Rating: 
Summary: Very Inspiring !
Review: An inspiring chronicle of Lance's upbringing, his rise as a talented cyclist, his ordeal with cancer, and the comeback that culminated with his first Tour De France win. Lance's experiences and personal transformation are deeply moving, and as an avid cyclist I especially enjoyed his description of the various stages of the Tour De France. You feel like you are looking over his shoulder while he is riding! I could not put this book down -a fantastic read from start to finish!
Rating:
Summary: What a book!
Review: I sat down to read this book in the afternoon and stood back up at 11pm. I plowed strait through it! As a cyclist, I found it a fascinating read, but as a person his message regarding life and the lessons that cancer and "growing up" taught him were very valuable. A must have!
Rating:
Summary: Not Just Another Athlete
Review: Most people know Lance Armstrong as the 2-time Tour de France Winner, but first and foremost, he is a Cancer Survivor. Whether you're into cycling or you are familiar with the struggle, mentally, emotionally, and physically, of battling cancer, this book will draw you into itself and not let go of you until you've finished it. It is written in a very conversational tone, which makes it very easy to read, and there are some good life-lessons to glean from his experience. You'll learn quite a bit about dealing with cancer, as well as a thing or two about the athletics and politics of bicycle racing. This is not just another athlete spending 200+ pages talking about himself - this guy has something worth saying ... and something worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Great Reading for Cancer Patients, as Well as Athletes!
Review: This book clearly deserves more than five stars! This is one of the most inspirational biographies I have ever read, and comes from the truly remarkable life experiences of a determined young man. I loved every word! Early in the book, Lance Armstrong says ". . . that cancer was the best thing that happened to me." He goes on to say, "When I was sick I saw more beauty and triumph and truth in a single day than I ever saw in a bike race." Overcoming cancer and becoming an athletic champion in the grueling sport of bicycle racing require a toughness of spirit, mind, and body that is hard for most of us to imagine. This inspirational book portrays beautifully how one can start with the right spirit and overcome enormous obstacles. Although his doctors told him he had a 40 percent chance of surviving stage three testical cancer, this was mostly to keep his morale up. After he had recovered, his doctor admitted that is chances were around 3 percent, instead. While he was being treated for the cancer, no one thought that he might ever race again. He did decide to go through treatments that would leave open the possibility that his lungs (affected by the cancer) would still be functional and his coordination (through delicate brain surgery) would be unaffected. Within two years, he had won the Tour de France, a grueling race he had never done well in before he had cancer. Growing up, Lance Armstrong had little reason to suspect that he would become one of the world's greatest athletes. He was well into high school, still trying pretty unsuccessfully to make the football and swimming teams, before it became clear that he could become a significant cyclist. Pleased with the money that success brought, he had a tough time building the attitude of a champion to go with his remarkable endurance skills. Overcoming cancer helped him with that, as well as seeing the beauty around him. He met his wife at the press conference to announce the beginning of his foundation to fight cancer. They were married during his recovery, and recently became parents through the miracles of modern medicine. Of such wonderful stuff are role models made, something we have too few of these days. The story is told in a very open and matter-of-fact way. He is not trying to make himself into something that he isn't. Clearly, his purpose in writing this book is to help all of us fulfill our potential rather than to glorify himself. Please share this book with people who need this inspiration and encouragement to take on the pain of giving life all you've got.
Rating:
Summary: A great and easy read
Review: If you are expecting to find the answers to life's questions, you might be disappointed. If you want a damn good read, to be inspired by bravery and a story of personal growth, better understand professional cycling and cyclists and not put the book down for a day or two, you'll enjoy this very much as I did.
Rating:
Summary: A very inspiring book
Review: This is a "must read" book. It is a very inspiring book. Despite Lance's tragedy, fighting cancer, there is a lot of positiveness in his experience. It is a book that I have read in one shot while traveling from Europe. As the title says, "it's not about the bike", even though there is a very interesting perspective on bike racing and training. I feel compelled to follow the "Tour de France" next year even though I have never paid attention to it in the past !
Rating:
Summary: Enriching
Review: This book is inspiring to say the least. The story of Lance Armstrong, and his dedication to his sport, his family, and his "cause" is uplifting. It is definitely written in the first person....definitely written along the time line of his disease. What courage he had to fight the disease in the manner he did, with his eyes open and gloves off. My hat is off to him. It isn't often that I encounter someone that I would like to meet in the books I read, but he is definitely on my list. It would be an honor to know him.
Rating: 
Summary: THE WINNER WRITES THE HISTORY
Review: This is the most challenging athlete's story I've read since Jabbar's GIANT STEPS. It is filled with wonderful juxtapositions. Armstrong is arrogant but honest, tremendously focused yet capable of shallow flightiness, loving and predatory. In other words, he proves to be thoroughly human. As a recreational cyclist and longtime fan of the sport, I followed with great interest the career of this young Texan. I remember hearing the devestating news of his illness and like many other people was shocked to witness perhaps the greatest comeback in sports history. This book gives the reader a behind-the-scenes perspective on these events. It is well-arranged and paced so that the inspired reader hits no dead spots. Don't, however, expect to find a completely likeable guy. Armstrong's competitive nature makes Michael Jordan look like, well, a boy scout.
Rating: 
Summary: Determined & gutsy, yet arrogant and crass
Review: Make no mistake, this book is about cancer and how Lance Armstrong survived it; he describes some races, and includes details about his life, but they are minimal in comparison (the discussion of his son's birth covers only about ten pages). His determination and will are admirable, but his bravado and arrogance are repulsive. At one point in the book, just before he is to have brain surgery, he relates the story of how he began to contemplate his existence and his life. His conclusion? Basically that if he did not survive, he would look God in the eye and say "if I wasn't good enough, then fine, do whatever you've got to do." He does explain his agnosticism to an extent: a bad experience with his adoptive stepfather who was a professing Christian. His wife, however, is Catholic, and he tells a story in the book about how he bought a crucifix for himself and a friend of his who had cancer also. On the topic of religion, like virtually everything else, including cycling, Armstrong comes off as a person who thinks he can do whatever he wants and not have to answer to anyone. In this way, he is little more than a misguided rebel. That having been said, however, he does display some redeeming qualities in addition to his stubborn will to beat cancer: his efforts in founding a charitable foundation are commendable, and his understanding of his "duty" as a survivor of cancer to others who struggle with the disease, as well as the families of those who have fallen victim to it, are both praiseworthy and insightful. I cannot help but come away with the impression that Armstrong is still very much in the process of self-discovery, and that this book is just his journey so far.
Rating:
Summary: A Book to be Read and Reread...
Review: I got this book on Thursday night and I've already read it twice in the first week! Lance Armstrong's story, told in this book, will grab you from the first page and not let go until the last page. But this story is not just about him, it's about every survivor who found the courage, determination and strength to battle death and disease... win or lose. It is not surprising that battling cancer changed his life. The fact that he boldly states that it was the best thing to happen to him, and then describes why, is the part of the book you'll appreciate most. After reading this book, I keep hoping that I can someday develop the perspective on life he has, without having to face death to do it.
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