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The Happiness of Pursuit: A Father's Courage, a Son's Love and Life's Steepest Climb
For two decades, Davis Phinney was one of America’s most successful cyclists. He won two stages at the Tour de France and an Olympic medal. But after years of feeling off, he was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s. The body that had been his ally was now something else: a prison.
The Happiness of Pursuit is the story of how Davis sought to overcome his Parkinson’s by re...more
The Happiness of Pursuit is the story of how Davis sought to overcome his Parkinson’s by re...more
Hardcover, 240 pages
Published
June 1st 2011
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(first published May 17th 2011)
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I usually avoid autobiographies by young authors because they usually only flatter their friends and themselves, and Phinney's book does drift into this fault. Some of this is charming - the cycling community was (and still is) very small, and just about any amateur rider was only two- or three-degrees away from any pro-rider. Phinney really did get to do some cool stuff.
He does avoid two topics, though, specifically:
1) Drugs and doping - He alludes to some of the known scandals from the early...more
He does avoid two topics, though, specifically:
1) Drugs and doping - He alludes to some of the known scandals from the early...more
Oct 25, 2011
TeeCat
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who appreciates human triumph, and especially those who seek their own victories.
Recommended to TeeCat by:
My wife
I actually learned of this book through my wife, who is an avid reader, and recommended it to me because I had raced bicycles on the road and track as an amateur, and because I am avocationally involved in mental health-related endeavors. I'm also wanting to read more, and she thought this book might wrangle my fleeting attention span. It did.
I recall having followed Davis' cycling exploits in the '80s, just when I had quit smoking and was starting to run and ride. He inspired me then, in my own...more
I recall having followed Davis' cycling exploits in the '80s, just when I had quit smoking and was starting to run and ride. He inspired me then, in my own...more
Davis Phinney spoke to the Tri Club of San Diego recently and had a book signing after. I bought the book for several reasons - I liked Davis' storytelling; he has Parkinson's Disease (PD) (so did my Grandfather); he was an American pro cyclist. The book was written with Austin Murphy, a writer for Sports Illustrated. The book is about Davis and his view of his father and his awe of his son (an Olympian cyclist as were his mom and dad).
I missed my calling. I should have been a book editor. I wou...more
I missed my calling. I should have been a book editor. I wou...more
Quick Version:
This is the story of three generations of Phinneys-a story about life on a bike, life in a family, life in the spotlight, and life lived with devastating illness.
Long Version:
In the mid-1980s Davis Phinney and his 7-Eleven team cohorts took European cycling by storm as they demanded respect for American cyclists through their actions in the peloton. As a teenager in Germany I followed their rise with great excitement-I even subscribed to Bicycling magazine, not for the gear guides...more
This is the story of three generations of Phinneys-a story about life on a bike, life in a family, life in the spotlight, and life lived with devastating illness.
Long Version:
In the mid-1980s Davis Phinney and his 7-Eleven team cohorts took European cycling by storm as they demanded respect for American cyclists through their actions in the peloton. As a teenager in Germany I followed their rise with great excitement-I even subscribed to Bicycling magazine, not for the gear guides...more
I have to give some split marks to this book. First off, it's going to be tempting to compare this to Lance Armstrong's "It's Not About The Bike". They're both books by cyclists who have dealt with major illnesses.
But they're entirely different types of books. I know when I read Armstrong's book a few years back, my thought was that it was plenty inspiring and I left it on a bookshelf thinking "If I'm ever unlucky enough to have to deal with cancer, I'm re-reading this..." My memory may be wrong...more
But they're entirely different types of books. I know when I read Armstrong's book a few years back, my thought was that it was plenty inspiring and I left it on a bookshelf thinking "If I'm ever unlucky enough to have to deal with cancer, I'm re-reading this..." My memory may be wrong...more
view all 4 comments
This was a very inspiring book, the true story of a world-class cyclist who has not let Parkinson's Disease quench his zest for life, and whose son is now also a champion cyclist.
I knew zero about cycling before reading this book--had heard of Lance Armstrong and the Tour de France, but that was as far as it went. I learned a lot. All the information was presented as part of the action, but it was clear and easy to follow even for a newbie. Phinney and his co-author tell gripping vignettes from...more
I knew zero about cycling before reading this book--had heard of Lance Armstrong and the Tour de France, but that was as far as it went. I learned a lot. All the information was presented as part of the action, but it was clear and easy to follow even for a newbie. Phinney and his co-author tell gripping vignettes from...more
I love Boulder and Colorado athletes, and Tour de France stories, so this was a book I wanted to read, but for me the most compelling part of the story is Phinney's struggle with Parkinson's, a disease that has affected one of my family members. The book was very interesting, and insightful on the topic of Parkinson's. I also enjoyed the story of rising cycling star Taylor Phinney. The one thing I found disconcerting was that the book kept skipping between time periods and that didn't make much...more
At first I had a hard time reading this cause it jumped from situation to situation BUT once I realized the connections it was making and finally was able to understand the flow I truly enjoyed and was inspired by the book.
I'm not sure why I struggled with this book, but it just never captivated me. I enjoyed his stories and hearing about his battle with Parkinson's, but it just took me longer to get through than I would have liked.
Great book for those interested in American pro cycling from the early years to today with Taylor Phinney, as well as a story about the courage to face obstacles.
Inspiring , this guy is been and the highest point in cycling and then had to deal with a crushing illiness. Helps me keep things in perspective.
Great book if you are into Cycling - positive human story, but may be too cycling-centric for some.
A good book, as good, if not better than Lance Armstrong's books.
There's a big wait list and this didn't grab me right off the bat, so I returned it.
My family has known Davis and fam for almost 20 years and it was nice to finally hear his whole story. The only criticism I have is of the editing, which I blame on the editor, obviously, not Davis. There were a lot of fragmented and awkward sentences and grammar mistakes. It started to take away from the story a bit for me. But overall it was an inspiring read and put my 'problems' in perspective for me. I definitely recommend it.
Mar 04, 2013
Erin Edmiston
marked it as to-read
Nov 03, 2012
Sandy
marked it as to-read
Oct 25, 2012
Melissa Miller
marked it as to-read
Oct 11, 2012
Sterling
is currently reading it
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