It's Not About The Bike

Lance Armstrong

In 1996, at the age of only 24, Lance Armstrong, the no. 1-ranked cyclist in the world, was diagnosed with testicular cancer so advanced that it had spread through his lymphatic system to his lungs and brain. The prognosis was not good; one doctor compared his chances of survival to "the flip of a coin". In this book he recounts, with admirable candour and honesty, his fight against the illness.

However, it is more than just another 'cancer book', and certainly more than a book about cycling (although the insights into the world of pro racing are fascinating). It's a book, literally, about life; about choices, values, fear, courage, relationships, love, trust, how you perceive people and things, how you react to situations. Do you see obstacles or opportunities, negatives or positives? Perhaps a lot of this can be attributed to Armstrong 's early years in a poor Dallas neighbourhood: he never knew his father and was brought up by his mother who worked at the local KFC and grocery store to make ends meet. It is full of incidental wisdom and philosophy. Amazingly, Armstrong says he is glad that he experienced cancer; it changed him as a person and changed his outlook on life. Having emerged from surgery and long periods of chemotherapy, he chose to forego a huge insurance payout in order to pick up the threads of (really restart) his cycling career. His decision was vindicated: he went on to win the Tour de France, not once, not twice, but five years in succession, a staggering achievement for a man who had once lain at death's door.

It is written in an easy, conversational style, and this, I think, enhances what Armstrong has to say. There are places where his ego shows through, but I have no problem with that; it allows us to see how he mellows, and how his attitude to wealth and success changes. (He sees himself, not as a Tour de France winner, but as a cancer survivor, and he also established a foundation to assist other sufferers. And-something not mentioned in the book, as it happened later-he once actually stopped in the Tour to allow a leading rival to catch up after a fall.)

I tend not to react too emotionally to books, but parts of this one gave me goosebumps, and I wouldn't be surprised if it brought a tear to the eye. Forget about all those self-help books. This is the stuff of inspiration and motivation. This honest and unassuming book could change your life.