is to reach for happiness each and every day.In synopsis, I highly recommend The Time of My Life. Listen, I'm the first person to run from stories of cancer or dogs (you know...because they always die!), but this autobiography was really moving. Like any human story, it reminded me how precious life is, and even how precious we are as individuals. The walk-away message of this book is varied, and I can say that I have thought about many different aspects of my own life since reading his autobiography. All I can say is, that as a fan, but more as a fellow human being, his life touched mine for good.