I'm a big fan of Mr. Schwarzenegger, and I think he's led a fascinating life. Unfortunately, whoever he chose to help him write his autobiography did not do a very good job. Arnold has unbelievable amounts of determination, discipline, intelligence, and optimism. But very little of that comes through in this book. From time to time, his personality shines through, but for the most part the book is just a boring recital of his accomplishments.

I did appreciate hearing his perspective on things, and I liked the anecdotes and behind the scenes stories. Sadly, they often felt as polished as the dialog in a late night talk show appearance. Also, because of his enormous fame, his experiences and name-dropping became a little overwhelming and a little boring.

I might look into a biography written by an outsider, if only because perhaps then the story will be better told and full of the insights and sparks that it needs.

It has interesting bits, sure, but Arnold is most probably the inventor of the humble brag. Lessons I’ve learned: invest in marketing and personal branding and always believe you have loads of integrity, even when you’re caught cheating.

It's been said before, but the first half of this book is really the only part worth reading. If it had ended there another star would be forthcoming. I suppose it's possible that some folks might enjoy all the politics of part two, but that's not what I was looking for when it comes to Arnold's story.

Arnie tells his story in this fun, and sometimes frank, account. He really does cover everything. It's great to know how self-aware he is. He knows how ridiculous a man he is and how unlikely his life is and loves it.

The last chapter is pretty inspiring too.

I always kinda thought of him as being this dumb muscle guy, but wow, he accomplished a lot through hard work and being smart about it.
It's inspiring how he keeps reinventing himself: first as a body builder, then a movie star, then a real estate investor and then governor of California.

Learning about early youth I found most interesting, hearing the stories about growing up in a post WW2 Austria.

“There are no shortcuts—everything is reps, reps, reps.”
― Arnold Schwarzenegger, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story

His method of success isn't mine. I like to keep things fresh and keep learning new things besides doing the same reps all the time. But I do appreciate his grid and will try to tap into that the next time things become challenging.

I am truly shocked at how much I loved this memoir. It would have gotten 5 stars if Arnold had read the whole thing. The parts he did read were so animated and heartfelt. The voice actor that read it doubled down on the ego (which I do expect from Arnold) and not much else. I think it did his story a disservice. Arnold's parts were so good.
The political parts made me nostalgic for the politics of the 80s and 90s. When we were 2 sides who could work together and respected each other. The story of the Kennedy family working with papa Bush almost made me cry. Bushes and Kennedys working together! What the hell happened to us?

Incredible life story

Starts a little slow, but really picks up after the first 4 chapters.