Every Second Counts (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Collaborator), Donna Sinisgalli (Designer) "So, it looks as though I'm going to live-at least for another 50 years or more..." (more)
Key Phrases: first mountain stage, strongest rider, yellow jersey, Lance Armstrong, Tour de France, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-In It's Not about the Bike (Putnam, 2000), Armstrong related his battle with cancer and his incredible Tour de France victory. In this book, he gives a gripping account of his second through (record-tying) fifth victories at the Tour. (His latest triumph might be missed by less-than-thorough readers-it's at the very end, following the afterword.) One sees that Armstrong has grown up quite a bit since his first book. However, he still has a reckless streak, as witnessed by his fondness for diving into a place called Dead Man's Hole. There are glimpses into his personal life and reflections on his illness, but this memoir is unabashedly about the thrill of racing and winning with the U.S. Postal Team. Armstrong talks about his teammates with humility and admiration. He also deals frankly, yet with remarkable restraint, with the accusations of doping by the French. The cyclist still works with his Lance Armstrong Foundation against cancer, but readers get the sense that he is definitely looking forward. Warm and informal in tone, Every Second Counts is a must-read for cycling fans.
Sheila Shoup, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 246 pages
• Publisher: Broadway (October 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385508719
• ISBN-13: 978-0385508711
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #461,455 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving and insightful follow up to the first book, October 7, 2003

By	Diana M. Rodriguez (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews

I loved the first book he wrote and this one is just as good! Lance Armstrong's books are honest and direct. He really tells it as he sees it with no nonsense. The first book chroncicles his humble childhood as the child of a teenage mother and the relationship he describes with his mother is moving and inspiring.

The new book, Every Second Counts, is written mostly about his own children and his struggles to balance family life with his arduous training schedule and his Foundation, in addition to charity work and public appearances.

I admire Lance Armstrong for being a seeker. He is not a person sitting on the sidelines. He is truly living his life with gusto and passion. He has his rough-edges, but all in all he is a seemingly warm, honest, real person with all of the complexities and complications that real people face.

I wish him all the best and I hope he continues to write books in the future. I feel he has much to say and I like the way he says it!

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Looking for a little balance , August 9, 2004

By	Veronica Bennett (Wilmington, Ca United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Straight up, I am a huge fan of Lance Armstrong. I am thrilled he won the TDF for the sixth time. I wear my LiveStrong bracelet proudly... and he is still as handsome as ever....

However, after reading "It's Not about the Bike", this edition was a bit of a letdown. Perhaps my question is this... how do you write about yourself and your accomplishments without inserting some level of self-aggrandizement? Further, how do you square the miracle births and lives of three glorious children with trotting around the world "like a rock-star?" I now understand how Lance's marriage suffered. And that saddens me... if only for the fact that I want this real-life fairy tale to have a happy ending where the children get to have a father who is really there for them.

I did enjoy his narratives that describe the teamwork and commraderie of U.S. Postal. I do believe this is a group who really does enjoy the pleasures of each other's company; that is so important in any working organization.

And I do believe he is committed to the Foundation that bears his name. I guess I am waiting for the installment that speaks to life after the glories of the TDF and all the endorsements. He is correct: every second does count... and as his children grow and change each day... he needs to charter that jet to get back to Austin, as soon as possible, and as fast as possible to be a part of three "Tours de Life."

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life is an Endurance Race, October 11, 2003

By A Customer

I've never had cancer and I haven't been on a bike in 25 years, but I found many lessons in this book. I first watched the Tour in 2000 and was immediately fascinated by the tactics and teamwork involved. I thought it was a bike race with every individual out for himself and I couldn't understand the concept that you could win the Tour without winning the most stages. As the leader of a business team, this opened up an entirely new way of thinking about teamwork and winning. If there is one thing he and his team proved in the 2003 Tour, it's that all kinds of things can go wrong and you can have pretty spectacular failures on any given day, but a true warrior will use those things to get fired up and go on to win.

I also related to the struggles Lance has had with trying to balance his life. That warrior side vrs the loving, caring side - the intense focus and long hours of training vrs the commitments he has to family, friends, cancer survivors and sponsors - the need to feel alive vrs the daily grind. That's the real endurance test and the hard part is that there never is a finish line.

The surprise is that Lance seems like an ordinary guy, living an extraordinary life and that makes it seem possible for me to do the same.