52 Lives

I didn’t know much about Lance Armstrong before I read this book. I knew he was a professional cyclist, he had been dominating Tour De France for years and that there were rumors he’d been using performance enhancing drugs. This was pretty much the image I had received by watching the sports news.

When I noticed Lance’s book in our local library, I thought twice before picking up the book. I do like cycling, but I thought this would be a book for hardcore cyclists, filled with boast of the Tour De France victories. What changed my mind was the back cover. It revealed there was a lot more in this book, so I decided to at least glance it through. Back at home I forgot the book to my shelf for couple of weeks.

As the return date got closer, I opened the book just for a quick browse through. Then happened something I’ve witnessed only two times before - I just couldn’t stop reading!

So what it was in this book that got me hooked?

Lance, Your New Buddy

Lance was just 25 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer. I like the way Lance tells about the disease in the book. He tells everything openly and holds nothing back. Every event in the process of overcoming cancer is told with detail. The denial in the beginning, the hopeless search for a cure, the devastating statements from the doctors, the world’s toughest treatment, the amazing recovery and the ups’n'downs along the way.

Even though there is no soap operish hype in the story telling, there were times I could feel I was about to burst in tears. The story sucks you in so intensively that you feel like you were one of the characters in this race against a hopeless end.

There’s the magic of the book: as you read the book, you learn to know Lance. He shares the good and the bad events from his childhood. You learn about the close relationship between him and his mother. Everything is told, even the most private thoughts and feelings.

So, as in real life, when a person shares these kinds of things with you, you create a bondage with this person. Hey, you got a new buddy! At this point the story gets it’s dramatic twist - your new buddy is about to die and there’s not much to do. The odds are looking really bad, only a miracle will save your buddy’s life! OK, the miracle happens, your buddy returns back to the top and breaks all the records!

There you go, this book has all the entertaining incredients!

Lance, The Hard Working Guy

The main theme of the book is Lance’s survival. It’s a story I found very inspirational and comforting - my everyday problems became much smaller after reading this book. It also reminded me that if someday I’d face a similar situation where the odds would look really bad, I’d still have hope as long as I’d be ready to work hard. Lance is a professional athlete and from Texas, so he is equipped the world’s biggest self confidence. He’s attitude towards the cancer was similar to racing: he would eventually win! There’s a lesson to be learned.

In addition to the emotional rollercoaster, this book revealed the fascinating world of professional cycling. Lance talks about the tactics within the teams and the roles of team members. There are amazing stories about the politics behind the scenes and about the toughest race known to man. You also get a peek of Lance’s photo album.

I have heard many times that success comes through hard work. In this book you literally learn what the word ‘hard work’ means. Lance started practising already as a young kid. The amount of training is impressive - I don’t know any other 12-year old who would cycle over 18 miles and swim 6 miles each day! When he grew up he continued to train harder than his competitors, cycling more miles and going for the highest hills. No wonder he has won Tour De France seven consecutive times!

Lance Has An Incredible Story To Share With You

If you’re looking for an inspirational book to read, I can warmly recommend Lance Armstrong’s It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life. He is a controversial character, but I can assure you - this book is worth reading!

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