Every Second Counts

The four-time Tour de France winner and number 1New York Timesbestselling author returns with an inspirational account of his recent personal and professional victories—and some failures—and an intimate glimpse into how almost dying taught him to really live. Since the release of his megabestseller,It’s Not About the Bike, Lance Armstrong has enjoyed a new series of thrilling rides, from the birth of his twin daughters, to an astounding succession of Tour de France triumphs, to being chosen as Sportsman of the Year bySports Illustratedin 2002. Continuing the inspiring story begun in his first book,Every Second Countscaptures the mind-set of a man who has beaten incredible odds and considers each day an opportunity for excellence. Armstrong’s previous book recounted his journey from a grim diagnosis of testicular cancer, which had spread to his lungs and brain, to a stunning recovery that culminated in his winning the 1999 Tour de France—the ultimate evidence that he had also won a daunting battle with death. His new book addresses the equally daunting challenge of living in the aftermath of this experience and making the most of every breath of life. Armstrong candidly discusses his prickly relationship with the French and the ultimately disproved accusations of doping within his Tour de France team, and he writes about his recent achievements, including celebrating five years of cancer survival and how he restored a magnificent chapel in his beloved Spain. A fresh perspective on the spirit of survivors everywhere,Every Second Countswill invigorate and enthrall Armstrong’s millions of admirers.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member pw0327

We all know what Lance did these last five years. We all kind of sort of know about his failures, the Olympics, his failure of his marriage. What we did not know is that Lance was evolving into a thoughtful and introspective human being. This book isn't about the bike either. It is about life, it

is about teams, it is about competition, it is about living. Most bike enthousiasts probably won't like this book because Armstrong and Jenkins did not go into the minutiae of training, racing, and the grueling pace of the Tour. What they did accomplish is to follow Lance along in his thought process and his reaction to the amazing things that have happened to him since he started winning the Tour de France consecuetively and deal with his reaction to these events.
I enjoyed the book thoroughly, as a coach looking for motivational material, as a person who is searching for meaning, as sportsman looking for people who understands competition and honor.

I would recommend this book to any thinking person who is not looking for a quicky celebrity bios, because you would be disappointed with this book. If you are looking for blunt, intelligent, sometimes funny, sometimes philosophical inquiries into a life, then this book is for you.

Show Less

4 more

LibraryThing member youngerrlc

Inspirational story of a true hero. Armstrong overcomes both physical and mental trials in breaking cycling records that I don't believe will ever be matched

LibraryThing member PghDragonMan

“Every Second Counts” is another autobiography of superstar super bicyclist Lance Armstrong. As suggested by the title, the book focuses on his bicycle racing career, picking up with his second Tour de France victory and continuing to his fifth consecutive win. There is another, perhaps even

more compelling, layer and message to his story that is brought out in this book. While not as terse, in many ways, Armstrong’s book reminds me of “Book of Five Rings”. While Musashi wrote of timing being everything, Armstrong shows is it is focus that is everything.

In racing, it is true that every second counts. What Armstrong tells us, and shows by way of example, every second we are alive counts and we must focus on what is important to us. He tries to give equal time to recounting the joys of being a family man and bicycle racing. In a poignantly telling scene, Armstrong takes the newcomer Floyd Landis aside and tells him that if he is to be a good cyclist, he has to decide that is what he wants to do and focus on riding, not his personal problems. If Landis had listened better, history may have painted Landis a brighter future.

While never spelled out for us, Lance takes his own advice and places his cycling career above his family and focuses on that. While he seemingly swells with pride in describing the antics of his son, read the words a little closer. Lance is really basking in his son’s adoration. Read the other exploits a little closer and pay attention to the detail. Lance is caught up in one thing only: winning as many Tour de France races as he can. Ultimately, this is the cause of his separation from his wife, the woman that stayed with him through his cancer, even though they were not married at that point in his life.

Lance Armstrong also comes across as supremely arrogant. A lot of paper could have been saved if he simply said, “I am Lance Armstrong, I’ve won all these bicycle races and I can do whatever I what”. That is what the book boils down to. I will not try to take anything away from his Tour de France accomplishments, they are an amazing feat that will probably be in the record books for a long time, but he shows us just how full of himself he feels.

Despite this, I did enjoy the behind the scenes look at the Tour. You also have to give the man credit for living true to his word. He decided to make his cycling career his goal and gave up his family to do it. That is the ultimate message of this book: set your goal, totally commit yourself to it and make every second count towards that goal. I guess that’s where Armstrong and I part company. I feel family is more important. That is where I make every second count.

Show Less

LibraryThing member JackieHancox

The book continues where his first biography left off and describes his recent cycling achievements, being cancer-free for five years, and about his dedication to the foundation that bears his name, which helps cancer patients worldwide. I really liked the personal details that he gave to his Tour

de France competitions and his frank discussion of what his wins cost him personally. I found it to be a very inspirational read.

Show Less

LibraryThing member wareagle78

I picked it up this book to read on the second day of the Tour de France in 2005. This book, even more than the first, has heightened my enjoyment of the nightly television coverage of the Tour. In fact, just after reading Lance's discussion of bikes not having chains, George Hincapie used the

phrase in an interview. I felt so "in the know"!

I found the book very poignant, with its focus on Kik and the children, particularly Luke, knowing that while the book focuses on valuing and saving the marriage, it is now over.

And I found Lance to be surprisingly humble and human in some places, such as when he was invited to visit NYC firefighters immediately after 9/11.

Honestly, I was prepared to dislike Lance in this book as a cocky, self-impressed, philandering man. He did not come across that way at all, and now I like him even more than ever. [note: this review was written years before Lance Armstrong being forced from the Tour. ]

Show Less

Fewer