Product Description

In 1999, Lance Armstrong made world headlines with the most stunning comeback in the history of sport, winning the Tour de France in the fastest ever time after battling against life-threatening testicular cancer just eighteen months previously. His first book, It's Not About the Bike, charted his journey back to life and went on to become an international bestseller, and won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2000. Now, in his much-anticipated follow-up, Armstrong shares more details of his extraordinary life story, including a remarkable four more Tour de France wins, an Olympic medal, and the births of his twin daughters Grace and Isabel. Never shy of controversy, Armstrong offers, with typical frankness, his thoughts on training, competing, winning and failure. He also tells of the work he does for the foundation he created following his dramatic recovery, addresses the daunting challenge of living in the aftermath of cancer and treatment, and shares further inspirational tales of survival. A fresh outlook on the spirit of survivors everywhere, Every Second Counts is an awe-inspiring book by a man who strives every day to meet life's challenges - whether on his bike or off.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4057 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 246 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
In the opening of Lance Armstrong's memoir, Every Second Counts (coauthored 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, such as 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, Amazon.com

Review
Lance Armstrong's story is the stuff of legends', Independent .'With sports books, as in the cinema, sequels usually disappoint. But cycling legend Lance Armstrong's follow-up to his bestseller It's Not About the Bike is an exception...He is a genuine hero...', Sunday Telegraph

From the Publisher
The much-anticipated follow-up to the international bestseller It's Not About the Bike, by cancer survivor and five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong - Every Second Counts has already sold over 50,000 copies in hardback.

Customer Reviews

A life worth living
Having read "its not about the bike" I was compelled to obtain "every second counts" as quickly as possible. This book enables even the most ignorant spectator of cycle racing and the Tour de France in particular to appreciate how much more is involved in this sport than the pedalling of the routes of France we see on television. The details Lance Armstrong provides brings both the race and the figures in the peleton to life.

However, much deeper than the insight into this famous race, is the appreciation the reader is able to experience of a very human man with very human failings but incredible strength of purpose and character. He leaves you with the determination to make all your own seconds count.

These books had a profound impact on me and I feel grateful to have been able to read them.

Makes You get off your backside!
I read this book on holiday whilst lazing by the pool in sunny Spain. I was once very athletic but middle age has taken a grip and now I am overweight and get out of breath just running up stairs. The lesson in this book is not to take life for granted. Lance Armstrong says he is happier to have had cancer (and recovered) than to have won the Tour de France. This is because it has given him perspective. He is obviously a driven singleminded character and we can't all have that trait. But inspired by the book I rose from my poolside lounger and swam fifty lengths of the pool. Since my holiday I have exercised everyday, changed my diet and am determined to make "every second count" The book also gives great detail about the workings of the Tour de France and the camaraderie in the team

Great motivational read
Why did I buy this book? Well I guess because as I live in France I have come to appreciate the Tour de France. Living in the UK I used to think bike racing was dull as a television experience, I mean watching a load of blokes cycle what's the interest in that? What you come to appreciate about the Tour is that its a chess game on wheels, a test of one man's will over another, its about tactics and its about slogging your guts up, white your legs are aching up a very steep hill. Now if you watch the Tour de France you can't help but notice Lance Armstrong, to start with, he keeps winning it. So when I saw this book at the airport I bought it, because I wanted to understand more about the person who the French have a real love/hate relationship with. I mean why would they boo a guy who has survived cancer and moreover created a foundation to help other people.

What I learnt was that this is not an easy guy to deal with, he is so obsessive about winning the tour he studies how to take milliseconds off time and takes enjoyment from cycling up mountains twice. I also learnt a bit around the cancer story (which I was not really aware of) and how some of the self determination and will to win comes from that experience.

The writing style is odd, it reads like a blog or if Lance is reading into a tape thoughts on his mind, so I wonder what the relationship is between him and the co-author. In fact the writing style and the short length of the book were the negative points for me. I somehow felt there might be more he could share but then again I guess this is his style, so if you are looking for a great piece of writing you've come to the wrong place. Its also not really an explanation of the cancer experience (I guess thats in the first volume). What it is a description of a man's life, what bothers him, what choices he has made and is making apres cancer, his relationship to the disease and the sufferers he actively makes a point of meeting, how he manages to train every day of the year and have a family life (guess what he doesn't very sucessfully), and his views on lots of things like religion and even the Iraq war. There is also quite a lot of material which in summary are a dummies guide to how Lance keeps on winning the tour de france, as well as personal feedback on specific races or incidents such as the fall up the mountain in 2003. As a result I think if you are not a cycling or Tour de France fan you would be better off reading the cancer story. However if like me you wanted to get an insight into a sporting and personnal enigma then this is a good read and I couldn't put it down once I'd started.

Lastly I have one piece of advice, if you have a project you are wavering with buy this book, I was on a 3 day de-tox diet at the time of reading and I kept to it to the letter because each time I picked up the book I knew that I couldn't look Lance in the eye and say but its only a chocolate biscuit after all hes been through both in the cancer ward and in the unforgiving mountains and for that alone he gets my four stars.