It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life
by Lance Armstrong, Sally Jenkins
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Book Summary Information
Author: Lance Armstrong, Sally JenkinsEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-09-01
ISBN: 0425179613
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780425179611
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life
Book Review: "A Contest in Purposeless Suffering"*
Summary: 5 Stars
The Lance Armstrong story is well known. His triumphs in cycling as well as his fight with terminal cancer are the stuff that newspapers are made of. Trying to elaborate about those triumphs had better be compelling, or the whole account in book form becomes a dead letter.
And, Lance Armstrong is definitely not a dead letter. His autobiography, 'It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life,' keeps his legacy, just like his life, fresh and alive.
As I accidentally fell upon this book at the library, I discovered early and often that Armstrong gives plenty of evidence his story is worth retelling. From the first chapter, the narrative is accessible enough for readers to take his journey vicariously: Riding the Tour de France and recovering from cancer was grueling for Lance Armstrong, but while the details take one vividly and perceptively through his life, one never feels that reading about it ever is. Never is there a wasted word, scene, or explanation.
Deciding how this can be so is the crux. My first impression is that Lance has great expression. Even though he's down-to-earth, his color, flair, and personality are conveyed throughout. He's able to elaborate well about his life. He's good with words, and he's closely in touch with his feelings. He's able to describe life events in a fluid fashion, and his choice of what he tells is a constant exercise in good judgment.
Speaking of details, without giving away the store, Lance is great at recounting when he was first diagnosed with cancer, remembering his feelings, the reactions of significant others, and what they said at key moments of his life. He's also an able writer, recalling the challenges of racing in general as well as for each individual race. His memories of dangers, competitors' strengths and weakness, and the fabric of all his personal and career ups and downs are varied and complete.
It is an intimate account (enough to fascinate) without being merely a long, drawn-out addendum or answer to gossip tabloids. Furthermore, he integrates the fossilized charges of "doping" skillfully (including an honest account of what went through his mind before, during, and after his press conferences) and without overdoing it.
Without diminishing his writing accomplishments, one can imagine that whenever Lance faltered in his writing, co-author, Sally Jenkins, reinforced his efforts with excellent feedback and editing. Just like his fellow team members for the Tour de France, Lance has singular achievement, but nothing he has done has been without group support..
As a whole, 'It's Not About the Bike...' is a terrific read, a lucid account by an articulate man who's generous and resourceful with information. This is the best jockography I've ever read (although I`ve only read about six.). The mere fact that he had me in suspense nearly every step of the way for an autobiographical story I've already known is a fact that speaks volumes.
(*My title is a quote from Armstrong himself who is speaking about bike racing during his recollection of his first Tour de France triumph. It's a bit of a misnomer, for, as anyone who has completed the book can attest, all the suffering he recalls is very significant to him.)
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