When i was 25 i got testicular cancer and nearly died. i was given less than a 40 percent chance of surviving, and frankly, some of my doctors were just being kind when they gave me those odds. death is not exactly cocktail-party conversation, i know, and neither is cancer, or brain surgery, or matters below the waist. but i’m not here to make polite conversation. i want to tell the truth. i’m sure you’d like to hear about how lance armstrong became a great american and an inspiration to us all, how he won the tour de france, the 2,290-mile road race that’s considered the single most grueling sporting event on the face of the earth. you want to hear about faith and mystery, and my miraculous comeback, and how i joined towering figures like greg lemond and miguel indurain in the record book. you want to hear about my lyrical climb through the alps and my heroic conquering of the pyrenees, and how it felt. but the tour was the least of the story. source: armstrong, lance and sally jenkins. it’s not about the bike: my journey back to life. new york: putnam, 2000. 2-3. print. which statement describes the author’s perspective and purpose in this excerpt?