List Price: $9.99 Our Price: $7.99 You Save: $2.00 (20%)

Product Description

People around the world have found inspiration in the story of Lance Armstrong--a world-class athlete nearly struck down by cancer, only to recover and win the Tour de France, the multiday bicycle race famous for its grueling intensity. Armstrong is a thoroughgoing Texan jock, and the changes brought to his life by his illness are startling and powerful, but he's just not interested in wearing a hero suit. While his vocabulary is a bit on the he-man side (highest compliment to his wife: "she's a stud"), his actions will melt the most hard-bitten souls: a cancer foundation and benefit bike ride, his astonishing commitment to training that got him past countless hurdles, loyalty to the people and corporations that never gave up on him. There's serious medical detail here, which may not be for the faint of heart; from chemo to surgical procedures to his wife's in vitro fertilization, you won't be spared a single x-ray, IV drip, or unfortunate side effect. Athletes and coaches everywhere will benefit from the same extraordinary detail provided about his training sessions--every aching tendon, every rainy afternoon, and every small triumph during his long recovery is here in living color. It's Not About the Bike is the perfect title for this book about life, death, illness, family, setbacks, and triumphs, but not especially about the bike. --Jill Lightner

The inspiring journey of world-class hero Lance Armstrong, from the dark night of advanced cancer through his dramatic victory in the 1999 Tour de France, and beyond.

In 1996, twenty-four-year-old Lance Armstrong was ranked the number-one cyclist in the world. But that October, "The Golden Boy of American Cycling" was sidelined by excruciating pain. Tests revealed advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. His chance for recovery was as low as twenty percent.

Armstrong embarked on the most aggressive form of chemotherapy available and underwent surgery to remove cancer that the treatments couldn't reach. Five months after his diagnosis, he resumed training under a cloud of uncertainty, and the path back to competition wasn't smooth. It took a ride with friends through the mountains of North Carolina for Armstrong to rediscover his genuine love of the sport, and to rededicate himself to its pursuit.

Scarred physically and emotionally, Lance Armstrong considered his cancer "a special wake-up call," one that crystallized for him the blessings of good health, family, friends, and marriage. In October 1999, just months after his astonishing triumph in the Tour, his wife, Kristin, gave birth to their son, Luke David Armstrong.

Filled with the nutritional, physical, emotional, and spiritual details of his recovery, It's Not About the Bike traces the wondrous journey of one of America's greatest athletes to a singularly inspiring appreciation of life lived to the fullest.

Customer Reviews:

• Great Nonfiction Book
  This book was excellent and I couldn't stop reading it. Every time I finished a chapter it would end with something like, "I might lose my life" so I would end up reading another chapter. I don't usually like nonfiction but I recommend this book to everybody. Sometimes when I was reading I would stop and think," I can't believe this actually happened. A bike racer gets cancer, has a 3% chance to live, survives, then wins a record setting 7 Tour de France's. The most important thing I learned was to cherish each day as if it is your last....more info
• One of the best on the subject of cancer
  As a former and current cancer survivor (I am currently going through my second bout with cancer)and having lost my mother to cancer I can relate to Lance's experience with this dreaded disease. His childhood memories of him and his mom parallel some of mine. The father that wasn't there, having mom take all the responsibilities of raising a child and then marrying someone whom you really didn't care for. That also happened to me. I escaped that by joining the Navy and making a career out of it. But back to the book, chapter five "Conversations with cancer" puts it all in perspective for anyone battling cancer or having a family member or friend suffering from cancer. He puts it best on page 113 and I quote "Without belief, we would be left with nothing but an overwhelming doom, every single day. And it will beat you. I didn't fully see, until the cancer, how we fight every day against the creeping negatives of the world, how we struggle daily against the slow lapping of cynicism. Dispiritedness and disappointment, these were the real perils of life, not some sudden illness or cataclysmic millennium doomsday. I knew now why people fear cancer: because it is a slow and inevitable death, it IS the very definition of cynicism and loss of spirit. So, I believed." That pretty much says it all.
  ...more info
• I can never forget reading this book in lifetimes to come
  It's more then just an autobiography. It is about life, it is about surviving. It is about the unfailing human spirit that never say die. It is about hope when everything goes wrong. It is about learning how great athletes are made. It is about suffering, it is about pain to the top of the ladder. It is about rise of a `Phoenix' who never said die.
  There are parts in the book that reduce you to tears of sorrow and to the tears of bliss and joy. It is about sharing the toughest time of one of the pioneers, a role model, a warrior, a saint...
  My life is never same, after reading this book.
  All I can think about is "How did he do that?..."
  ...more info
• Having a bad week?
  Firstly let me start this off by saying that the spin class at my local gym terrifies me - so in no way do I qualify as someone who has ever had anything to do with bike riding. In fact, on my copy of this book it said that Lance had won the Tour de France three times - which I thought was pretty cool not knowing he'd kept it up 1999 - 2005. So, my point is that obviously my cycling knowledge isn't the best but that's one of the amazing things about this book. It didn't need to be. I was never bored with the cycling regime Lance had to go through, I was constantly uplifted by the descriptions of the races and I was even fascinated by his diet. I picked up this book not because I had a love of cycling or even a sparse knowledge, I honestly picked it up because I was having a bad week and I wanted to read about someone who had gone through something infinitely worse and survived... no triumphed. I read this book in 2 days the last day involving me shutting out everything and curling up in my bean bag reading like a crazy woman - I was captivated at every stage of the way. It's written in a down to earth style, for real people wanting an amazing insight into a phenomenal journey. If you can't take away lessons from this book to incorporate into your own life you're not reading the same book I was.
  Advance to Go, Collect $1 Million...more info
• A Story About The Power Of The Human Spirit
  Before reading this book I knew that Lance Armstrong survived Cancer to win a bike race, how naive I was. First off, the Cancer was mostly in his brain and required an incredible surgery and a large amount of painful recovery. Secondly, the bike race was the Tour De France which is a 2,000+ mile race around the circumference of a nation. His tale is so much more than that of an athlete trying to complete a dream. This might sound cliche but this was a story about the power of the human spirit to overcome social, emotional and physical odds....more info
• Lance Armstrong's lucky
  Quite an interesting account by the man who ought to know. Found Armstrong to be quite immature and narcissistic at times. However these features have added to the power of his winning method.
  
  Lance seems to forget that there are so many people who cannot jetset around America to find the Oncologist they think is best. Many people would not get extra help from Oncologists, etc. because they are NOT Lance Armstrong.
  
  Good luck to Lance, but I'm sure there are many other 'heros' who have faced greater odds and survived.......more info
• READ THIS BOOK: It changed me. Beautiful writing.
  I picked up this book in the juice store in San Jose on a trip. Someone I knew had given a moving speech on Lance, and I love inspiring stories. I have read a few. None, and I mean none so damn well written. The words, the descriptions, and the story, is so deep, and so well-written, that it was incredibly hard to put down. You start to get to know a real person, and all his defeats, his hardship, his anger, and his emergence as a real winner in face of it all. It is the best read in all of my carefully selected dozen books in the last few months. I highly recommend it!!! I love you Lance Armstrong! You are amazing!!...more info
• A Classic
  The definition of a page turner: I read this book in one day! I've also had many of my sophomore HS students choose it as an indpendent read and they've all loved it. A must read!!...more info
• Lance Armstrong book review
  Lances Armstrong's book Not About The Bike: My journey back to life is an inspiring book that is great for just about any reader. This book is very detailed from the time when he was 12 years old to the Olympics and from the Olympics to the battle with cancer and from cancer to his experiences to in the greatest and most brutal bike race in the world the Tour de France. One of the most captivating parts of this book is his battle with cancer. He talks about how he struggled with the chemotherapy and how it made him feel weak, but he also talks on how all that time that he had gave him a new outlook on life and how this inspired him to race even harder and live everyday of life like the last. It also inspired him to push himself harder than he was before. The book also makes you think, is there something bigger out there and is life set out by an all powerful being; because anybody in lances condition would have died from the condition that he was in. This book also gives you some insight on lances life and shows you that lance is an extremely strong person and shows you how he beat cancer and made a comeback and won a record setting 7 Tour de France races. Over all I think this book is an amazing piece of work and I recommend it to anybody who's interested in Lance Armstrong or amazing comebacks. ...more info
• One of the best bios I ever read
  I have read over 300 bios. This is one of the best. Where is lacks in style, it makes up for in heart, in spades!...more info
• Average
  Lance's story is truly incredible. It taught me too never give up or take no for an answer. Never lose hope. It is an especially great book for athletes, but anyone could draw inspiration from it. I did not, however, like the way Lance came off in the book. He seemed really cocky and self-centered. The book also was not very well written. Overall, this book was very inspirational and thought-provoking but had the potential to be much much more.
  
  *This book may not be a good one for readers with particularly weak stomachs.
  **Some mature content and language is used in the book and may not be appropriate for younger readers....more info
• We learn something every day
  I had a meeting with VP in the company and as I got in his office you can sense he was a Lance fans. I'm not! Maybe for his way to act that he so well describe in his book! As an ex-athlete my self I could not hide my opinion about Lance. It was a nice and healthy conversation. Few weeks later I had another meeting with the same VP and as I walk in to his office he gave me this book as a present, knowing I'm an avid reader.
  
  I read it during the long flight back home! Great inspiring book! Never did read a sportsman biography but this one is worth each single word.
  
  You learn something new every day! I guess I learn something more about a great individual and athlete!
  
  PS - I have a colleague that is fighting a similar battle and I gave the book to him because sometime other peoples words are better then your.
  ...more info
• Inspirational!
  I loved this book. It is very inspirational for anyone dealing with cancer. It is also just a great read. Lance Armstrong comes across as a regular guy, with human failings, but with a phenominal talent, and great dedication and determination. He has done a great service by writing this book....more info
• It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong
  This is an excellent and easy to read book about Lance Armstrongs life and struggle with cancer written in plan, easy to understand English. It tells how he battled back from a 3% chance of living to win the Tour de France bicycle race. I was unable to put this book down after starting to read it because its written in a very positive and uplifting way. I feel as though I almost know the guy now....more info
• An almost complete book
  I am already a member of LiveStrong and have been for quite a while, because I believe in the cause and am in total agreement with the way they are pursuing it. However, I have always resisted buying and reading the book as I was 100% it would be nothing but posturing and self promotion........ BIG MISTAKE. The book is excellently written and there is almost an incredible lack of focus on his amazing capabilities as a rider and an athlete. There is however, a lot of sophisticated insight into the human nature as well as cancer itself, and as my mother is a cancer surviver as well I can recognize a lot of the experiences from her fight as well.
  On some issues I believe that Armstrong could have gotten closer and in more detail, such as more specifics on the Post Cancer period and how he was dealing with the everyday life.
  The book left me in awe of Lance Armstrong and not only as an athlete......more info
• Informative and Inspiring, but too much Ego
  It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life is an entertaining read that gives the reader insight into what it's like to live with cancer and lose a dream. Lance's journey back to the bike is inspirational, and it showcases his love of his sport. Lance's determination to race even after a life-threatening disease makes this a worthwhile read for anyone who is facing a significant obstacle in life.
  
  One positive feature of this book is its description of cycling races. Not only does Armstrong inform the reader of the competitive nature of the sport, such as the insults exchanged while cyclists are racing, he also describes how a team works together during a race. Before reading this book, I believed that each racer's goal was to win. In reality, racers are part of teams, and each team member works for the good of the whole so that one person from their team can be victorious.
  
  While this book is a stirring read, it has numerous faults. I agree with Bryan Castro's review when he stated that Armstrong is often annoying. While his wife and friends make huge sacrifices for him and are very supportive before, during, and after his battle with cancer, Lance does nothing to alert his reader to the ways he is equally supportive in his personal relationships.
  
  For example, Lance and his wife, Kristin, moved to France so Lance could get back into cycling after he recovered from cancer. His wife had to quit her job, give up her dog, her friends, and her entire life. They spent a few weeks in France before Lance decided to quit biking and moved back home. He then lived like a bum, while Kristin had to find a way to get her life back. This selfish act is one of many which has lowered my opinion of Lance Armstrong.
  
  In the beginning of the book, Lance describes how he excelled as an athlete from a young age by competing with older, more experienced athletes. While part of the mindset of being a professional athlete is being confident in one's own abilities, his cockiness is often overwhelming. I had hopes that after his illness he would become more humble, but that voice did not come through in his writing.
  
  Lance accomplishes his goal of telling the story of living with cancer, and how he overcame this challenge to get back on the bike professionally. Unfortunately, his egomania and cockiness subtracts from the message of the book. ...more info
• Lance's biggest triumph
  This was much better written than many celebrity autobiographies, and provides a compelling view into the struggle required to overcome cancer. We begin with Lance's somewhat troubled childhood and his early successes on the bicycle before we delve into the real meat of this book, his fight against the cancer that almost took his life. Armstrong is quite candid about personality flaws and early bad behaviour, which provides an air of honesty that makes this book all the more powerful. His comeback to the pinacle of the bicycle racing world is truly remarkable, but given his personality, perhaps it shouldn't surprise us as much as it does. Here is a remarkable athlete, and a man who appreciates the second chance he's been given. A truly inspirational and enlightening book....more info
• trash
  we all know this story, but if you want to read a cocky, self absorbed version from lance's perspective pick this up. horribly written, some attempts are made at poeticism ("I keep riding, into the highest peering hills, up the pitch of a mountainside, where green leaves quiver in the cold sun") but overall i'd probably get more out of a 2 page summary of his life on wikipedia....more info
• It's Not About the Bike, it's about Living Strong!
  The book begins: "I want to die at a hundred years old with an American flag on my back and the star of Texas on my helmet, after screaming down an Alpine descent on a bicycle at 75 miles per hour." When I first read those words, I found the book impossible to put down.
  
  I purchased my first copy of It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life right here four days after it was released in the spring of 2000, and read it immediately. I read many chapters of it to my youngest son over the following years, and we discussed its message even in his early grade school years. Lance Armstrong became a personal hero to him, as he has been to me.
  
  Have given this book as a gift, sometimes in its paperback form and other times as a hardbound, and only once have I given it to a fellow cyclist -- it's often been to friends who have gone through a battle with cancer, either themselves or with someone close to them. And now I see that it's available here in a Kindle Edition, so I'm sure that I'll be giving it again... and if I ever get my own Kindle, it's going to be the first book that I get in that media.
  
  I'm a cyclist of the mountain/trail bike variety, but as the title of the book says, "It's Not About the Bike." I've never had cancer, but have had numerous close family members and friends who have been victims of this most dreaded disease, including my mother and my oldest son's mother. This is perhaps why I find Lance's story so inspirational. It's more than a story of his amazing athletic achievements and cancer recovery, this is a true story about the triumph of the inner self.
  
  Since the book was originally published, 'Maillot Jaune' (Lance's nickname in French for 'Yellow Jersey') has gone on to break so many cycling records. In his final tour before retirement in 2005, he crossed the finishing line on the Champs-¨¦lys¨¦es on July 24th to win his 7th consecutive Tour de France title. Since his retirement, he has focused his efforts on the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which provides support for people affected by cancer. And yes, I'm one of those who wears a yellow LIVESTRONG wristband on a daily basis in support of his efforts.
  
  Lance has also written a moving and insightful follow-up to this book, Every Second Counts which offers another facet to this inspirational athlete who is both motivated and motivating. And now we hear that Lance Armstrong, at age 37, will be making his pro-cycling comeback, and he's already in training, and put in 20-24 hours a week on the bike throughout October. He's pledged to continue with his national call to action on cancer prevention and survivorship program.
  
  If you're looking for a book about cycling, this isn't it. Read the title and that will tell you that. I found his message of optimism to be quite stirring, and hope that you will as well....more info
• Inspirational!
  Lance provides a lot of insight into his life, who he is, and how he became the greatest cyclist in the world in this book! This book covers his life from birth to the 2nd Tour de France win. The dedication he has to his job (cycling) is so impressive. A truly inspirational story.......more info
• Inspiration for Anyone
  Anyone will be inspired by this account of Lance Armstrong's life. This book teach you to have hope no matter what you are going through....more info
• Convert Pain Into Breakthroughs
  One of my "wow" moments while reading this beautiful book was when he described his thoughts, once he was diagnosed with cancer, "Basically, I can endure more physical stress than most people can, and I don't get as tired while I'm doing it. So I figure maybe that helped me live. I was lucky -- I was born with an above-average capacity for breathing. But even so, I was in a desperate, sick fog much of the time.
  
  My illness was humbling and starkly revealing, and it forced me to survey my life with an unforgiving eye. There are some shameful episodes in it: instances of meanness, unfinished tasks, weaknesses, and regrets. I had to ask myself, 'If I live, who is it that I intend to be?' I found that I had a lot of growing to do as a man."
  
  And, yet, as I read this book, I kept saying to myself, "Man. He would be a demanding kind of guy in a good and a bad way - depending upon how you feel about yourself, while you are around him."
  
  In my humble opinion, Lance Armstrong is a type A man who in this book really reveal what I can't imagine him revealing in person with others, with the exception of his mother.
  
  There are many life lessons in "It's Not About the Bike."
  
  And, on a lighter side, every time I drive my car, and the traffic light has just turned yellow, I laugh at how in "It's Not About the Bike," Lance Armstrong describes how this is his chance to speed up, not slow down and prepare to stop.
  
  This biography has a conversational and strongly visual tone. I also learned many things about bicycling being a team sport, rather than an individualized activity as I had always thought of it as being.
  
  ...more info
• Helpful to cancer fighters
  Whether or not you are a fan of Lance Armstrong, this book is incredibly helpful. Helpful for getting a grip on the implication of testicular cancer diagnosis and treatment. Also helpful for tackling the mental battle that comes with this disease. It is full of hope, and an important read for those diagnosed with Testicular cancer,and their significant others....more info
• Love Him Or Hate Him, He Has A Good Book Here
  After finishing this book, I sure had mixed emotions about this famous cyclist who has won the Tour de France seven times. This autobiography finishes with him winning his first Tour. A decent chunk of the book deals with his bout with cancer.
  
  In a nutshell, I came away from this book with an even-greater appreciation of the guts, dedication and talent - and honesty (he tells us exactly how he feels about things) of this famous athlete. I also came away with a lower opinion of him as a personality. He comes across as an immature, hot-tempered, selfish mama's boy.
  
  He seems to be a guy with plenty of friends and plenty of enemies, which is one reason he's such an interesting guy.....and the book is a good read. Props to him for making a very readable book. This was hard to put down, although parts of his descriptions of the chemotherapy treatments and such are horrifying and will haunt me for years.
  
  I still don't quite know what to think of Armstrong. He's a very complex man. Hopefully, one day he'll discover there's a He, not just a he (as in himself). Lance appears to be the kind of guy you love one minute, hate the next. A bunch of his ex-girlfriends can attest to that!
  
  One thing: that kind of guy makes for a fun read, so this book is highly-recommended, and not just for cycling fans. I'm not; I just like good autobiographies....more info
• Lance
  Gave this to my Dad who is fighting cancer.. It really gave him hope!...more info
• It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life
  Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life is a breath taking and inspirational book. I usually don't find autobiographies good, because I don't find peoples life interesting, but this made me keep on reading. What the story is about is how Lance Armstrong, a sensational bike rider got cancer in his early twenties. Right was he was 12 years old he had his dedication for a bike. He used to love triathlons and was competing in the highest level against twenty year olds. In school everyone would were polo shirts and talk after school, while he would be riding his bike for several hours. One day he didn't fell a hundred percent and finds out that he has testicular cancer. After about 1 year he got rid of the cancer, but he had lost all his muscle mass and his hair after going through chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a strong substance that either will kill the cancer or you first. It is a high risk procedure. The doctors for Lance said to Lance after he had got out of cancer that he had a ten percent chance of living, and that it was a miracle, yet it wasn't, because those doctors believed in him. Before other doctors said that he would never be able to bike, but his sponsors never gave up on him because they all believed in Lance Armstrong. After Chemotherapy he was riding again, but couldn't win a single race and was deciding to quite. Abruptly he won his first race after cancer and thought that he might win the Tour de France. He had remembered what someone had said to him a long time ago, "Lance your going to win the Tour de France one day." He had trained for one year for the Tour de France and didn't compete in any other races; he just waited and waited for the Tour de France to draw nearer. I am not going to tell you the rest of the story but I really think you should read the inspirable book. One reason why I liked this book is because that it teaches you determination and the struggles that he had to go through, but he was confident that he was going to defeat the disease which he did. One thing that I liked about Lance Armstrong's writing is that it is really descriptive and it is a fast moving book, but that is just me. I also like books that are really inspirational and show nothing is impossible if you just put hard dedication into to it. I really think you should read this inspirational book that teaches you that nothing is impossible....more info
• EXCELLENT BOOK!!
  I really valued reading this book after someone very close to me was diagnosed with the same cancer as Lance. It was informatative and emotional. Thanks to Lance for his Foundation....more info
• A frank and open book about overcoming the big 'C''s challenges
  A frank and honest portrait of one mans struggle. This is not a 'wow, aren't I great' book, but one that shows the awful journey people have to take and what gets them to "over come the odds".
  
  The achievement of the subject of this entertaining read is his amazing recovery from cancer which was followed shortly afterwards by spectacular sporting success. The book is undoubtedly compelling, and was simply, clearly and strikingly written.
  
  Even if you're not into cycling you will love this book....more info
• Highly Motivating
  Highly motivating story of one of the world's elite athletes who suffered cancer throughout his body, conquered the cancer, and came back to win the Tour de France, the most grueling, physically demanding sport event on Earth. You do not have to be a cyclist, or an athlete, to enjoy this book.
  
  Harry Carpenter, author of The Genie Within: Your Subconscious Mind.
  The Genie Within: Your Subconcious Mind--How It Works and How to Use It...more info
• very humbling. very inspiring.
  as I was mid-way through this book, there were only two thoughts going on in my mind -
  1. this guy is human/normal like us with all frailties/insecurities
  2. and gosh what extremes are humanly possible!!... the triumph of human spirit! very humbling. very inspiring.
  
  
  
  ...more info
• An absolute riveting memoir
  The story of Lance Armstong's life up until 2001 will be a challenge to put down for even those who are not fans of cycling. This story unfolds as an enthralling voyage taken alongside one of the greatest athletes in history from his very low points facing apparent death by brain cancer to the high points of full recovery and winning the Tour de France.
  
  Lance is extremely strong willed, bold, determined, and presents a story for the ages with his first autobiography. His story is so compelling that I highly recommend this book to anyone.
  ...more info
• Its Not All About The bike
  This book is a great book and I would recommend this book to anyone. I would recommend this book to anyone because it teaches you to never give up. It also tells you that you can get through anything. I thought that the plot of the story was unbelievable. I think this because it is amazing that Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France after he survived cancer. I think that people that have cancer would enjoy reading this because it tells them that it's not impossible to beat cancer and tells them never to give up. Overall this book was an awesome and touching book and it would be great if other people read it....more info
• The title is accurate...
  Its not about the bike, in fact there are only two paragraphs in the whole book that talk about the bike. This book is about Lances diagnosis, his struggle to accept his new reality, the aftermath of living as a cancer survivor, and trying to have a baby using frozen sperm. Oh yeah, and also winning the Tour De France.
  
  I enjoyed the book because I like the "overcoming really bad odds and still becoming a champion" type of story. I do not cycle, unless you count the sporadic bikes rides with my kids. I was hoping the book would not be loaded with unrelatable stories and details about the bike, training, and the actual races, and luckily for me it wasn't.
  
  This book was a personal account of a serious athlete struck with cancer. It gets a little whiny in a few places, but I have to give him points for being honest. I am sure I would be whiny if I was struck down in my prime and had to endure the horrors of chemo and brain surgery.
  
  The writing is excellent and you can almost feel the rain hitting your face during his grueling training rides in the mountains of Europe. My legs are burning right now just thinking about sitting on a bike for 6-7 hours of non-stop riding. Wow.
  
  To me, this book left the message of be happy because it can all change fast. Enjoy what time I am given and try to forget about the small stuff. Its a great book with a great message....more info
• You Will Jump For Joy!
  A story of courage, transformation, inspiration, love, failure, success, it has absolutely every element of the most thrilling book you have ever read. Get this book if you want to laugh, cry, scream, shout and jump for joy. Lance's triumph over his bought with cancer will leave you feeling grateful, in awe, and thoroughly filled with life-affirming happiness. ...more info
• BRILLIANT.BEST SPORTS BOOK EVER!
  What a story. This book is for everyone and anyone. Even non sports fans will love this....more info
• Inspiring!
  I picked this book with trepidity. Having read scores of biographies from succesful sportspersons, I did not expect this one to be any different. They struggle, they compete, they succeed. I started reading this purely based my wife's strongly recommended this.
  
  And it just did move me completely!
  
  
  Once I started reading, there was no looking back. This is gripping cover-covcer. I guess the cycle races are such. We get so involved in the sport. Whern Lance talks about Cancer, it is not in absurd medical terms or over-simplification. He did carry me long - thtough his journry. I could vicariusly experience being with him in the ward in Idianopolis or at the Finish line of Tour De France.
  
  A narrative style that takes the audience at a leisurely pace, keeping the reder hooked and attached to the strory.
  
  Truly inspirational. A day after I finished the book, today, I am shaving my head for a cause - cancer patients!...more info
• Need inspiration?!?
  If you are looking for a book to get you off your but and moving this is the book for you. I have never felt as lazy as I did after reading Lance Armstrongs story. He will not only inspire you to be more active he'll make you see the value of trusting yourself, loyalty, and taking control of your life. Im not he fastest reader around but I read this book in one day! This book is a must for anyone who likes true stories of determination and inner strength winning against all odds....more info
• Inspiring
  An inspiring book. I learned alot about cycling and cancer and the treament of cancer. It is a book about sticking with something, seeing it through and being very strong willed. It also shows the importance of having a support system in family and close friends. A good read. ...more info
• An Inspired ride
  I have to say this is one of the better autobios I've read. Lance lets you into his head and helps you to understand what it is like to bike a hundred and some miles a day, as well as how he dealt with cancer and the side effects he went through. After reading this, I have a growing respect for the man as well as the athlete named Lance Armstrong....more info
• A Life Changing Book
  First, a disclaimer. I am a huge fan of Lance Armstrong. I think he is one of the best athletes that America has produced, and a real 'rags to riches' man. Like many such men, he has his faults and issues.
  
  About the book . . .
  Its an extremely inspiring story of a driven athelete, his close brush with death, and return to life. It's a life-changing book.
  
  It's Not About the Bike is particularly useful for anyone recovering from a severe illness and then moving beyond thier disease to excel at atheletics. After 2 or 3 critical illnesses in the past three years, I credit my general good fitness to keeping me out of the grave, and this book gave me the inspiration to achieve that fitness, even when I wanted to quit.
  
  Others have found it similarly inspiring, so much so I bought extra copies and hand them out as needed....more info
• Another Jackass Celebrity's "With" Book
  People who can't write a book on their own should not write one at all. Let's just be frank about the writers of this book: A moron with a "Professional" writer. This book is not even inspirational. It is a 200+ page self-loving, repetitive, and masturbatory look at an individual who is not amazing. So you can ride a bike and swim. Who gives a hoot? There is no spirit, no humility, and no substance to this book. Morons who buy into this guy's story are just perpetuating another generation of Americans more concerned about celebrity all-stars and professional athletes than their status as citizens of the greatest country on Earth.
  
  I was forced to read this garbage as a summer reading book when I was in high school. It's a great message to send to young developing minds: I am awesome because I have mutant lungs. Let's forget about the great American heroes like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, and FDR. The fact that this crap gets published sickens me to the core. If you want to inspire people, give them an inspiring story: perhaps one of a great American like Washington, or one of Francis of Assisi, Marcus Tullius Cicero, or Churchill.
  
  A biography of Stalin would be more inspirational than this....more info
• Fantastic- One of the best books I have ever read
  I must say that this is easily one of the best books I have ever read, and probably the most inspirational. It delves deep into the realms of the human spirit, against the worst of odds. Lance Armstrong isn't just the single greatest athlete of our generation, hes an American hero, and he beat cancer. Yes, he did not just survive, he defeated it, and proved it can be done. I have never had cancer, I have never fought against unbelieveble odds. This man has, and he tells his story in a remarkable, touching, and humane way. Fantastic Read....more info
• Good Read
  A great look into the life of one of our greatest athletes. It was strange though having him talk about being a good husband......more info
• It's Not About the Bike, My Journey Back to Life Review
  Lance Armstrong was a strong, single, 25-year-old world-class athlete that was diagnosed with testicular cancer in October of 1996. It's Not About the Bike, My Journey Back to Life is his story. Through x-rays and severe symptoms, the doctors finally pinpointed his disease and Armstrong embarked on the most aggressive form of chemotherapy as soon as possible. Although being testicular cancer, it had metastasized through his entire body to even his lungs and brain. This man even underwent surgery before his chemotherapy treatments and afterwards. Before his treatments to remove the cancer his chemotherapy could not and afterwards to fix and smooth out complications brought up by the chemotherapy. You will have to read to find out what exactly those complications were. Even before his final chemotherapy treatment on December 13, 1996, Lance began to ride again, but this time for a different reason, for the love of it, not because it was his career. He even said, "it was something I had to do for pleasure--like poetry." After Armstrong's grueling fourth cycle of chemotherapy he began to ride again and train. Yes, as a career, but with a new sense of passion and accomplishment. He had married a woman he had met one month after his treatments and went on to race in the Tour de France, which you all can guess the outcome. Lance was now a "record-breaking seven-time winner of the Tour de France, a cancer survivor, a husband, a father, a son," and of course, "a Human being."
  Although this book does not go into extreme details of how cancer forms and specifically testicular cancer, it does talk about the multi-cellular level and what stages this cancer undergoes. With this absence of information, the reader is able to concentrate on the emotional appeal brought up by the spreading of cancer, treatments and the overall affect of this great athlete's life. However, overall this book was extremely informative. It gave great experiential information and therefore a chance for the reader to understand the steps of a process such as cancer and how it affects the person who has it but the family and close friends as well. As the book progresses reader's began seeing cancer as monster, and questioning its reasons for taking over a man's life and why it would inhibit the natural ways of life such as marriage and reproduction. But as readers, we are triumphant over cancer just as Lance Armstrong was, because we are with him during this time, and through his description we are able to understand closer to what cancer truly is and how people overcome it, even when its at the most dangerous stage and the survival rate is only 3%. Anyone can read medical pages with boring facts, but to read this book is true meaning behind the word cancer.
  I personally have not had cancer, but I have had plenty of family members that have, including my cousin having testicular cancer. Although he overcame it in the early stages and before I was old enough to understand what was going on, this book really came me a true insight to a little of what he and other victims of this disease must go through if they want a chance at a normal life afterwards. Armstrong writes in an empathetic way, not only for himself but in a way that makes people want to help everyone in their own lives and societies. Lance Armstrong even did this himself by creating the Lance Armstrong Foundation which helps to research for cures and treatments for cancer. After reading this book, the word cancer has an entirely deep, empathetic, and different meaning.
  ...more info
• Just what I was looking for
  I recently became a regular bicycle commuter, with intentions to do some bicycle touring, but I am also fascinated with professional bicycle road racing in general and Lance Armstrong's role in the evolution of it in particular. This book is an excellent introduction into amazing life and times of Lance Armstrong. It is important to remember that this story is told from Lance's perspective, and therefore can not necessarily be expected to be totally objective; he occassionally uses the book as a platform to "correct misipressions" created by others. Although, I can't fault someone as controversial as Lance Armstrong for wanting to air his side of a story. In short, a bloody good read, if you are interested in the core topics......more info
• It is the most foverit book I've ever read
  When I read this Thai tranlated version , I did not know Lance and bicycle. It inspirit me to be cyclist and Lance fan now. It is such a good book even seen....more info
• Compelling . . .
  Quite good. The compelling part of the book is to hear Lance tell how he overcame advanced-stage prostate cancer, with treatments that fully debilitated him. Only then did he come back to win the Tour de France for the first time! (And the only time in this book.) He is frank about the rougher sides of his personality, but does go beyond his illness to learn how to be a better person. You are cheering for him all the way. Although written with a ghost writer, it is his voice that comes through loudly and clearly. The book ends with him quite in love with his wife and first child, projecting a family life into the future. Sadly, as we know, it was not to be, nor did he stick it out with Sheryl Crow who had yet to appear in his story....more info
• Life on a Bike
  "When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race." ~H.G. Wells
  
  I was finally able to get around to reading this book. It has been on my to-read list for a long time now. I considered not reading this thinking it may be outdated since he has gone on to win The Tour de France six more times since it was published; however, I am glad I did.
  
  There are basically two parts to the book: his racing and what it takes to win, and his fight with cancer. I learned quite a bit about the Tour, about cancer and chemo, and even about in-vitro fertilization.
  
  I thought the book was well written and easy to read but I can't help wondering how much was Lance and how much was Sally Jenkins, the co-writer. Makes me wish I would have paid more attention to the sport while he was still actively racing....more info
• Great Read, Inspirational
  Both my wife and I are currently cancer patients. The book gave us the courage to believe that we can beat cancer. Lance's book is a must read for anyone who has cancer or if you have anyone in your family going through cancer treatements. It is a great mix of athletics and the will to survive and what it takes to accomplish both. Get it and read it! ...more info
• Lance makes your jaw drop as he writes this book
  Lance Armstrong makes you want to get on the bike yourself and try what he's done. Even after I read the book, I felt as though I'd just been through all of the races, being right up there with the almighty Lance. If you want to know about starting a bike career you should try this book. It explains about his emotions in life while speeding up and down the hills. He brings you in-depth, further than you could imagine, into his racing and personal life. It's quite a heroic book for road bikers. ...more info
• Well written
  The book gave good insight into what Lance had to endure and the success of his efforts dispite the still ongoing doubters that plague many sportsmen and woman.
  Focus on moving foreward.
  I have enjoyed reading it and have made a point to bookmark some passages in his book for references that I can use with my children and others I know who are or may face simular challenges Lance wrote about.
  William...more info
• Disappointed
  As a cancer survivor, I was told this book was inspirational and 'not about the bike'. I was disappointed- because it is about the bike and the huge ego of the rider. Yes, his fight was amazing and his Foundation is a thing of beauty for all survivors - but the book was too much cycle for me. It's also hard to read about his commitment to his family - written before the divorce and multiple girlfriends. Some of his experiences with the medical profession, made it worthwhile for me....more info