Allreaders.com
Author Lance Armstrong booklist (click here)

Book Review By Laura Southcombe
It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong, one of the world's most famous cyclists, shares the story of his life, his battle with cancer, and his amazing victory over it. Lance wanted to be a cyclist racer since he was a kid growing up in the suburbs of Austen, Texas. His road to success was a difficult one, but hard work, perseverance, and lots of training helped him to achieve his dream. He had become one of the best and then, at the age of 25 and on top of the world, he was hit with the diagnosis: testicular cancer.

At first, like most healthy young men and especially athletes, Lance ignored occasional headaches and some other symptoms. When he began coughing up blood, he knew something was wrong, so he turned for help. The first doctor Lance called was a friend; he thought it was a sinus condition, so Lance did not get a serious warning he needed and undertook no treatment. He was getting worse, so the friend referred him to a specialist, and after many tests the true diagnosis was given. Things did not look good. The cancer had spread and reached the lungs and the brain. Lance was told that the treatment would require a brain surgery, and that he had a 40% chance of survival. (Later on, when Lance was cancer-free, the doctors admitted that they had lied to him: his real chance was only 3%).

It looked like his cycling career was over for good, and the only thing left to do was to take pain killers and try to enjoy whatever time he's got left, but Lance was determined to fight for his life and for his passion of a cyclist. He overcame fears and despairs and went through the treatments. His progress is described in the book. Lance had fully recovered, and not only that he went back to cycling. Two years after his recovery, he won the Tour de France race.


Plot & Themes
Phys disability/mental struggle? Yes
Struggle with - physical disability/sickness
Sports story? - bike racing
Sports story Yes
Period of greatest activity? - 1950+

Subject of Biography
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Ethnicity - White
Nationality - American

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Texas

Writing Style
Book makes you feel? - encouraged
How much dialogue in bio? - significantly more descript than dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 51%-75% of book
Back To Main Menu