Arnold has an incredible back story and has done all the things (and then some).

From being in Austria, to coming to Cali, to becoming a body builder, a movie star, and then straight to Governor. He's done the work, and then wrote a couple books along the way too.

This was an intense long read, but was so enjoyable, and interesting.

Definitely recommend.

3.5/5

I read this years ago and thought it was brilliant very inspiring I suppose. It’s not really relatable but it’s kind of just mad how his life has been. The first half is better I think it can get a bit samey once he is making mega bucks and all the big movies getting into politics ect but the early days are great.

I listened and o the audible version recently assuming it would be read by him but it isn’t…. Only the first chapter which is why I am giving this 4 not 5 stars.

I listened to this on a long drive. It is pretty amazing all the things this man has accomplished!

This book was wildly uneven. The childhood and bodybuilding parts were great--passionate, exciting, funny, and full of the inspirational anecdotes that constitute the mythology that is Arnold. Then the book shifted into his movie career and quickly devolved into tedious plot summaries. I am tempted to locate a copy of his 1970s memoir, "Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder" to see if the entire first section was lifted from that book and expanded into this boring, bloated beast. The chapters on his run for governor show a little of that earlier spirit of determination and goal-reaching, but as soon as he's in office, it goes right back to being a tedious chronicling of seemingly every political issue and day in office. He was definitely in need of a much stronger editor. This book could have been 2/3 the size and been much more enjoyable.

“It's not what you get out of life that counts. Break your mirrors! In our society that is so self-absorbed, begin to look less at yourself and more at each other. you'll get more satisfaction from having improved your neighborhood, your town, your state, your country, and your fellow human beings than you'll ever get from your muscles, your figure, your automobile, your house, or your credit rating”

Although I am only passingly interested in Arnold Schwarzenegger, the bits I have heard about his life journey did sound interesting and unique. However, while his life story is undeniably interesting, the book itself failed to keep me engaged and this book does not do justice to his ambitious journey from a small town Austrian to a Hollywood A-lister and governor.

The narrative starts strong, with engaging anecdotes about his early years and his passion for bodybuilding. These sections are filled with drive and humor. However, as the book progresses into his movie career and political life, it loses its charm and becomes a tedious recounting of events.
The writing feels mechanical and uninspired, lacking the depth and insight that a life as extraordinary as Arnold's deserves. The book often reads like a list of achievements and name-dropping, making it difficult to connect with Schwarzenegger on a personal level. His personality, which is larger-than-life on screen, comes across as flat and unengaging in the book.

Moreover, the latter parts of the autobiography, particularly those detailing his time as the Governor of California, are bogged down with mundane details and political jargon. These sections drag on and detract from the overall narrative, making the book feel overly long and repetitive.
While Arnold's honesty about his mistakes and regrets is commendable, the book often feels self-serving and lacks the introspection that makes for a compelling autobiography. His explanations for his actions, particularly his infidelities, come off as superficial and fail to provide meaningful insight into his character.

In conclusion, while Total Recall offers a glimpse into the life of a truly remarkable individual, it is marred by uninspired writing and a lack of depth.If you're a fan of his, you might find some enjoyment in the anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories, but be prepared for a book that ultimately fails to endear or interest the reader.

This was a great book. You really get an idea of who Arnie is. What a crazy life. Highly recommend

K some more rants - I forgot to mention last time about how annoyed I was about him being so harsh on worker's comp claims. He gave out two anecdotal stories about people he knew who were cheating the system - and basically implied from that knowledge that everyone was scamming the system. So annoying.

Next, was him hurting Maria even more. When he decided he was going to run for re-election, she had to find out through the newspapers. Then he bragged that at the end of his governorship that Maria gave a speech that was like 'oh at first I didn't want him to get into politics, but now I'm glad he did. I was wrong and he was right'. To me it come off as him like rubbing it in her face that he was always right. And again, he was basically super proud that she was being subservient to him. Then, when he finally admits to having a kid with the nanny - we find out that she'd asked him about it previously and he lied about it. Why am I not surprised? F--k you Arnold.

K, next rant comes from his 10 rules chapter. As he's talking about never following the crowd, he says this: "When every immigrant I knew was saving up to buy a house, I bought an apartment building instead." Sigh - he's so fucking wrapped up in how amazing he is, he doesn't see how stupid this is. The other immigrants didn't even have enough money for a house, how the fuck were they supposed to buy a fucking apartment building???

At the same time that I'm reading this, I'm also reading Malcolm Blackwell's Outliers. Arnold would have been such a good case for Gladwell - he got so many advantages that helped him get to where he's at -- but I feel like he still believes he did it 100% on his own.

Also, I was annoyed that Arnold only sleeps 6 hours a night and expects that everyone else is the same way...Ok, ok, now I'm just getting nit-picky because I'm so annoyed by him!!!

I'd say I pretty much was enjoying the book, but once he started on about the political shit, the tone was totally different and I just... hated him. By that point, all this stuff that was bothering me from earlier in the book just kept compounding. UGH.

Arnold's life is a lot more than Hollywood's rags-to-riches story. The riches were there by the time he became an iconic actor, with a last name possibly too unpronouncable for posters, largely built upon the determination which sustained his bodybuilding carrer - calves first. He certainly tells in greater detail and passion about his youth & Mr. Olympia days than about his movie résumé, which dwindles down to basic title-hopping.

His term as governor of California raises more questions than answers - ugly political truths take time to sprout, and one is loath to cultivate his own. A journalist or political historian will have to empty that bag. What the funny internet video's which the race inspired didn't show, was Arnold's political capital - his marriage to a Kennedy and his role in the campaign of (then) vice President George Bush senior in the late 80's, complete with a ride on Air Force Two.

Four stars for the Man as a sportsman and action star, but three for the book in itself.