Rating: 
Summary: It's All About The Bike
Review: This book chronicles the life of Lance Armstrong through a fatherless youth, a promising adolescence, a devastating disease, his 1st Tour win, and the birth of his son. It is well written and should be easily understandable even to someone that doesn't care at all about riding a bike. Probably the only criticism I have for this book (and this is true about most autobiographies) is that Lance seems to take particular joy in striking back at everyone he feels has wronged him in his life. So we are treated to stories of incompetent father figures, sponsors that gave him up for dead, and even revenge at high school classmates that dressed differently. Overall it's an incredible story and well worth reading. Despite the title of the book, I found that most of the story did revolve around Armstrong's cycling career (after all, who would read this book if Lance had survived cancer but given up cycling). It is an inspiring story that anyone can relate to, no matter what the hills are in your life.
Rating: 
Summary: An Inspiring Story for Cycling Fans and Fellow Human Beings
Review: Most biographies of athletes tend to focus on their achievements on the playing field, highlighting the records they've broken, the awards they've won, the heights they've reached. But Lance Armstrong's greatest achievements have occurred away from any race course, outside of any competition. He has dealt with and surmounted more challenges in his 29 years than many encounter in a lifetime. Oh, and he happens to be one of the greatest cyclists ever, but that comes in second to what he has achieved as a human being, because as he says, it's not about the bike. Armstrong's voice is clear and honest, yet humorous and poignant as well. He tells his story in a very straightforward manner, not mincing words as he describes the brashness and cockiness of his youth and the devastating, sometimes humiliating lows of his bout with testicular cancer. His current condition makes it hard to believe that Lance Armstrong could have ever been anything other than the healthy, consummate sportsman and gentleman that he is, but his story tells us otherwise, describing a cancer that left him with an extremely low probability for survival, and nearly ended his cycling career, not to mention his ability to have children. But Armstrong has overcome all of those obstacles. Not only did he recover from the cancer (which eventually spread to his lungs and brain), he returned to cycling. And not only did he return to cycling, he won the Tour de France, the most difficult sporting event on the planet. And he did this three years in a row. This book was recommended to me by my father, an avid cyclist and cycling fan. He read it not only because Armstrong casts such an imposing presence upon the world of cycling today, but because of what he has learned about life, both on and off of the bike. You don't have to be a cycling fan to appreciate this book--it is a very human story about a very human person.
Rating:
Summary: Tour of Courage
Review: Lance Armstrong is the a Tour D France champion. Lance Armstrong is a cancer survivor. Between those two headlines is a very courageous and complicated American hero. The first person narrative takes you from boyhood to today with emphasis on his struggle to survive and his subsequent struggle in a comeback. What makes this book special is the self-awareness and spriritual perspective he shares from his experience. I was inspired and tearful as he won his third Tour, knowing his road to Paris was a greater challenge than most spectators imagined.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Sports Hero Ever
Review: If Lance Armstrong isn't the Greatest Sports Hero Ever, who is? Those overpaid ballplayers with gold chains who think they're heroes if they play with the sniffles? Lance Armstrong came back from DEATH to win the world's most grueling sports event three times in a row. And the only chain Armstrong wears was given to him by his friend who later died of cancer. Although Lance Armstrong gets the byline, the book was obviously written by his talented co-author, Sally Jenkins. But the combination of Lance's inspirational story and Sally's engaging writing is unbeatable. Sally weaves Lance's Texas childhood, his horrifying experience with cancer and his European cycling career into a compelling story of man's triumph over adversity. I competed against Armstrong in his first Triathlon in Dallas and can assure you that this book describes cycling perfectly. And, as the cliché goes, a Hollywood producer could not have invented a better story. Lance Armstrong remains his own person. He doesn't pander to the press, hawk merchandise or make stupid appearances at the local mall. He leads by example and gives hope to cancer patients. When you're shopping for sunglasses, remember how the CEO of Oakley forced his insurance carrier to cover Lance when he had lost his previous coverage. And what of Cofidis, the French company that dropped their sponsorship of Lance when he was coming back from cancer? Examples like this show us the true nature of companies and their leaders as opposed to their advertising, PR and celebrity endorsements. And while athletes like Patrick Ewing visited the Gold Club when he was at the last Olympics, Lance Armstrong is completely devoted to his wife and son. When Lance trains in Europe, he brings his family along. I wonder if Ewing took his family to Atlanta? The book deals with sensitive subjects like Lance's testicular cancer and the in vitro fertilization of his wife. However, there is no time for self-pity. Does the book idealize Lance relationship with his mother? Yes, but so what? It's not Lance's fault that he's the son of an angel. Some critics say this book is not about the bike but about Lance. Of course it is! It's his biography. And that Lance has been arrogant, self-absorbed and egotistical. So what? Can an underprivileged kid raised by a single mother climb to the top otherwise? And what do you think brought Lance back from death? My father says his attitude carried him through his own experience with cancer. Like my father, Lance just refused to give up. And they're both alive today. Those armchair experts who criticize Armstrong or accuse him of doping should watch bowling instead or maybe go for a little bike ride of their own. Every cancer patient, every cancer survivor and every person facing adversity can look up to Lance Armstrong. I've respected him since he dropped me in that Dallas triathlon years ago. My father admires this young guy who also beat death with a combination of luck and attitude. And we can all look up to Sally Jenkins for crafting such a wonderful book. This is one of the most inspirational stories of all time.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome, Inspiring, just plain amazing
Review: Read this book. I don't care if you know nothing or could care less about bike racing. This is one inspiring book. If you don't laugh, and cry, while reading this, you are not human. We all know the story--Lance rides bikes. Lance gets cancer. Lance whips cancer and wins not one, not two, but three (and counting...) Tour De France's. You need no understanding or knowledge of bicycle racing to appreciate this book. Lance is a true American hero, and you OWE it to yourself to read this book. I promise you that you'll finish it in two days and after that, you will find your ears perking up any time you hear the words "Lance Armstrong". I've loaned this book to more people than any other book I own. Without fail, it's returned to me with a comment like "Unbelievable", "Incredible", or just a smile with a tear in the eye. Read this book. You will not regret it.
Rating:
Summary: A memoir of courage, survival and inspiration for ALL
Review: Don't make the mistake of assuming this one is only for jocks, those interested in sports, biking or memoirs written about athletes. I don't fall into any of those categories and I LOVED reading this book, which actually focuses on the positive side of having (and surviving) a life-threatening illness. Armstrong makes the intriguing argument that he came back from cancer with a new, stronger focus, a new perspective on his life and a determination to make the most of every day after that. Not only that, but he was able to win the Tour de France in spite of having NO sponsor (none of them were willing to believe he would succeed), many detractors and the knowledge that his body had endured a massive assault of chemicals, chemotherapy, etc. But his atheltic achievements are really a small part of the larger picture - his emotional and spiritual renaissance, a testimony (and inspiration) for any reader.
Rating:
Summary: The most inspiration story I have read in a long time.
Review: The most inspiration story I have read in a long time. Lance Armstrong a world-class athlete nearly struck down by cancer, only to recover and win the Tour de France, the bicycle race famous for its grueling intensity is a winner by all accounts. As serious and difficult the race may be the race to defeat cancer is even more difficult. And that is the core of this book which includes serious medical detail 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. Lance Armstrong is a winner in regards to life, death, illness, family, medical setbacks, training setbacks and personal triumphs. Reading this book makes you proud. FinancialNeeds.com
Rating:
Summary: WHAT AN AMERICAN HERO--I AM PROUD OF HIM
Review: I never really took the sport of cycling too seriously until I started riding myself. Now I look at it in a different light. These athletes have strength and stamina I only dream I will one day achieve. But in Lance, the strength and stamina is multiplied by 1,000. I have read many biographies and auto bios; this one is without a doubt the most touching, sincere, and thought provoking book I have ever read. In at least three different points of the book, I cried (a feat that can only be done by a song or a movie for me and being a guy). First, when he found out he had cancer, he wondered if is was going to ride again (not live). Secondly when he came out of surgery, he asked for his mom. Thirdly, when he visited a very young cancer patient, after Lance won the Tour de France, and the child asked him for the box of cereal with his picture on it. "Without belief, we would be left with nothing but an overwhelming doom, every single day." Lance makes us believe in the human spirit and the belief that we can beat anything. Nothing is greater than the spirit; and Lance helped me find it again. Lance is the GREASTEST AMERICAN HERO; and a hero to me.
Rating:
Summary: spirited
Review: The basic story here is awfully familiar : healthy, cocky, young athlete is stricken with cancer and faces a fight for his life. But what's truly remarkable is how differently the story ends than those we've become used to over the years. Just thirty years ago, in Brian's Song, the story revolved around the courage and grace with which Brian Piccolo, a 26 year old football player for the Chicago Bears, struggled against certain doom, and how he touched the lives of those around him. Today, not only did Lance Armstrong survive testicular cancer--the same cancer that killed Piccolo--he was actually able to return to championship bike racing and win that Tour de France thing. Nor is this a rarity, there are numerous other pro athletes who have survived cancer and returned to compete at a level at least equal to where they were prior to their illness. In fact, it is almost tempting to become blasé about such stories. So the great service that Armstrong provides here is to detail just how frightening it still is to face such a disease, no matter the survival rate. In particular, the rather gory detail he goes into about the manifestations of the cancer, and the treatment process, serves as a helpful reminder of the psychological, as well as physical, costs that survivors pay even as they return to health. Modern medicine is capable of some amazing things, but it still requires a healthy dose of the human spirit to overcome illness. Lance Armstrong is nothing if not spirited. The book may not turn you into a cycling fan--it didn't me. But it will more than likely get you to root for Lance Armstrong, and the other brave folks who have fought back, successfully, against cancer. GRADE : B
Rating:
Summary: Lance Armstrong: An amazing Biographer
Review: I would have never bought this book, simply because I am not a cyclist. A friend had it on their coffee table, and once I opened it, I could not put it down. I usually was an Oprah book club reader occasionally, and always bored by the monotony of non-fiction I could not relate to. But, I am a fellow Austinite and I hear all about Lance and his trials - from Texas Monthly magazine's article and newspapers statewide to coffee shop talk. We all know about him. Nothing really prepared me for the dynamics of Lance Armstrong. By reading this book, I was able to get inside the head of this incredible athlete. He drew pictures of his struggles and his rags-to-riches life so simply. He really is a great writer! More importantly, this book is not about cycling essentially - it is about his cancer and how it changed his life - everything. I find it to be an awesome page-turner, and I recommend it to all my friends. Go Lance!
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