Rating: 
Summary: Scrappy and Refreshingly Frank
Review: I have always been a cycling fan. In college we would periodically ride 50+ miles on a Saturday and each week my bony backside reminded me of everyone one. Given that, and watching the Tour de France, I committed to read Lance's bio. In a word, I'm a fan; now, more than ever. Initially, what jumps out is Lance's scrappy writing style. It's refreshing; I loved that he was unafraid to identify the "father figures" in his life for what they were and were not. His devotion to his mom is pure and true. You can hear it in his narrative. His mom should think about writing a book about her own strength, tenacity, and dedication to being a great mom under very difficult circumstances. The second striking aspect is the man's amazing anatomy. His physiology and his tolerances for pain are unique. It doesn't hurt that he seemingly manufactures less lactic acid than the rest of us poor sods. However, I was struck by his quest for pain as a pure way to leave all the peripheral interruptions behind and to really focus on his job. That is the one aspect that has stayed with me. One can program one's thinking to see pain as focal point rather than a debilitating distraction. What a powerful and liberating feeling. His frank and story of the surgery and chemotherapy are gut wrenching (literally!) As well, the reader definitely wants the happy ending and is thus rewarded in this biography. His personal reflections of his emotional, physical and spiritual transformations after the cancer motivate this reader to cheer all the more. Good on ya Lance! You make July mornings at 6:00am (PDT) must see tv in this household.
Rating:
Summary: Lance, good-guy and hero
Review: It's sad. I am a cynical consumer of the electrnic and mass-market media is many forms and yet, when I spent an evening with this book I got past my jaded experiences with popular publications. I got past all of the hype, marketing and flattening of humans conveyed through the media. I got past all of that by the words on these pages and within the covers of this book found a man struck with fear to the core of his very being and yet defiant and remarkably brave as he struggled to cope with not only the adversity of serious illness but the diffculty in waking and owning up to the real prioroities of life. Lance is all to human here and it's truly touching watching him fall and rise. Read the book, get to know this guy and you cannot finishe without not only liking him, but you'll really admire him for his heroic will and incredible spirt. I know it is trite to say this , but this is a nice guy that finishes first. Lance--I toast you with my nitely beer! You inspired me.
Rating: 
Summary: TOO ARROGANT
Review: You know, I've always cheered for Armstrong in the races. I've always thought that he was a decent guy. Until I read this book. Lance Armstrong is a very, very cocky guy that seems to have some kind of anger deep inside that he keeps pinned up until he explodes. His comeback was amazing, his careeer is amazing, his cycling is amazing, but I don't care if he has won the Tour 5 times, he is still to arrogant for my liking.
Rating: 
Summary: Viva Lance
Review: Read this book in a few hours during a trip to Europe this summer. Lance is a competitor and it comes through loud and clear through his book. I especially enjoyed reading about his training regimens and how much time he has to put in to win races. The majority of this book however, focused on how Lance battled and beat Cancer. I think Lance is very inspirational and causes everyone to not live like they have no tomorrow. This book is entertaining, inspiring, and a great portrayal of the greatest cyclist in history. Thanks Lance!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This book was one of the most inspiring books that I have ever read. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Rating:
Summary: LANCE RULES!
Review: I've been following Lance from his first Tour de France win. Yes, I am one of those people who didn't know who he was until then. This year, while he was after win #5, I thought I would pick up this book and hear his story. And what a magnificent story it is! He doesn't go into detail about his childhood. He tells you about the stepdads that he had, and the father that he didn't. But he doesn't dwell on it. He and his mom are a team working together to support each other. He goes into detail about his cancer diagnosis, and the treatment. He doens't plow you over with big medical terms, he puts it so every one understands. He goes into detail about his recovery, both emoionally and physically, and his comeback to the podium. He tells his story, and doesn't hold anything back. He doesn't want you to feel sorry for him, he just wants you to know what exactly he went through. This is a great story for everyone, not just the cycling enthusiast.
Rating:
Summary: Only two pages folded down
Review: I picked this up as I climbed late into bed last night. Two hours later, as dawn was creeping over the sky, I folded over the first page and slept for just 5 hours. I picked it up and continued reading until I folded over the second page and made a coffee and toast while the bath ran. Must confess I stayed in the bath until it was finished less than 10 hours (and three bath refills) after I had initially picked the book up. Its like listening to your best friend telling you all the things that have happened to them, with all the quirky and peppery details you would expect, whether amusing, moving, amazing or interesting to them. Its just that I dont have a best friend who has been through the kind of wringer Lance Armstrong has been through and come out the other side. I had a problem with the photos in the middle. When I got to them, I only looked at the ones that been covered by the story to that point. I then carefully read the book to the end and then went back to pour over the remaining photos to go with the rest of the story. What is the book to me. I guess if I had to put my finger on it, it is an example to me of how I could live life. Abosolutely not a trace of self pity or ego in this book. Diamond.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe, but it's not all about you either, Lance.
Review: As a long-time and obsessed cyclist, and huge fan of the sport, I picked up this book as a feel-good prelude to this year's Tour. However, upon completing it, I find myself surprisingly conflicted. On the one hand, it would laughably arrogant to say that Lance is not an admirable person. He is peerless as a cyclist, tireless in his training, relentlessly determined to win and has become one of the sport's true sportsmen over the years, most famously by pausing on a fierce mountain stage of the Tour to allow his main rival, Jan Ullrich, rejoin him after a crash. His fight with cancer was nothing short of heroic, as was his desire to help others by setting up a foundation and charity event. And if you doubt the man's courage, consider this: in his mid-20s, he could have retired quite comfortably. He would have been recalled as a hero, a world champion cyclist and brave cancer survivor. He had the wife of his dreams, the house of his dreams and could have made a very tidy living as an inspirational speaker and cancer spokesperson. What's more, he would have collected almost $2 million in disability for sitting on his butt, playing golf and drinking beer-I don't have to tell you what I would have done. Instead he threw away the money and gambled everything for what at best looked like a few years of obscure mediocrity as a domestique. If that's guts, I don't know what is. However, on the other hand, I found his portrayal of himself as a lonely, hard-luck outsider absolutely absurd and moreover, insulting to both himself and the mere mortals who have faced some of his struggles. Lance's days as an outsider ended the moment he won his first triathlon. The day he started crossing the line minutes ahead of his rivals, he stopped being one of us and became the ultimate insider--he became Lance. He whines about the tough life he had growing up, but let's face it: he was mommy's special little man from the get go and never truly went without. He may not have played football, but he was a star athlete in every sense of the word, making an adult's salary at 15 and driving a fancy car throughout high school. Once he graduated, his life was almost completely managed by a cadre of professionals and powerbrokers, the connections were made, the money poured in and the models had their hearts broken. And again, while it would be obscene to minimize his cancer experience, he did have it better than many. Lots of people get cancer, lots of people don't have health insurance, but few people have white knight CEOs blackmailing insurance companies to pay their bills, a tribe of lawyers and corporate honchos flitting around in jets to cater to their every need, or the top cancer specialists in the nation tripping over each other to treat them. So in ready this book, I found Lance almost greedy; isn't it enough to be a genetic superman, a champion, a survivor, an inspiration, a hero? Why do you also have to a victim? What about those of us who do that first race and come in last? Who never win? Who never get sponsored or trained or handled and still keep at it? What about the cancer victims with no insurance who quietly die a slow, painful death, leaving their families in debt? If you're an outsider, and underdog, a victim, what does that make them? So in reading this I found Lance's life to be extraordinary, a triumph, an inspiration. I only wished he'd acknowledged this good fortune, taken the chip off his shoulder and left it behind for someone who really deserved it.
Rating:
Summary: It's Not Just About the Book
Review: I just finished reading the book as the Tour de France entered its final stages this week and Lance Armstrong is pursuing his fifth consecutive victory. Needless to say, I have never been a cycling fan until now. I have never cared much about the examples celebrity athletes provide until now. And I am not one to put athletes on a pedestal...until now. More than his words or his cycling accomplishments, his story of surviving cancer would set anyone apart and make them worthy of such attention. Lance Armstrong, through Sally Jenkins, successfully brings together the best in autobiographical writing, motivational writing, insights into the world of competitive cycling, and gives the reader much to think about in the end. I have read a few books on the power of positive thinking and healing to know that Lance has put it all together here. Thanks Lance and Sally.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: One word. EXCELLENT! It doesn't matter if your a fan of bike riding or not. Lance's book is just plain excellent and he is extremely inspiring!!
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