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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 a prison.
The Happiness of Pursuit is the story of how Davis sought to overcome his Parkinson’s by reaching back to what had made him so successful on the bike and adjusting his perspective on what counted as a win. The news of his diagnosis began a dark period for this vibrant athlete, but there was also light. His son Taylor’s own bike-racing career was taking off. Determined to beat the Body Snatcher, Davis underwent a procedure called deep brain stimulation. Although not cured, his symptoms abated enough for him to see Taylor compete in the Beijing Olympics. Davis Phinney had won another stage. But the joy, he discovered, was in the pursuit.
With humor and grace, Phinney weaves the narrative of his battle with Parkinson’s with tales from his cycling career and from his son’s emerging career. The Happiness of Pursuit is a remarkable story of fathers and sons and bikes, of victories large and small.
The Happiness of Pursuit is the story of how Davis sought to overcome his Parkinson’s by reaching back to what had made him so successful on the bike and adjusting his perspective on what counted as a win. The news of his diagnosis began a dark period for this vibrant athlete, but there was also light. His son Taylor’s own bike-racing career was taking off. Determined to beat the Body Snatcher, Davis underwent a procedure called deep brain stimulation. Although not cured, his symptoms abated enough for him to see Taylor compete in the Beijing Olympics. Davis Phinney had won another stage. But the joy, he discovered, was in the pursuit.
With humor and grace, Phinney weaves the narrative of his battle with Parkinson’s with tales from his cycling career and from his son’s emerging career. The Happiness of Pursuit is a remarkable story of fathers and sons and bikes, of victories large and small.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 29, 2019
A bit rambling, but filled with insights about PD and how it affects interpersonal relationships.
May 10, 2011
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 and training tips, but for articles about these young men. In this memoir of a life well lived, Davis Phinney takes his reader through all the excitement of the eighteen years that he experienced The Life, as he calls it. But this book is so very much more than a cycling memoir.
One might make the logical assumption, given the book’s title and the career of the author, that this is a book about bicycle racing. And it is. Those who avidly follow the sport will find lots of edge-of-your-seat action here. However, the expression “life in the saddle” definitely has more than one meaning to Davis Phinney. It is also a book about more than one man-The Happiness of Pursuit is really the story of three men, the author, his father, and his son.
The author, as many know, was a world class cyclist. What many do not know is that Davis Phinney is afflicted with an early onset form of Parkinson’s Disease (the same illness from which Michael J. Fox suffers). Davis takes us from the height of cycling’s glory to the depths of life in the grip of The Body Snatcher. From a life of unparalleled physical potential to the inability to tie his shoes. Along the way he refuses to let us pity him, instead providing us with an intimate portrait of personal courage such as I have rarely seen so well expressed in words. The grit that carried him to the top of mountains on a road bike now carries him through the toughest challenge of his life, and he is an inspiration. He credits two things with his ability to embrace this unexpected life: cycling and his father.
Damon Phinney was a rocket scientist. Literally. He was not a terribly involved father, and Davis always felt distance between them. Until his dad was diagnosed with the Big C. Cancer changed Damon in the most profound way imaginable. He went from being emotionally unattached to immersing himself in the life of his son, from never smiling to smiling at everyone he met because he felt it lit up the world. More than anything else, he set an example for his son regarding how to live with chronic illness, and not just live, but live an enhanced existence. Damon got on a bike after his diagnosis and rode some of the same challenging road courses that his son competed on; Davis attributes how active he was to the fact that he lived an unheard of nearly ten years post diagnosis. Damon Phinney is beautifully eulogized by his son; the reader can easily see the father in the son.
The final Phinney the book follows is Taylor, Davis’ son. Taylor is said by many to be one of the biggest talents in cycling today and is likely to be an Olympian to watch in London in 2012. Davis gives readers a heart-wrenching look into how difficult it has been to see others handling the physical aspects of shepherding his son’s career. Despite many high points in this often moving book, the story I will never forget is the one which Davis relates a story of being in the follow car as Lance Armstrong (who was a mentor to Taylor) puts Taylor through his paces on a training run. Davis, gazing through the window, experienced a bittersweet moment-thankful on the one hand for Lance being there for Taylor, but jealous too of the man on the bike beside his son.
Towards the end of the book, Davis sums things up:
Happiness comes from the pursuits within your life-whether those dreams are lofty Olympic ambitions or those smaller everyday goals that I now set for myself. In fact, happiness occurs most often in those moments when I’m pursuing nothing more than allowing myself to be absorbed in the moment. Just being.
(quote from unedited galley and subject to be changed)
You will want time to ponder and a tissue box handy as you read this one. I guarantee that while parts will make you want to stand up and cheer others will bring you to your knees in tears. A moving, glorious tribute to life in all its forms.
Star Rating: absolutely five stars
Audience: This book has so many aspects, so much to offer-everyone will find something to relate to here.
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 and training tips, but for articles about these young men. In this memoir of a life well lived, Davis Phinney takes his reader through all the excitement of the eighteen years that he experienced The Life, as he calls it. But this book is so very much more than a cycling memoir.
One might make the logical assumption, given the book’s title and the career of the author, that this is a book about bicycle racing. And it is. Those who avidly follow the sport will find lots of edge-of-your-seat action here. However, the expression “life in the saddle” definitely has more than one meaning to Davis Phinney. It is also a book about more than one man-The Happiness of Pursuit is really the story of three men, the author, his father, and his son.
The author, as many know, was a world class cyclist. What many do not know is that Davis Phinney is afflicted with an early onset form of Parkinson’s Disease (the same illness from which Michael J. Fox suffers). Davis takes us from the height of cycling’s glory to the depths of life in the grip of The Body Snatcher. From a life of unparalleled physical potential to the inability to tie his shoes. Along the way he refuses to let us pity him, instead providing us with an intimate portrait of personal courage such as I have rarely seen so well expressed in words. The grit that carried him to the top of mountains on a road bike now carries him through the toughest challenge of his life, and he is an inspiration. He credits two things with his ability to embrace this unexpected life: cycling and his father.
Damon Phinney was a rocket scientist. Literally. He was not a terribly involved father, and Davis always felt distance between them. Until his dad was diagnosed with the Big C. Cancer changed Damon in the most profound way imaginable. He went from being emotionally unattached to immersing himself in the life of his son, from never smiling to smiling at everyone he met because he felt it lit up the world. More than anything else, he set an example for his son regarding how to live with chronic illness, and not just live, but live an enhanced existence. Damon got on a bike after his diagnosis and rode some of the same challenging road courses that his son competed on; Davis attributes how active he was to the fact that he lived an unheard of nearly ten years post diagnosis. Damon Phinney is beautifully eulogized by his son; the reader can easily see the father in the son.
The final Phinney the book follows is Taylor, Davis’ son. Taylor is said by many to be one of the biggest talents in cycling today and is likely to be an Olympian to watch in London in 2012. Davis gives readers a heart-wrenching look into how difficult it has been to see others handling the physical aspects of shepherding his son’s career. Despite many high points in this often moving book, the story I will never forget is the one which Davis relates a story of being in the follow car as Lance Armstrong (who was a mentor to Taylor) puts Taylor through his paces on a training run. Davis, gazing through the window, experienced a bittersweet moment-thankful on the one hand for Lance being there for Taylor, but jealous too of the man on the bike beside his son.
Towards the end of the book, Davis sums things up:
Happiness comes from the pursuits within your life-whether those dreams are lofty Olympic ambitions or those smaller everyday goals that I now set for myself. In fact, happiness occurs most often in those moments when I’m pursuing nothing more than allowing myself to be absorbed in the moment. Just being.
(quote from unedited galley and subject to be changed)
You will want time to ponder and a tissue box handy as you read this one. I guarantee that while parts will make you want to stand up and cheer others will bring you to your knees in tears. A moving, glorious tribute to life in all its forms.
Star Rating: absolutely five stars
Audience: This book has so many aspects, so much to offer-everyone will find something to relate to here.
May 3, 2011
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 his cycling career (amazing victories, depressing defeats, bloody smash-ups etc) to illustrate how Phinney took the lessons he learned from racing and used them in the more challenging struggle with Parkinson's Disease. Because the book is not chronological, occasionally I found the transitions confusing, but overall I enjoyed the format. For me, the most touching part of the book was the description of Davis Phinney's relationship with his father, a rocket scientist who had difficulty relating to his family and who didn't approve of his son's racing career. All Davis wanted was for his dad to be proud of him. At the end of his father's life they were able to repair their relationship and grow very close.
Phinney discusses the etiology of Parkinson's and says that while there's a genetic component, environmental toxins play a big role. He jokes about the fumes in the basement of his childhood home from his father's darkroom chemicals and solvents he used in a hobby business. A pretty grim joke. During the course of the book, Davis Phinney tells that his mother had an unnamed and maybe undiagnosed mental illness, his father died of cancer, he himself developed young-onset Parkinson's, and his daughter had a seizure disorder. On his wife's side, her mother had MS and her brother had a metastasized lymphoma. On the one hand, this all made me reflect that the family dealt very gracefully with these troubles. On the other hand, it made me reflect: heavy metal toxicity! If I were the youngest Phinneys, I would do hair tests straightaway and get them interpreted by a top expert to check for heavy metal poisoning.
Phinney presents an upbeat but realistic picture of living with an incurable disease and learning to cherish the happy moments and finding victory in the everyday. He began a charitable foundation, travels the world, and continues to bike as much as he can. Because medication wasn't working for him, he also did an interesting brain surgery that gave him a lot of relief from his symptoms. I think if you like sports stories, medical memoirs, or stories about family love, you will enjoy this book as much as I did.
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 his cycling career (amazing victories, depressing defeats, bloody smash-ups etc) to illustrate how Phinney took the lessons he learned from racing and used them in the more challenging struggle with Parkinson's Disease. Because the book is not chronological, occasionally I found the transitions confusing, but overall I enjoyed the format. For me, the most touching part of the book was the description of Davis Phinney's relationship with his father, a rocket scientist who had difficulty relating to his family and who didn't approve of his son's racing career. All Davis wanted was for his dad to be proud of him. At the end of his father's life they were able to repair their relationship and grow very close.
Phinney discusses the etiology of Parkinson's and says that while there's a genetic component, environmental toxins play a big role. He jokes about the fumes in the basement of his childhood home from his father's darkroom chemicals and solvents he used in a hobby business. A pretty grim joke. During the course of the book, Davis Phinney tells that his mother had an unnamed and maybe undiagnosed mental illness, his father died of cancer, he himself developed young-onset Parkinson's, and his daughter had a seizure disorder. On his wife's side, her mother had MS and her brother had a metastasized lymphoma. On the one hand, this all made me reflect that the family dealt very gracefully with these troubles. On the other hand, it made me reflect: heavy metal toxicity! If I were the youngest Phinneys, I would do hair tests straightaway and get them interpreted by a top expert to check for heavy metal poisoning.
Phinney presents an upbeat but realistic picture of living with an incurable disease and learning to cherish the happy moments and finding victory in the everyday. He began a charitable foundation, travels the world, and continues to bike as much as he can. Because medication wasn't working for him, he also did an interesting brain surgery that gave him a lot of relief from his symptoms. I think if you like sports stories, medical memoirs, or stories about family love, you will enjoy this book as much as I did.
May 1, 2012
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, but I seem to recall his book dealt primarily with his cancer and dealing with it.
Phinney's book, however, seemed to take me deeper into what it is like being a professional bike racer. In particular, it's a great look at the cycling world BA (Before Armstrong). That's 50% of the book and it's really phenomenal.
20% of the book deals with his illness and 10% on Phinney's relationship with his father and how the latter's personality really changed (for the better) as he got closer to the end of his fight against prostate cancer.
What bugged me about this book, however, was the other 20%, which is basically 40-odd pages of Taylor Phinney worship.
Taylor, a great young rider, is Phinney's son. I have no beef with being proud of your son and his accomplishments. And I understand that this is a book that is largely about cycling and, hell, his son is mentioned right up there in the subtitle. But it bugged me how much is daughter Kelsey was repeatedly almost like an afterthought throughout the book. It just seemed too much like "Well, I have this one kid who is amazing! He's into what I'm into and he's REALLY REALLY good at it! I am in awe of him! Amazing Amazing Amazing!!! Ya, I also have a daughter. But let's get back to my son!"
I'm sure he's a great dad to both. Like I said, I get that the focus of the book is on cycling. It was just something that kind of bothered me a bit.
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, but I seem to recall his book dealt primarily with his cancer and dealing with it.
Phinney's book, however, seemed to take me deeper into what it is like being a professional bike racer. In particular, it's a great look at the cycling world BA (Before Armstrong). That's 50% of the book and it's really phenomenal.
20% of the book deals with his illness and 10% on Phinney's relationship with his father and how the latter's personality really changed (for the better) as he got closer to the end of his fight against prostate cancer.
What bugged me about this book, however, was the other 20%, which is basically 40-odd pages of Taylor Phinney worship.
Taylor, a great young rider, is Phinney's son. I have no beef with being proud of your son and his accomplishments. And I understand that this is a book that is largely about cycling and, hell, his son is mentioned right up there in the subtitle. But it bugged me how much is daughter Kelsey was repeatedly almost like an afterthought throughout the book. It just seemed too much like "Well, I have this one kid who is amazing! He's into what I'm into and he's REALLY REALLY good at it! I am in awe of him! Amazing Amazing Amazing!!! Ya, I also have a daughter. But let's get back to my son!"
I'm sure he's a great dad to both. Like I said, I get that the focus of the book is on cycling. It was just something that kind of bothered me a bit.
November 17, 2011
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 80's, but completely avoids connecting the dots: his son Taylor drops 4 seconds off his time after being with Lance Armstrong's team for only a few months. Really? Handing a young son to a powerful and influential man with a history of drug accusations would give any parent concern, yet Phinney only seems excited his boy will be under his complete control away from home for long periods of time. Maybe there were plenty of effective "Just say No" lectures he didn't write about, but go back to those 4 seconds, and it gives the reader pause.
2) Money - I don't need to audit his checkbook, but I'd be interested to hear how he made things financially work as a pro-athlete in a sport that doesn't pay well or have a lot of endorsement revenue, and then in retirement. He and his wife have a bike camp in Italy, sounds sweet! But Phinney must have enormous medical bills - brain surgery, medicine, etc, and it would be interesting to know how he and other PD patients deal with this burden.
The best parts of the book are the authors' reflections of fatherhood and aging / long-term illness.
He does avoid two topics, though, specifically:
1) Drugs and doping - He alludes to some of the known scandals from the early 80's, but completely avoids connecting the dots: his son Taylor drops 4 seconds off his time after being with Lance Armstrong's team for only a few months. Really? Handing a young son to a powerful and influential man with a history of drug accusations would give any parent concern, yet Phinney only seems excited his boy will be under his complete control away from home for long periods of time. Maybe there were plenty of effective "Just say No" lectures he didn't write about, but go back to those 4 seconds, and it gives the reader pause.
2) Money - I don't need to audit his checkbook, but I'd be interested to hear how he made things financially work as a pro-athlete in a sport that doesn't pay well or have a lot of endorsement revenue, and then in retirement. He and his wife have a bike camp in Italy, sounds sweet! But Phinney must have enormous medical bills - brain surgery, medicine, etc, and it would be interesting to know how he and other PD patients deal with this burden.
The best parts of the book are the authors' reflections of fatherhood and aging / long-term illness.
October 25, 2011
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 pursuit of endurance athletics, and he continues to inspire me now with his frank and unvarnished discussion of the breadth and depth of his Parkinsons Disease reality, as well as his leveraging of his celebrity status toward the cause of promoting PD awareness and research.
The most salient aspect of the book for me, though, was its relevance for anyone who faces challenges of any kind. Davis' approach toward physical and cognitive hardship transcends mere diagnoses, and shines a bright light on the capacity of the human spirit to overcome impediments.
Though the book is heavily steeped in the cycling milieu, I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates human triumph, and especially those who seek their own victories.
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 pursuit of endurance athletics, and he continues to inspire me now with his frank and unvarnished discussion of the breadth and depth of his Parkinsons Disease reality, as well as his leveraging of his celebrity status toward the cause of promoting PD awareness and research.
The most salient aspect of the book for me, though, was its relevance for anyone who faces challenges of any kind. Davis' approach toward physical and cognitive hardship transcends mere diagnoses, and shines a bright light on the capacity of the human spirit to overcome impediments.
Though the book is heavily steeped in the cycling milieu, I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates human triumph, and especially those who seek their own victories.
July 14, 2012
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 sense to me.
July 13, 2011
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.
April 8, 2015
Excellent memoir. Perhaps I'm partial to the tale because I've spent the last quarter century living in Boulder, and it's given me some ideas on places to go and things to experience (been past the Wondervu Cafe many times...why the hell haven't I ever stopped for coffee and apple pie?!?). And maybe one of these days, while I'm out on my Cervelo R3, I'll (figuratively) run into Davis Phinney.
June 29, 2011
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.
Read
September 20, 2011There's a big wait list and this didn't grab me right off the bat, so I returned it.
September 30, 2011
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.
January 3, 2012
Great book if you are into Cycling - positive human story, but may be too cycling-centric for some.
June 10, 2012
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.
February 18, 2014
Great book. I read it in 2 days and immediately took my dad to dinner. Must read for anyone who wants to share their passion with their kids.
October 10, 2014
Very inspirational.
August 26, 2011
A good book, as good, if not better than Lance Armstrong's books.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews