Non-Fiction (unless you’re a doping conspiracy theorist)
$9.75 from Amazon.com
Buy it if: You know little about cycling, but find Lance Armstrong to be an inspiring figure
Don’t Buy it if: You think Lance is a doper and don’t believe a word he says
The original. It’s a tough book to beat for the mainstream audience. It’s got all the requisite angles: Surviving against the odds, underdog victory and even a (kind of) love story. You’d have to be living under a rock to not know approximately what’s contained within (And even then, it would probably only be a matter of time before a centipede crawled by wearing a LiveStrong bracelet…) but there’s something to be said for getting the story from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
The truth of the matter is, if you regularly use the words 'peloton' and 'domestique' in everyday conversation, there’s not going to be much here that’s news to you. Hardcore cycle fans know the story of Armstrong already, plus the stories of Hincapie, Pantani, Ullrich, Lemond, etc… But if you see road bikes and think ‘Trek’ or believe that quaint little July race to Paris would be better termed the ‘Tour de Lance,’ this book is probably the best introduction you can find.
It’s Not About the Bike is a great, if slightly misleading, title, because in these pages, the focus is elsewhere. True, cycle racing figures prominently, but his story of cancer survival is given equal footing and this is almost certainly the story towards which most readers will gravitate. And it is a remarkable one, there’s no denying it. The difficulty of winning the Tour de France even once – let alone the record seven times Lance has – is incredible. The odds of successfully beating advanced testicular/lung/brain cancer? Almost equally long. Doing both in the course of five years? It would be a disservice to not write a book.
Of course, the pages hold little new information for anyone with a access to television or newspapers, especially given that much of the story is painted in broad strokes and overtly missing some very important characters. (Dr. Michele Ferrari where are you? Lance’s trusted but controversial former trainer is not mentioned once in this book, despite the very important role he played in Armstrong’s athletic career.) But millions of cancer patients couldn’t care less, and to some extent, that’s the point. Armstrong was given a sentence of death by cancer and overcame it. And he did so with hard, detailed work and research. This is his message and no one can deny it’s an important one, whether you ever push the pedals of two-wheeled transport or not…
If you’re looking for a hardcore cycling story look elsewhere, but if you’re looking for a little inspiration and affirmation, this book might be the ticket. Even if the words ‘EPO,’ ‘soigneur’ and ‘crankset’ don’t even register on your radar, you’ll find something to take away from this one. My only real qualm? Come on, Lance, maybe it is just a little about the bike?
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