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

Product Description

Since the release of his megabestseller, It’s Not About the Bike, Lance Armstrong has enjoyed a new series of thrilling rides, including the birth of his twin daughters, being chosen as Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, and extending his string of Tour victories to a record-tying fifth in 2003. Continuing the inspiring story begun in his first book, Every Second Counts captures 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 Counts will invigorate and enthrall Armstrong’s millions of admirers.

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!


Life is an Endurance Race   October 11, 2003
19 out of 22 found this review helpful

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.


This book changed my life   June 21, 2005
KK (India)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I was pretty much in depression with loads of issues to face...family separation, moving , death of a loved one all at once... in the process i had an identity crisis... during this time i picked up lance's every second counts.
I was hooked... not only did he lift me up... he paved out a way for me to base my judgements on... all my worries seemed no longer dead end no resolve problems...but challenges which can only make me stronger...Lance Armstrong touches lives!
Thanks Lance... !


Exceeded my expectations   April 12, 2005
Thomas M. Fitzgerald (Chicago)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This was a very good non-fiction story about a legend. How did Lance Armstrong overcome his cancer? Stong minded, positive attitude, the here and now focus, masking pain. Many practical lessons that can be applied in ordinary everyday life.


He knows what really matters . . .   October 19, 2003
Terry Mathews (a small town in east Texas)
12 out of 16 found this review helpful

Lance Armstrong knows what it means to overcome the odds. He made it through a rough childhood. He survived testicular cancer. He's now the father of three wonderful children. He's won the world's most demanding sporting event five times in a row.

Lance now gets to savor the sweetness of his life. He's living large. He's at the top of his game professionally. The endorsements continue to roll in. His children are thriving. The Lance Armstrong Foundation just completed its first Tour of Hope Ride across America.

Armstrong's had his share of disappointments, too. Team members have left. Friendships have suffered. Even though he and his wife have separated, their personal problems haven't been splashed all over the tabloids. They've handled this crisis with class.

I loved the humor in this book. Who knew George Hincapie was such a funny man? He seems so serious on that bike. Or that Floyd Landis loves ZZTop? Or that the guys actually mooned their manager on race day? Or that they played tricks on each other? (No chain. No chain.) And what's up with that pink tape?

I watched this year's tour in utter amazement as Lance and the Big Blue USPS team met every challenge thrown at them. What a great moment it was to see that Big Blue Train win the team time trial.

My heart was in my throat during that horrific day of the individual time trial when Lance ran out of water and suffered so miserably, but still came in second. What a triumph of the spirit that was!

I screamed when Beloki went down and Lance went across that field. Who but a boy that grew up riding in the fields around Plano, Texas, could have made a move like that and kept himself upright through that pasture?

I cried when Lance and Iban Mayo went down on Luz Ardiden. I shouted when he got up. I pumped my fists in the air when he passed the pack and screamed up to the finish line. I wept when he survived the rainy road to Nance. I cheered when he rode into Paris and took his place in that elite group of 5-time winners.

I relived every moment when I read the last chapter of EVERY SECOND COUNTS.

I'm not sure how she does it, but Sally Jenkins is able to get Armstrong's thoughts and stories down on paper in a way few co-writers have ever done, especially in a book about sports.

Even if you're not a fan of cycling, this book is a good read and will inspire you to do your best at everything you try because "every second counts."

Godspeed, Lance. We'll be cheering you on in 2004 -- and in everything you do.