Rating: 
Summary: AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER
Review: I quite honestly felt the book dragged a little bit in the early stages -- kinda like a bike race. However, the more I read the more I couldn't put it down. This is truly a moving story. If you never believed in miracles, Lance Armstrong story will change your mind. The title is perfect, It's Not About the Bike -- the trails this book takes you has the reader breaking at every curve. How much can one man take? I am amazed that Lance has managed to keep his sanity. What an inspiration -- GREAT BOOK!!!
Rating:
Summary: it's not (just) about Lance, it's about life
Review: This book speaks eloquently on many levels, and there are insightful lessons for everyone here. The difficulty of getting back to "living" after a battle with cancer, the disenfranchised feelings of a teenager in Plano, Texas, the value of one devoted parent, the grinding life of a professional athlete were all aspects I didn't expect from this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Modern-day Hero Tells His Story
Review: First off, this is a great story of how grim determination and luck beat the odds against the Big C and reached accomplishments far beyond the normal person's dreams. I can't imagine anyone not being inspired by LA's tale and happy for him & his family. On the down side, LA's ego also appears to be world-class and as sometimes seems the case in autobiography, he tends to take every chance to point out instances where he is superior. I would have rated the story much higher had it been written by a third party, but at any rate, the Armstrong story is terrific. Good luck at the 2001 TDF, Lance!
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Gripping, You Are There
Review: Before you crack this book, you must make a pact with yourself to put it down after each chapter unless you are a quick read and have the time. There will be times that you fight against this notion, and there are times that you will lose and end up reading multiple chapters.You Are There because the voice is "real", the details of Lance's life are open, and believable. If you know someone with cancer, this is a good read for both you and your acquaintance.
Rating:
Summary: It Is 'Not About The Bike'
Review: When i first brought this book i thought ok about a man who is a top class athlete who's going to rant about his life like other biographies then tell about how he got cancer, surveved and did the superman act and win the tour de france. From the first chapter i was so wrong. This was the life of a top class athlete. But also a winnner who beat everyone and everything. It is a story of courage will determination and bloody hard work. Parts of this journey are moving yet others in a way funny. The way in which Lance never gave up is somethinng the rest of us could all learn from and the way he fought back to the top an achievement worthy of any prize. But Lance already had his prize his life, his wife and son Luke. This book is a story of someones life and even though im a keen cyclist as the title says 'Its Not About The Bike', its also a brilliant journey of someones highs lows and the bits in between. A must buy this book WILL change your perception on life and other people.
Rating:
Summary: Would Give It Six Stars If I Could
Review: There are a lot of reviews of this book already on amazon.com, so I'll keep it brief and just say that this is one of the best books I've read in a long time. If you have any interest in reading about cycling, cancer or the story of an exceptional person's life, then you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: It's About the Voice
Review: I had great hopes for this book, but low expectations given the quality and content of most athlete's stories ("I was abused/unsponsored/hated/injured but I won/almost won and learned a life lesson at the Superbowl/Olympics/World Champs"). I was pleasantly surprised by the readabilty, human focus and voice of this book. The first chapter is gripping, and clearly establishes the "this is who I am, no apologies necessary" tone. Even though you know how this story plays out, it's told with enough insight and detail to make it interesting. The recognition of growth moves this book a couple of notches above the standard self-congratulatory sports fare. Some phrasing is repetitious; "X was great; they were there when I needed them" appeared a few too many times (I get the idea! Lance was well supported by a close circle of friends!). If you can *tolerate* writing that's not high-brow, this is an entertaining read.
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Summary: The Real Survivor
Review: Although not a literary masterpiece, this book will leave you inspired if not teary eyed. It is easy to pass judgement and call Lance Armstrong arrogant, self absorbed and self centered(descriptions I noticed that other reviewers used to describe him) How can we truly judge anyone unless we have walked a mile in their shoes? I can't fathom how I would react to the news that I have cancer. I don't know for sure that I won't get it. I just pray I have as much strength as Lance Armstrong does. This book reminds us that we need not get cancer to truly LIVE. The only way you will be disappointed with this book is if you come with preconceived notions, and a judgemental attitude. Lance Armstrong may be an agnostic but who are we to criticize him for his beliefs. Anyway, cancer doesn't care what religion you follow.
Rating:
Summary: You won't want to put it down.
Review: I am not a cyclist, and I do not follow sports or athletes on television. My fiancee is an avid cyclist with an injury that has prevented him from riding for the past 12 months, so some of the terminology in Lance's books was somewhat familiar. However, I can honestly tell you that this was one of the top books I have ever read. I do not generally read autobiographies, I generally read fiction, brain-candy type books. The only reason I read it is because my fiancee purchased it. He didn't encourage me to read it, he didn't suggest that I read it. I simply picked it up one afternoon and could not put it down. I finished this book in just a few days and I will be recommending it to many people and will be purchasing it for friends. Lance's story is so honest, raw, inspirational and real. It is incredibly well written. Thank you to Lance Armstrong for sharing his deeply personal and inspirational story with us.
Rating:
Summary: "Some Pig"
Review: One must honor this guy. And you have to love this book. Here's the story of a teenage smart aleck who transformed himself into an authentic human being. Basically, that echoes every kid's journey into adulthood. But not everyone becomes a first rank athlete and gets cancer along the way. Testicular cancer transformed Lance Armstrong into a mentsh. Thank god, luck, chance, and science he survived. His are the lessons for being a better man. Bikes are for kids but this isn't a kids' book. It's difficult, even excruciating, when we witness the physically weakened cyclist -- in the company of his mother and his devoted friend Lisa -- seeking and then enduring the medical torture that supported his survival. Yet it's part of an uplifting lifestory. Armstrong was secretly given a 2% chance of survival. To his credit he had a child's ability to ignore the odds and percentages. "I had two options, medically and emotionally: Give up, or fight like hell. I had no other choice but to hope." Although I've made it clear this isn't a children's book, I can't resist thinking that writer Sally Jenkins does for Armstrong what E.B. White's Charlotte did for Wilbur. Charlotte "wrote" in her spoked web the saving words that hailed Wilbur to the world as "Some Pig." Jenkins introduces the reader to the sensibility of a world-class human being who is some man: A caring, responsible, and brave adult. Lance Armstrong isn't a saint. But, as you will discover by the last page of this life enhancing sports biography, he knows how to offer comfort in the dark. Picture a teenage boy pedaling his bike out into the Texas countryside -- under open skies, hope rising off the ground. In a few days, we will have the opportunity to see that kid's adult incarnation competing with his Amerikan teammates in the 2000 Olympic Games. Good luck to him, them -- and all of us.
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