The History Book Club discussion

This is a thread which can be used to discuss Lance Armstrong.

Lance is a controversial figure. Adored by some, reviled by others. Put me in the fan camp.
I first read this book at the urging of a very close relative who was fighting cancer. There are a lot of side effects of chemotherapy and it destroys plenty of healthy cells along with the cancer, and can run roughshod over someone who is otherwise physically fit. So for someone to go through the cancer treatments that he did and come back to win one of the greatest endurance challenges repeatedly is quite an accomplishment. Many cancer patients find inspiration in his determination to beat some pretty crappy odds. My relative insisted I read this to understand her fight, her challenges, and her resolve. When I first read this I thought he was a jerk. He was, he admits it. But his transformation was not only physical, it was mental and emotional and he came out a different person on the other side in many respects. Up to each person to decide about Lance, but this book is definately worth the read.

Lance Armstrong

This is the story of one man's journey through triumph, tragedy, transformation, and transcendance. It is the story of Lance Armstrong, the world-famous two-time winner of the Tour de France, and his fight against cancer.

People magazine called it "inspiring." The New York Times called it "fascinating." But perhaps the Cincinnati Enquirer said it best: "It's not about the bike, or about the sport. It's about the soul."

"Lance Armstrong does things in a big way. Other people write books about the long road back from cancer, or the physical and emotional trauma of infertility, or the experience of growing up without a father, or the determination it takes to win the most important bicycle race in the world. Armstrong lays claim to all of it, and the result is a pretty terrific book... both inspiring and entertaining. He doesn't whine, doesn't sugar-coat the tough parts and doesn't forget to thank the good people who helped him most along the way." (Denver Rocky Mountain News)

"Gripping." (St. Petersburg Times)

"Stirring." (Buffalo News) "Absolutely absorbing." (Denver Post)
Author Biography: Champion cyclist Lance Armstrong's first Tour de France victory has been hailed as among "the most memorable moments in sports history during this century" (USA Cycling Magazine). In 1996 he established the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a charity to aid the fight against cancer.

Sally Jenkins is the author of Men Will Be Boys, and co-author of Reach for the Summit and Raise the Roof (both with Pat Summit) and A Coach's Life (with Dean Smith). She is a veteran sports reporter whose work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Conde Nast's Women's Sports & Fitness, and The Washington Post.

Yes, he is such a lightning rod.

This was the follow-on book to his first, sounds like it picks up where the other one left off. A remarkable athletic accomplishment no matter what you think of him personaly.

by Lance Armstrong

In the opening of Lance Armstrong's memoir, Every Second Counts (co-authored by Sally Jenkins), he reflects: "Generally, one of the hardest things in the world to do is something twice." While he is talking here about his preparation for what would prove to be his second consecutive Tour de France victory in 2000, the sentiment could equally be applied to the book itself. And just as Armstrong managed to repeat his incredible 1999 tour victory, Every Second Counts repeats--and, in some ways exceeds—the success of his bestselling first memoir, It's Not About the Bike.
Every Second Counts confronts the challenge of moving beyond his cancer experience, his first Tour victory, and his celebrity status. Few of Armstrong's readers will ever compete in the Tour de France (though cyclists will relish Armstrong's detailed recounting of his 2000-2003 tour victories), but all will relate to his discussions of loss and disappointment in his personal and professional life since 1999. They will relate to his battles with petty bureaucracies, like the French court system during the doping scandal that almost halted his career. And they will especially relate to constant struggles with work/life balance.

In the face of September 11--which arrives halfway through the narrative (just before the fifth anniversary of his diagnosis)--Armstrong draws from his experiences to show that suffering, fear, and death are the essential human condition. In so openly using his own life to illustrate how to face this reality, he proves that he truly is a hero--and not just because of the bike. In Every Second Counts he is to be admired as a human being, a man who sees every day as a challenge to live richly and well, no matter what hardships may come. --Patrick O'Kelley