People around the world have found inspiration in the story of Lance Armstrong--a world-class athlete nearly struck down by cancer, only to recover and win the Tour de France, the multiday bicycle race famous for its grueling intensity. Armstrong is a thoroughgoing Texan jock, and the changes brought to his life by his illness are startling and powerful, but he's just not interested in wearing a hero suit. While his vocabulary is a bit on the he-man side (highest compliment to his wife: "she's a stud"), his actions will melt the most hard-bitten souls: a cancer foundation and benefit bike ride, his astonishing commitment to training that got him past countless hurdles, loyalty to the people and corporations that never gave up on him. There's serious medical detail here, which may not be for the faint of heart; 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. Athletes and coaches everywhere will benefit from the same extraordinary detail provided about his training sessions--every aching tendon, every rainy afternoon, and every small triumph during his long recovery is here in living color. It's Not About the Bike is the perfect title for this book about life, death, illness, family, setbacks, and triumphs, but not especially about the bike. --Jill Lightner

From Publishers Weekly
In 1996, young cycling phenom Armstrong discovered he had testicular cancer. In 1999, he won the Tour de France. Now he's a grateful husband, a new fatherAand a memoirist: with pluck, humility and verve, this volume covers his early life, his rise through the endurance sport world and his medical difficulties. Cancer "was like being run off the road by a truck, and I've got the scars to prove it," Armstrong declares. Earlier scars, he explains, came from a stepfather he casts as unworthy; early rewards, from his hardworking mother and from the triathlons and national bike races Armstrong won as a Texas teen. "The real racing action was over in Europe": after covering that, Armstrong and Jenkins (Men Will Be Boys, with Pat Summit, etc.) ascend to the scarier challenges of diagnoses and surgeries. As he gets worse, then better, Armstrong describes the affections of his racing friends and of the professionals who cared for him. Armstrong is honest and delightful on his relationship to wife Kristin (Kik), and goes into surprising detail about the technology that let them have a child. The memoir concludes with Armstrong's French victory and the birth of their son. The book features a disarming and spotless prose style, one far above par for sports memoirs. Bicycle-racing fans will enjoy the troves of inside information and the accounts of competitions, but Armstrong has set his sights on a wider meaning and readership: "When I was sick I saw more beauty and triumph and truth in a single day than I ever did in a bike race." Agent, Esther Newberg. First serial to Vanity Fair; BOMC main selection; foreign rights sold in the U.K., Australia, France, Germany, Holland and Japan. (May 22) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-When Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer, the prognosis was not encouraging. When it spread to his lungs and brain, most medical professionals gave up hope for his recovery. But not Lance. He studied his disease, interviewed doctors, chose a treatment, and fought for his life. This isn't a book for the squeamish as it spares few medical details but it isn't just about cancer. It's the story of the athlete as a young boy and his relationship with his single mother, his success as a world-class cyclist and his friends in that world, and his financial backers who supported him emotionally as well as monetarily. It records his winning the Tour de France, courting his future wife, and the birth of his son. This fabulous tribute to the strength of the human spirit is an inspiration to everyone.-Katherine Fitch, Rachel Carson Middle School, Fairfax, VACopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Armstrong is a champion American cyclist who was stricken with cancer in his twenties and given little chance to live. However, he not only survived but won the rigorous Tour de France two years later. As the title indicates, this book is much less about Armstrong's triumphs on two wheels than about his successful struggle with cancer and its aftermath. Armstrong sees cancer as a part of life that is meant to improve us by making us focus on our difficulties with courage and indominability of spirit. His writing style is vibrant and immediate whether he is detailing events from childhood, racing challenges, the demands of cancer treatment, the in vitro fertilization process, or the joy of becoming a father. This should appeal to more than just cycling fans. Highly recommended.DJohn Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, NJ Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Lance Armstrong is a world-class cyclist and winner of the famed Tour de France the past two years. But he nearly died from cancer, and this book explores his grueling trip back up the figurative mountain, not only to life, but also to championship riding. He includes a section on his youth in Texas and how he started in bike racing. His illness taught him the patience he needed to become a winner. But the bulk of the book is about his battle with cancer. The book is conversational, which makes for an excellent adaptation to audio. The reader, Oliver Wyman, does a solid job. In fact, he reads with such emotion that listeners might swear they were hearing Armstrong himself--without the Texas accent, though. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
It is such an all-American story. A lanky kid from Plano, Texas, is raised by a feisty, single parent who sacrifices for her son, who becomes one of our country's greatest athletes. Given that background, it is understandable why Armstrong was able to channel his boundless energy toward athletic endeavors. By his senior year in high school, he was already a professional triathlete and was training with the U.S. Olympic cycling developmental team. In 1993, Armstrong secured a position in the ranks of world-class cyclists by winning the World Championship and a Tour de France stage, but in 1996, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Armstrong entered an unknown battlefield and challenged it as if climbing through the Alps: aggressive yet tactical. He beat the cancer and proceeded to stun all the pundits by winning the 1999 Tour de France. In this memoir, Armstrong covers his early years swiftly with a blunt matter-of-factness, but the main focus is on his battle with cancer. Readers will respond to the inspirational recovery story, and they will appreciate the behind-the-scenes cycling information. After he won the Tour, his mother was quoted as saying that her son's whole life has been a fight against the odds; we see here that she was not exaggerating. Brenda Barrera
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

St. Petersburg Times
Gripping.

Buffalo News
Stirring.

Denver Post
Absolutely absorbing.

USA Today, May 22, 2002
Among cancer survivors, it is known simply as The Book.

People
Inspiring.

New York Times
Fascinating.

Cincinnati Enquirer
It's not about the bike, or about the sport. It's about the soul.

Book Description
This is the story of Lance Armstrong, the world-famous cyclist, and his fight against cancer.

About the Author
Lance Armstrong's first Tour de France victory was hailed as among the most memorable moments in sports history during this century.

Sally Jenkins authored Men Will Be Boys, and has co-authored numerous sports biographies, most recently Funny Cide.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Multiple Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is a winner in the game of life itself: He has survived cancer, found love, and become a father. In the pages of his memoir, Armstrong tells his own moving and inspiring story, writing in his signature down-to-earth Texas style. This is an amazing tale of recovery in the face of tragedy and victory against overwhelming odds.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This is the story of a journey from inauspicious beginnings through triumph, tragedy, transformation, and transcendence. It is the personal story of Lance Armstrong's life so far, from childhood through early success, nearly fatal cancer, recovery, survivorship, more triumph (victory in the 1999 Tour de France), marriage, and first-time fatherhood.

SYNOPSIS

The ascent triggered something in me. As I churned upward, I reflected on my life, back to all points, my childhood, my early races, my illness and how it changed me... I saw my life as a whole. I saw the pattern and the privilege of it, and the purpose of it, too. It was simply this: I was meant for a long, hard climb.People around the world have found inspiration in the story of Lance Armstrong—a world-class athlete nearly struck down in his prime, who fought back to win the world's most grueling test of cycling. It's Not About the Bike is the amazing story of Armstrong's long, hard climb from inauspicious beginnings through early success, near-fatal cancer, recovery, victory in the Tour de France, marriage, and first-time fatherhood. Told in Armstrong's down-to-earth Texas style, it's an unforgettable story about tragedy, transformation and ultimate triumph. Abridged Approximately 5 hours on 4 audiocassettes

FROM THE CRITICS

USA Today

Among cancer survivors, it is known simply as The Book.

Denver Post

Absolutely absorbing.

Buffalo News

Stirring.

St. Petersburg Times

Gripping.

KLIATT