Rating: 
Summary: It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life
Review: In Lance Armstrong's autobiography, realism is a major point. Lance puts the reader in his shoues in every situation. Even if the reader has not had an experience such as Lance had, the reader gets the feeling of going through the same circumstanceswith Lance, and at the same time as Lancedid. Lance has a graphical way of describing situations to the reader that captivate the reader with wonderment and awe. Lance wants the reader to understand and be interested in the facts of life such as cancer. Lace gives detaild discriptions of the process of chemotherapy and how it effects the body. He also describes his struggle to get back on the bike and the conditionsof his body through the entire process.
The authors tone throughout the book is blunt but sincere. Lance states exactly how he is feeling at every moment that he discusses. Lance also seems to think that telling something to some one straight, they will be more interested or the point would be better understood. Lance uses his tone to express realism through the book. Tone is a way that Lance gets his point of view across while allowing the reader to expressfeelings for themselves.
Complications made this book a book. Without the complications and struggles to survive them, Lance would be a normall professional athlete. Because of the trouble he went through to survive cancer and win the Tour de France, he becomes a hero and role model to many people of today's society. Lance uses his complications to help him thrive to a more meaningful life. Complications are what make Lance who he is today and without his tough times he would be like many people know, famous or not, in our world.
Rating: 
Summary: It's Not Just About Cancer
Review: This is the autobiography of Lance Armstrong, now three time winner of the Tour de France, quite arguably the most grueling athletic event in the world. This is the story of how one man fought cancer and became "the first American, riding an American-made bike, on an American team ever to win the Tour," catapulting the sport of cycling, before, a primarily European sport, into the awareness of Americans.In short, Lance was a promising biker when in 1996 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He went through brain surgery and difficult chemotherapy to eventually lick the disease, and then returned to biking to win the 1999 and 2000 Tour de France. (He's also won the 2001 Tour, but the book doesn't go that far.) But the book is not just about the cancer. For a reader who is new to bicycle racing, it makes a fairly good primer on racing, explaining the different events, the terminology, and the tactics; and introducing the reader to the big names in the sport. It is also a love story of how he met his wife, Kik, and goes almost as in-depth into the in-vitro fertilization process necessary to have their son, Luke, as it does into the cancer treatment. The book charts Lance's transformation from a young, brash competitor who usually angered the other racers, to a more disciplined, thinking stategist. It's also interesting to note that Lance, now considered the man to beat in the climbs, used to be a sprinter before the cancer transformed his body. The only thing that I found disappointing about this book is that Armstrong neither depends on a faith in God nor develops any through his ordeal, so it fails to be the inspirational story that I had hoped it would be. Despite that, I found the book very interesting, informative, and difficult to put down.
Rating:
Summary: An extraordinary story, well told
Review: Lance Armstrong's life is a fascinating tale and Sally Jenkins tells it very well. The basic outline is well known. From a tough background in Texas, Armstrong entered the world of professional cycling and won the world road racing championship. It appeared that he had a great career ahead of him but in 1996 he was struck by testicular cancer. By the time that he visited a doctor, the cancer was advanced and had spread to his lungs and brain. Despite the poor prognosis, he recovered from the disease and went on to return to the highest levels of professional cycling and win the Tour de France, the sport's blue ribbon event. Sally Jenkins is an accomplished sports writer and she has done a fine job to render Armstrong's story into a gripping and fluid read. I finished this book in one sitting and I think that many readers will do the same. In terms of gritty detail, there is more about cancer treatment than about the Tour de France and the detail is explicit. Reading this book will give you a vivid picture of what it is like to face a course of chemotherapy. I do not want to make a judgment on the man himself. Some readers will be in awe of his achievements while others will be exasperated by his faults. I cannot recommend this book as an inspirational read either. Anyone who can complete the Tour de France let alone win it posesses levels of physical and mental toughness that are so far beyond normal experience as to seem superhuman. Rather than being inspired, a cancer sufferer given this book to read could just as easily see the message that if you are superman, you can fight cancer. Seen instead as a fascinating tale the book is a compelling read. Even if you have no interest in cycling, this book is still worth reading. I am very glad that I read it and I think that most people who pick it up will feel the same way. You will probably want to buy one of the later editions as they contain additional material relating to Armstrong's second tour win in 2000.
Rating:
Summary: Very Nice....Inspirational beyond words...
Review: I was not a Lance Armstrong fan, until I read this book. I was influenced by (pre-cancer) media-driven statments about his arrogance and attitude, but this was before Lance became LANCE. He has changed the American perspective of professional cycling, and also given hope to people's fear of hearing "I have cancer". Throughout the book, you can see how the 'old' Lance becomes 'new' through this personal attack on cancer. I enjoyed seeing his transformation into a mature and genuine human being though the thoughfulness of the other people in his life, namely his wife 'Kik' (what a stud). Whatever your physical limitations may be, this books speaks inspiration and in "Rocky-eisque" fasion, motivates all who are willing, to conquer the 'hills' that we overcome throughout life. Way to go Lance, you are a Hero.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiration and hope for change.
Review: This is an excellent, heartfelt book by Lance Armstrong, arguably the best cyclist of our generation. I have followed cycling for many years going back to the success of Greg LeMond, but Lance Armstrong has definitely stood out. He admittedly was arrogant, rude, and stubborn, but almost losing his life to cancer completely changed him. It should be impressive to anyone to realize how dramatic it is for someone so close to death and so damaged by cancer therapy to dominate the most grueling sporting event in the world, the Tour de France. Lance should inspire many to fight against devastating diseases and circumstances, not only from this book but also from his cancer charity and his pure success. I admire him for revealing his weaknesses and troubled past to show how human he is and how genuine he is now with his life. His story is very touching, and I am glad that he and his wife have been able to have children together in spite of the cancer treatments. This book is a must read for anyone wanting to see just how strong the human spirit of endurance and survival is and the change it can bring to someone's life.
Rating:
Summary: LANCE ARMSTRONG: IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE
Review: I FOUND HIS STORY TO BE VERY TOUCHING AND ONE THAT IN A WAY I CAN RELATE TO. I HAVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, AND ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THING, I HAVE BEEN THROUGH MANY OF THE EMOTIONS EXPRESSED IN THE BOOK.
Rating:
Summary: Why this book deserves 5 stars
Review: I have always been a fan of professional cycling overall, and Lance Armstrong personally. When I was called upon to choose a book to read for independant reading in high school, I chose this one. Not only was I satisified with my purchase, but I couldn't put it down. I finished it at two thirty that night.
Lance Armstrong not only had a story to tell, but he told it in a fantastic way. He didn't hold back on any of the details, and this sets him aside from all other sports autobiographies. At 2:30 am, I wanted to go biking or just give my parents a hug. That was of course not possible at that moment, but all the same, this book is a great read and I highly recommend it to all.
Rating:
Summary: Pure inspiration
Review: I rate this book five stars even though the quality of the writing should put it at a three and a half or four, because of the extraordinarily inspirational quality of the subject matter. It is a real-life fairy tale. If it had been fiction, I would have scoffed at the author's unbelievable ending (three Tour de France victories). But the fact that it is real, and true, leaves the reader with a sense of wonderment and a renewed belief in the power of an indomitable spirit to conquer the impossible. This book is gripping in all its phases: pre-cancer, cancer treatment, post-cancer doldrums, and the comeback. And the sports aficionado will not be disappointed: it includes wonderful stage-to-stage accounts of the Tour victories. It is a quick read and can be read in a few days. The writing can be clichéd at times, and the tone has a tendency to get a bit self-congratulatory. However, it does not detract from the uplifting spirit of the book. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: VERY quick read
Review: I didn't expect to finish this in a mere 24 hour time period and I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I know virtually nothing about pro bike racing except that I've heard of Lance, obviously. Reading the book, you can just picture exactly what Lance is like. He reminds me of an irritating stubborn brother, but one you can't help but love and admire. It seems hard to imagine, but he explains how cancer was something POSITIVE that happened to him. You have to read the book to understand what he's talking about. The book has also made me more likely to watch the Tour de France next year. I never knew it's such a chess game and so grueling!
Rating:
Summary: Informing And Inspiring
Review: A good telling of a great story.
| 
