Do you think you have faced hardships? The hardest of hardest? Want to be successful? Do you want to know what it takes to be a star, a true-blue star? Do you want to read a self help book which is as good as any fiction novel? Then Read It’s not about the bike – the story of Lance Armstrong, written by Sally Jenkins.
This book is the autobiography of Lance Armstrong. It talks about his life growing up in Texas. His upbringing by his single mom, the bike and his passion for riding. The hardships he overcomes to become a famous world-class athlete; the threat to end his career in a single stroke - his testicular cancer that spreads across to other body parts and his fight and sheer determination to live and win the most coveted title of the cycling word –Tour de France Championship.
Sally Jenkins is an accomplished sports writer and her prowess is displayed in the way she has portrayed Lance’s life. Not for a minute would one feel bored but turn pages anxiously as the story unfolds. The reader will connect with Lance when he goes through hardships in relationships and his life overall.
One would empathize with Lance when he learns that he will die and would support him all through his struggle there on and cheer him and celebrate with him when he wins the tour. Vicarious feelings exemplified. Kudos to Sally Jenkins for a book wonderfully written.
I will cherish having read this book and would keep visiting this autobiography time and again.
Trivia: Quotes from the book
"The one thing the illness has convinced me of beyond all doubt - more than any experience I've had as an athlete - is that we are much better than we know. We have unrealized capacities that sometime only emerge in crisis. So, if there is a purpose to the suffering that is cancer, I think it must be this: it's meant to improve us."
"The truth is, if you ask me to choose between winning the Tour de France and cancer, I would choose cancer. Odd as it sounds, I would rather have the title of cancer survivor than winner of the Tour, because of what it has done for me as a human being, a man, a husband, a son, and a father."
"You'll have to convince me you know what you're doing," I said.
"Look, I've done a large number of these,"Shapiro said."I've never had anyone die, and I've never made anyone worse."
"Yeah, but why should you be the person who operates on my head?"
"Because as good as you are at cycling"-he paused-"I'm a lot better at brain surgery."
-NeuroSurgeon to Lance Armstong
Comments
Thanks for the kind words
Good review, you've done it justice.
Cheers
i totally loved the last quote. n u hav such a shrap knack at ruining the best things :D
What have I ruined ?? :S
i meant the last quote was the best n u ruined it by messing up the spello- surgery* ??
I'm correcting it right now :)
thankooz
I agree with you when you say he will remain a hero for fighting the cancer. he epitomizes hope here and I love it.