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Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story

Arnold Schwarzenegger

4.18 · Rating details · 13,059 ratings · 1,261 reviews

One of the most anticipated autobiographies of this generation, Arnold Schwarzeneggers Total Recall is the candid story by one of the worlds most remarkable actors, businessmen, and world leaders.

Born in the small city of Thal, Austria, in 1947, Arnold Schwarzenegger moved to Los Angeles at the age of twenty-one. Within ten years, he was a millionaire businessman. After ...more

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Hardcover, 656 pages

Published October 1st 2012 by Simon Schuster (first published 2012)

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Mar 16, 2013 Shahine Ardeshir rated it liked it

This book dispels one myth right away - the impression most people carry that Arnold, with all his muscle and Terminator films, is all brawn and no brains. What becomes apparent very soon is that this is someone who had huge ambition, tremendous tenacity and a calculating business mind. So no, he's not stupid, people.

He's also not just lucky. His life didn't happen by accident - it was an outcome of years of hard work and chasing down carefully-set goals. If you want to be charitable, you'd call This book dispels one myth right away - the impression most people carry that Arnold, with all his muscle and Terminator films, is all brawn and no brains. What becomes apparent very soon is that this is someone who had huge ambition, tremendous tenacity and a calculating business mind. So no, he's not stupid, people.

He's also not just lucky. His life didn't happen by accident - it was an outcome of years of hard work and chasing down carefully-set goals. If you want to be charitable, you'd call him driven and intentional; if you want to be harsh, you'd say this guy was conniving and postured.

What there is no doubt about, though, is that he's arrogant. Sure, he went to the top of his game in three completely diverse fields (body building, acting and politics) - but particularly towards the second half of the book, it gets annoying. In fact, through and through, the style of writing leaves very little to your imagination - Arnold will tell you what happened, exactly what he (and the other person) said, what he thought and why - in fact, wait a few lines, and he'll even tell you whether it was the right or wrong thing to have done. The subtext for me was: I'm wildly successful, if you want to be too, here's how. Thanks Arnie, but personally, I'd have been content just to hear about your life experiences and judge both success and applicability to my life for myself.

For me, the first half was as interesting as the second half was boring. From a gripping first ten or twelve chapters, where he takes you from a tiny town where he grew up into the little-known world of body building, where each page is a new revelation, the books slows in the second half, with reams upon reams of spiels about Schwarzenegger's politics, and how much he achieved while governor, and how many important people he got to know and "schmoozed" with (schmoozed, by the way, is his favourite word ever). The book crescendos with Arnold's ten principles for success (almost like a summary for an essay-question answer you may have to write in a final exam), which as a reader felt both boring and condescending.

Reading this book wasn't life-changing, but it certainly was thought-provoking. In many ways, the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger - and the unapologetically arrogant air about him - is a reflection of the times we live in. We seem to like someone who made something out of nothing, and give him free license to have bragging rights about it.

That said, whether you come away liking him or not, the personality of the man definitely shines through the pages, and that's what makes it a good autobiography for me. I feel like I know Schwarzenegger a bit better now, and so I have to give him and his co-author credit - they did their job. It starts better than it ends, but it's still an entertaining read. I wouldn't rush out and buy it - but it would make a good present for someone next Christmas. ...more

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Jul 23, 2014 Mario Tomic rated it it was amazing

Best biography I've ever read. The story of Arnold Schwarzenegger is absolutely incredible. His mindset, the passion and hunger for success is something I haven't encountered in any other book. It's very difficult to sum up this book to a few points and I won't even try to, I would say if you aren't reading books, if you haven't got the habit yet start with this one. The value of the book is 1000x more than what you pay for, and I consider myself lucky to live in the same time as this man. ...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Peter rated it it was amazing

Shelves: motivation, fun, sports, lifestyle

One of my all-time heroes. Arnold is sometimes viewed negatively by people who don't know his whole story, but he turns even that into an asset: "I never argued with people who underestimated me. If the accent and the muscles and the movies made people think I was stupid, it worked to my advantage". How can anybody underestimate somebody who, among many many accomplishments, was a world-class athlete who trained 6 days per week twice a day, became a millionaire in business *before* he was a One of my all-time heroes. Arnold is sometimes viewed negatively by people who don't know his whole story, but he turns even that into an asset: "I never argued with people who underestimated me. If the accent and the muscles and the movies made people think I was stupid, it worked to my advantage". How can anybody underestimate somebody who, among many many accomplishments, was a world-class athlete who trained 6 days per week twice a day, became a millionaire in business *before* he was a movie star, and has been the governor of one of the most powerful states in the U.S.?

I read his first biography from 1977, Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder, after he won his Mr. Olympia titles, and already then I was inspired. Here was a man with a will of iron and incredible drive, and who was completely unapologetic about it. I remember reading somewhere "If Schwarzenegger had more ambition than he has now, he'd have to be running for Galactic Overlord" and realized the author was only half-joking. In Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, we can see that same personality more than 35 years later, after having applied himself in several disparate domains. It is this being successful in so many different ways that makes Arnold larger-than-life.

In this book, he is a bit more mellow than in the previous one. At 30, he still had a single-minded focus on his muscles, but by 65, he has explored & cultivated many more sides of himself. Since then, it seems it's not about just Arnold anymore: he has become a father of 5, and although he definitely has his flaws, he seems to have found a balance between himself, his family, and his public duties. But even at the age when most people retire, he is still living up to his old mantra: "For me life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer".

Unfortunately, sometimes the book feels a bit written by someone who is very aware of his public image and how what he writes will be interpreted by the reader. But in the end, this is probably something to be expected from someone who has been living in the public eye for decades, most recently even as a politician.

All in all, 5 stars. Looking forward to keep following this inspiring and tireless man over the years to come! ...more

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Sep 14, 2018 Simon Clark rated it really liked it

Schwarzenegger is an individual who has fascinated me for almost as long as I can remember. As a kid, American movies were the ultimate in escapism they represented the utter dominance of American culture in the 90s, a super saturated, colourful version of life. Everything was bigger than it was growing up in the UK: the scale, the action, even the men. Schwarzenegger was the epitome of this the ultimate action star, bedecked with larger-than-life dialogue and even larger muscles. But away Schwarzenegger is an individual who has fascinated me for almost as long as I can remember. As a kid, American movies were the ultimate in escapism – they represented the utter dominance of American culture in the 90s, a super saturated, colourful version of life. Everything was bigger than it was growing up in the UK: the scale, the action, even the men. Schwarzenegger was the epitome of this – the ultimate action star, bedecked with larger-than-life dialogue and even larger muscles. But away from Arnold the movie star, since watching a video called Arnold's 6 rules of success speech as a teenager I realised that he had his head screwed on right. He valued hard work above all else. He relished challenges. He’d come from nothing and become a sensation. And, at the end of the day, during his peak he was an absolute unit and I really wanted to look like him. I literally was in awe at the size of the lad.

So in picking up his autobiography on holiday I was expecting to learn a bit about how he sculpted himself into a living statue, some on-set stories from his movie career, and maybe understand the scandal about his illegitimate child. What I didn’t expect was to finish the book utterly energised.
In many ways, I couldn’t have timed reading this book any better. I had just finished the months-long process of completing corrections to my PhD thesis, I was on holiday in France with some school friends specifically to relax and recharge, and I was thinking about how to structure the rest of the year to accomplish my goals. But what were those goals? What exactly was I trying to achieve? What was getting me up in the morning?

Enter 18 year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger, bursting through the stage left wall carrying a 200kg loaded bar. He proceeds to squat the bar ten times. After this he shrugs the bar to the floor, splintering the boards. He walks up to me and jabs a muscular finger at my chest. “I’m going to be the greatest bodybuilder of all time. I’m going to live in America and be in the movies. I’m going to earn a million dollars. What are you going to do?”

The single most impressive thing that comes across in this hefty autobiography is Arnold’s unstoppable ambition. He goes into ‘machine mode’, to use his own words, and will not rest until he has accomplished his goals. He wanted to be the biggest, greatest bodybuilder of all time so he lifted weights for four hours a day, six days a week. He wanted to be a millionaire so he took college courses on business and economics, and invested intelligently in real estate. He wanted to be a Hollywood leading man and so passed up on bit parts that might damage his career, focusing instead on networking and working until the right movies came up. A lot of progress can be accomplished across different projects in a 24 hour day. In many respects the Terminator could not have been played by anyone else. When it comes to achieving goals, Arnold is the Terminator.

But this book does portray a complex, if at times overly flattering, portrait of the Austrian Oak. From a childhood of hard work and repressed emotions, coming back to bite him in the ass later in life, to his clear sense of loyalty to his friends, you do get a real sense of what makes the man tick. Besides a clear account of life events, which is deftly presented in the book, what more can you want from an autobiography? As I mentioned earlier, sometimes the book does come off as self-congratulatory, but then again what do you expect from a man who rose to the very top of what was possible in three or four separate careers. Occasional arrogance, and a rather glossed over affair, aside this is a very entertaining and endearing read. I certainly finished the book excited to finish my holiday and get back to work. To quote a saying my mum is fond of, I was full of piss and vinegar. This book allowed me to see my own goals more clearly, and while it’s early days I am confident that my life and career will have been significantly improved by reading it.

A must-read for fans of the man, of bodybuilding, and for those with big ambitions. ...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Richard rated it really liked it

Briefly, is this book any good?

Well the first half is a quite candid and interesting story of his childhood, rise to fame and career. Obviously it's PR censored, but I think some parts of real personality slip through. The second half is a more guarded defence of every political decision he made while governor of California. Unless you're into politics it is very dull. The only interesting aspect is how he relates his right-wing politics to his personal experience of capitalism providing the Briefly, is this book any good?

Well the first half is a quite candid and interesting story of his childhood, rise to fame and career. Obviously it's PR censored, but I think some parts of real personality slip through. The second half is a more guarded defence of every political decision he made while governor of California. Unless you're into politics it is very dull. The only interesting aspect is how he relates his right-wing politics to his personal experience of capitalism providing the opportunity for a poor immigrant boy to become a billionaire. Most right-wing politicians are fuelled by hatred, but Schwarzenegger is actually pretty convincing at claiming altruistic motives. I still think he's wrong - he only experienced the 1 story where capitalism helped someone and not the 999 where it hurt someone - but it's still interesting to understand how the right-wing thinks.

Other things about his story that I found notable:

There are a lot of colour photographs in the book. In his prime as Mr Universe he was certainly well proportioned and attractive so you can see why he won, but it quite strange to compare him to the modern Mr Universe champions who are all much bigger and quite grotesquely bulging. He obviously would have no chance of winning today, yet he is still revered.

He set goals and then achieved them, over and over and over. Rare failures only spurred him on to work harder.

Apparently he went straight in at the top of everything he did. He won Mr Universe on his second attempt, he was making $1 million by his second movie and the same by his second real-estate deal. He attributes this to hard work and self-belief (as do all successful people, due to selection bias) but either he was also blessed with incredible luck, or he had a lot more failures that he left out of the book.

You would think its natural for establishment stars all know each other, but he was already friends with all the main Hollywood stars and was dating a Kennedy *before* he made his first movie. He name drops hundreds of powerful people as friends, and I assume he also had non-famous friends he doesn't mention, so his social network graph must have been phenomenal.

There are lengthy sections that interrupt the flow of the story to explain how wonderful is wife was. Eventually the purpose of these is revealed: he still wants to win her back.

He doesn't sound particularly upset when his mother and father die, nor when his brother is killed in a car crash. The only time he is ever less than cheerful is after his heart surgery when he finds out he will no longer be able to be physically active. He also says he found acting lessons difficult at first because until then he hadn't even realised that men could have emotions. He has been accused of being emotionless many times in the past, so he could have used this book to demonstrate the depth of his feelings even if he had to get the ghost writer to exaggerate, but he doesn't. Therefore I think there is indeed something pretty strange about his emotional make-up. (But then can you find me a billionaire who isn't strange, by definition?) ...more

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Dec 12, 2018 Maciej Nowicki rated it liked it

The title of the book is really fitting. I assume that everybody knows something about Arnold Schwarzenegger, obviously known for his films. But I think that only some of you know that in his young age he was a very successful bodybuilder, he was Mr Olympia, Mr Universe or something like that several times. Eventually, he became a governor of California. The book also tells more about him as a real estate investor and the interesting fact is that first became a millionaire by all of his real ...more

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Dec 05, 2015 Mohammad rated it liked it

There is nothing special about his writing. He describes whatever hes done in his life chronologically. Some more than the others. And of course, for public consumption and the media, the whole thing has been sanitized. But heres what I believe hes good at: selling. As he mentions in the book, youre always selling something. And so, hes selling and promoting himself, his work, his whatever; shamelessly, constantly, relentlessly. No shyness. No timidity.

Some say hes arrogant; maybe so, but almost There is nothing special about his writing. He describes whatever he’s done in his life chronologically. Some more than the others. And of course, for public consumption and the media, the whole thing has been sanitized. But here’s what I believe he’s good at: ‘selling’. As he mentions in the book, you’re always selling something. And so, he’s selling and promoting himself, his work, his whatever; shamelessly, constantly, relentlessly. No shyness. No timidity.

Some say he’s arrogant; maybe so, but almost every high achiever I know, has a magnetized picture of themselves. Maybe it’s the reason they aim high; a sense of deservedness, superior to most, destined to rule. For the most part, and for the obvious reasons, they don’t announce it. Some do. But I think it’s always there. You can see it in their behavior. It’s the mindset with which they operate.

Anyhow, all in all, not a bad book.

زندگی‌نامه آرنولد شوارتزنیگر

من نسخه صوتی رو گوش دادم؛ 23 ساعت و 23 دقیقه. فصل اول و آخر رو خود آرنولد می‌خونه. خوشبختانه، بقیه‌اش رو یک نفر دیگه!

فصل‌های کتاب متناسب با زندگی آرنلود پیش می‌ره. از دوران کودکی توی اتریش بعد از جنگ جهانی شروع می‌شه و کم‌کم وارد دنیای بدنسازی می‌شه. قهرمان جهان می‌شه و بعد از مهاجرت به امریکا، می‌ره توی کار ملک و خونه. میلیونر می‌شه. باز هم قهرمان بدنسازی می‌شه. کم‌کم انگلیسی یاد می‌گیره. کلاس می‌ره. بازیگر می‌شه. باز هم قهرمان بدنسازی می‌شه. با خانواده کندی‌ها وصلت می‌کنه. بچه‌دار می‌شه. وارد سیاست می‌شه. و فرماندار ایالت کالیفرنیا می‌شه. فصل آخر هم چند تا اصل می‌گه برای اینکه چطور موفق بشین.

ویرایش کتاب طوریه که حس می‌کنم نمایش یک چهره خوب، یکی از اهداف مهم ویراستارها بوده و باعث شده تا خیلی از انگیزه‌ها و اتفاق‌ها تحت تاثیر قرار بگیره. هرچند یکی دو تا اشتباه بزرگ رو هم اعتراف می‌کنه، اما مطمئنا موقع نوشتن کتاب این اشتباه‌ها کاملا لو رفته بودن و دیگه نمی‌شده نادیده‌شون گرفت.
حجم بیشتر کتاب مربوط می‌شه به کارهایی که آرنولد کرده. و واقعا هم که چقدر این ور اون ور پریده. یک لحظه هم آروم نداشته. انتظار داشتم از انگیزه‌ها و طرز نگرش و طرز فکرش بیشتر بگه. همون جور که خودش هم گفته، خیلی خودداره. دلش نمی‌خواد از خودش چیزی بگه.

خوب بود. ولی می‌شد خلاصه‌تر باشه.

اینم اولین ریویوی من توی گوود ریدز. وات د هل!
...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Mark Skousen rated it really liked it

Here's my review of "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story" by Arnold Schwarzenegger. I listened to the audiobook, all 25 hours worth, while driving from Florida to New York. Schwarzenegger reads only the first chapter, the rest by Stephen Lang. I found the book compelling reading (listening), especially how a poor Austrian had such drive to achieve remarkable success as the world's #1 bodybuilder, top box office draw, and governor of California. I enjoy books that introduce me to a ...more

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Feb 16, 2019 Dimitri rated it liked it

Shelves: biography

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 ...more

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Jan 29, 2015 Ron Versetto rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The worst part about this book was that it had to end. As I was nearing the end of the book, I had a physical reaction of anxiety that the story would end. Part of this feeling certainly is tied to Arnold age and the understanding that one day, he too will be terminated.....and this made me sad.

I grew up on Arnold's films like many other people. I didn't follow his bodybuilding career much, but I was an avid follower of his film and political career. I was hesitant to even read this book that The worst part about this book was that it had to end. As I was nearing the end of the book, I had a physical reaction of anxiety that the story would end. Part of this feeling certainly is tied to Arnold age and the understanding that one day, he too will be terminated.....and this made me sad.

I grew up on Arnold's films like many other people. I didn't follow his bodybuilding career much, but I was an avid follower of his film and political career. I was hesitant to even read this book that might potentially damage the image and respect I already had for Arnold, however after reading a friend's review on the book, I was compelled to read the book.

To start I never knew much of Arnold's bodybuilding career. I had seen Pumping Iron, knew the stories behind it, but that was pretty much it. I was thrilled to find that not only did the book provide Arnold's story from the beginning of his childhood in rural Austria, but the book when into great length and detail about Arnold's first steps into bodybuilding and the motivation behind them. The story is told in such detail and enthusiasm that the read can almost see Arnold writing on the chalkboard everyday to determine what work outs he was going to do for the day. I could see Arnold at the beach in his "gladiator days" with his friends working out and hanging at the beach. The stories are told so vividly that Arnold's earl life and bodybuilding career ended up being one of the most fascinating parts of the book for me since I knew little to none of this section of his life.

It was really inspiring to hear how a boy from a rural village in Austria with no heat and no indoor plumbing defied all odds and avoided so many traps to end up in California. Of course Arnold doesn't stop his rise as a top bodybuilder in California as one of his preexisting goals was to become a famous movie star. I thought the film career section of the book would have been the most interesting to me as that is what I know Arnold best for and what I'm most familiar with in his life. However it is Arnold's stories of how he achieved his goals in bodybuilding, business, film and politics that was the most interesting to me. At times the book reads more like a Tony Robbins motivation book than anything else.

There are so many practical life stories, examples and takeaways from this book that can be applicable to anyone's life. Arnold's thoughts on identifying one's goals and how to achieve them were one of the highlights of the book that I found myself constantly thinking about and how I can apply them to my life and my goals.

While I was reading the book, I must have told a dozen or more people that the book was quickly becoming one of my favorite books and that it was a must read. Well now that I completed the book, I stand by my statement. Not only is this the best autobiographies I've ever read, but this book is one of the best books I've ever read and I intend on buying copies and gifting them to some of my friends that I feel can benefit from Arnold's messages and themes told throughout the story and told in such an interesting and captivating way.

I think it helps that I was an Arnold fan to begin with that helped me enjoy the story so much and by the end of the book I've now become even more impressed with the man's achievements. With all that being said, I think anyone can enjoy this tale of rags to riches and come away with a few new gems of knowledge on how to approach and handle life.

I am very grateful for having read this book and I look forward to reading it again one day.
...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Abhishek rated it really liked it

Total Recall is the story of this famous personality born in a village in Austria who eventually grew up to become the Governor of California in USA; who along this journey also became one of the most prominent bodybuilders, evolved into an action hero in Hollywood who delivered multiple box office hits and married one from the Kennedy clan. This is the story of Arnold Schwarzenegger as told by him in his autobiography Total Recall. One of the most prominent personalities in Hollywood, Total Recall is the story of this famous personality born in a village in Austria who eventually grew up to become the Governor of California in USA; who along this journey also became one of the most prominent bodybuilders, evolved into an action hero in Hollywood who delivered multiple box office hits and married one from the Kennedy clan. This is the story of Arnold Schwarzenegger as told by him in his autobiography Total Recall. One of the most prominent personalities in Hollywood, Schwarzenegger has lived a life with so much variety that few else could boast of. If you know him as only Schwarzenegger the action hero, you would be surprised to read about his other achievements in greater detail – his bodybuilding days, his construction business, his foray in real estate, his political stand – in his autobiography, apart from also capturing Schwarzenegger, the family man, a father of four kids.

The autobiography is neatly written, laying enough emphasis on all the roles that Arnie has played in his life. While I was eagerly looking forward to read more about his recitation of his Hollywood days, this appears after quite a bulk of pages, as Arnie goes through his initial life in Austria, his early bodybuilding days and his success in competitions such as Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia. Even this part of his life displays the competitive spirit in the man, his attitude of choosing big goals and then chasing them with single-mindedness. The best part of the autobiography is of course reading through his various movies, how he received those roles, events that happened on movie sets and what went right and what failed at the box office. There is a chapter titled The Terminator which talks about Arnie receiving the offer to be part of this audacious sci-fi movie being planned by a “skinny, intense guy” James Cameron. The role offered to Schwarzenegger was of... no, not the Terminator, but Kyle Reese the protagonist who fights the Terminator in the movie. But it turns out that Schwarzenegger talked way too much about how the Terminator should behave during his first meeting with Cameron that the latter offered him the role of the killing machine, which is now definitely one of the greatest characters ever enacted in sci-fi movies.

Schwarzenegger talks in detail about his relationship with Maria Shriver, of the Kennedy clan, and a Democrat while Arnie is a Republican. He talks about his wife and his family lovingly, or as much as a bodybuilder can muster, and his family life is interlaced throughout his book, including his relationship with his mom. The last quarter of the book is about Schwarzenegger the Governor or the ‘Governator’ as he calls it; the challenges he faced as California’s Governor with the state finances in disarray at a time that the economic situation worldwide was dwindling. While throughout the book, Schwarzenegger hardly talks about making many mistakes, it is as his role as Governor which makes him appear more human. As someone who was new to the job and in his enthusiasm to get things done his way, realised the many stumbling blocks in his path.

Total Recall is maybe not as openly written as Andre Agassi’s Open. Schwarzenegger talks very little about the movies that did not really pull up his career. So the demise of films such as The 6th Day and Collateral Damage are mentioned in short. Also, at times you may get the feeling of Schwarzenegger being too haughty of his achievements. Nonetheless, I found it a book written with a warm heart, a man’s thoughts about himself, a man who strived for a lot and achieved most of his goals. The last chapter Arnold’s Goals is a specific takeaway from the book. So whichever way you see him, like him or hate him, what you cannot deny is that Arnold Schwarzenegger has been at the top of his game, in whichever field he was, for a long long time. A story worth reading about... ...more

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Mar 30, 2019 Chris Steeden rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It sounds like Arnie was born in a Bela Tarr movie. He did live only 55 miles from the Austro-Hungarian border in a rural farm village called Thal in Southern Austria. No wonder he had ambitions to get to big, brash, bold America. We know how that worked out for him. He did OK. I took a look at Thal on Google Earth. I am guessing things have changed a lot since the 1940s and 50s. Now it appears to be full of big houses, swimming pools and neatly tended lawns.

I did find the book extremely ...more

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Dec 27, 2014 Jason Navallo rated it really liked it

Inspiring read about Arnold's "rags to riches" tale, from living in poverty in Austria to living the "American Dream"!

Liked it so much that I actually used it as a source in my book, Thrive: 30 Inspirational Rags-to-Riches Stories.

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Aug 16, 2018 Nels rated it really liked it

A pretty enjoyable read. Amazingly written.✍✍ I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. 👍👌

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Oct 08, 2012 Fight*Censorship*In*ALL*Forms rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, non-fiction, celebrity

Warning: If you are deciding to read this book hoping to get something salacious or to hear about the illegitimate son scandal you will be very very disappointed.

While the affair with his housekeeper is mentioned not much time is given to the subject. He covers his life chronologically but does not mention the affair when it would have taken place, only briefly discussing it when it was discovered by the media which is practically at the end of the book.

I listened to this book on audio and was ...more

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Nov 26, 2012 S.L. Pierce rated it it was amazing

I gave this book 5 stars because it is only the second biography/autobiography I have read all the way through. I didn't expect to like it but I downloaded the sample and just couldn't stop reading. I did, however, get it from the library instead of buying. But my husband wants to read it now as well so I am going to buy a copy. I found the book really inspiring. No matter what you may think about Arnold, he is an incredibly driven person and a very hard worker. I was inspired by his stories to ...more

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Mar 07, 2015 Jitka Egressy rated it it was amazing

Amazing story, amazingly written, amazing life!

I'm not a big fan of Arnold. Well I wasn't :) But after reading this book I need to see every his movie :)) He is real hero. From nothing to BIG sucess.

It's a huge book. From his childhood to bodybulding, to America Dreaming to Gouverner of California!

I really enjoy reading this book, it's worthy... a lot! Many pictures included.

Read it :)

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Jul 02, 2013 Lisa rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: People that like creeps.

Shelves: nonfiction, dnf, biography-memoir

I thought Arnold's childhood was very interesting; then he grew into an arrogant creep and I quit the audio book. Strange, Steve Jobs was arrogant, but I found his biography very interesting. Must have been the creep part that got me.

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Dec 24, 2012 Markus rated it really liked it

Shelves: biography, 2012, movies, hardcover, published-2012

One star more for me being fan of Arnold's 80s and early 90s movies. Writing tends to be a bit of dry, Austrian accent and a personal voice is there, but just. Problem being, Arnold didn't write this alone and it shows. I liked an early chapters and for a big movie nerd the meat of the book was 'making of movies' parts. As a foreigner, all the Governator chapters were struggle and i have read a lot of books about politics. It's just hard to find a fascination about intricacies of a ballot voting ...more

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Nov 01, 2012 M Pereira rated it liked it

Shelves: funny, politics, biography, autobiography, films, celebrity, celebrity-culture, austria, austrians, schwarzenegger

I am a big fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Maybe you will think I'm a bit lowbrow for saying that. Maybe admitting that is tantamount to undermining any commitment I have to feminism, or maybe I need something a bit lightweight to read outside of Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Arnold starts his story addressing the harsh conditions of post-war Austria. I thought it was interesting how he mentions how his father's generation felt like a bunch of 'losers' having lost the war and having their I am a big fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Maybe you will think I'm a bit lowbrow for saying that. Maybe admitting that is tantamount to undermining any commitment I have to feminism, or maybe I need something a bit lightweight to read outside of Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Arnold starts his story addressing the harsh conditions of post-war Austria. I thought it was interesting how he mentions how his father's generation felt like a bunch of 'losers' having lost the war and having their sense of ambition destroyed after realising the extent of the destruction they experienced. Arnold grew in a time of little hope and austerity, which kind of reminds me of the conditions of today.

Schwarzenegger then speaks of his raised aspirations when seeing some older guys weight training, and expanding his social circles to learn of the wider world around him. Skip forward about 20 or so years and he's the star of Predator.

As a bit of an acolyte to fitness and weight training myself, I found his insights interesting. Arnold's 'secret' to success is being a winner in mindset before even starting a contest. Also, dealing with setbacks is also key to his approach. The book reads like self-help, a comedy memoir at times. But there are heady political moments, where Schwarzenegger describes his political career and what it was like to marry into the Kennedy Dynasty.

I advised this book to a friend of mine who is a bit of a budding entrepreneur. Schwarzenegger talks a bit about his enterprises, from his bricklaying business, to his pamphlet business; to Planet Hollywood and investing in buying a Boeing 747 after learning about how airlines obtain planes through loans as opposed to buying the fleet of planes they operate.

Then there are the down points of this man's life. Schwarzenegger downplays some of the scandal stories that the media have laid against him, such as the groping allegations and the accusation that his father was a war criminal. Both of these are acknowledged and dismantled. Arnold's scandal that broke in 2011 came out, of his affair with a member of his house staff. Arnold seems to communicate genuine regret for this, especially after half of the book is mostly about how important his then-wife Maria was in his life.

I've read reviews of this book. Most say it is underwhelming, flying on the bandwagon of the genre of celebrity biographies (I have only read another in that genre - see Keith Richards 'Life'). The book was also not picked up in terms of book sales. I might buy three for Christmas and distribute it towards friends and family.

I appreciate that I'm biased. I grew up admiring Schwarzenegger's films. In recent years, I've come to appreciate bodybuilders like Ralf Moeller, Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman etc. and one has to acknowledge that Bodybuilding wouldn't be as popular as it is today were it not for the Austrian Oak. I would like to summarise just a few points of why one should admire Schwarzenegger:

1. Arnold set up the 'Arnold Classic' bodybuilding contest, which includes some of the most prominent contests for female bodybuilding, unexpectedly and unknown to me. Arnold has been quite an advocate and supporter of women's bodybuilding, which also includes some of his published guides on women's fitness.
2. Arnold was a supporter of the Special Olympics, which promotes fitness and sporting activities for those with mental disabilities.
3. Arnold didn't really punch the Camel in Conan the Barbarian, but if you judge him by his acting characters, he totally saved the world as a cyborg; threw a pipe into his former colleague and pinned him to the wall as steam came out of the pipe and remarked, pithily: 'let off some steam, Bennett', also he killed the Predator, chased a guy on a motorcycle while riding a horse inside a hotel plus he saved the Expendables a couple of times.

This book was nice to read, plus it also has a very positive vibe to it at the end of the book. ...more

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Apr 13, 2013 John rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoir, film-television

TOTAL RECALL is a fascinating, incredibly-detailed account of the Governator's life from birth up until his recent split with Maria Shriver. It thoroughly eradicates the notion that Schwarzenegger got where he is today solely on the basis of sheer brawn and dumb luck. Beneath the muscles and the goofy accent is a shrewd businessman with a flair for salesmanship and an irrepressible drive for success. Personally, I'm not much into either body building or California politics, but Schwarzenegger's TOTAL RECALL is a fascinating, incredibly-detailed account of the Governator's life from birth up until his recent split with Maria Shriver. It thoroughly eradicates the notion that Schwarzenegger got where he is today solely on the basis of sheer brawn and dumb luck. Beneath the muscles and the goofy accent is a shrewd businessman with a flair for salesmanship and an irrepressible drive for success. Personally, I'm not much into either body building or California politics, but Schwarzenegger's infectious enthusiasm for both kept me thoroughly hooked despite the book's excessive length. The best parts, of course, are the sections that most closely relate to his movies, but, nevertheless, it is here that TOTAL RECALL shortchanges readers a bit. Schwarzenegger's account of the early half of his film career is detailed and satisfying, but he glosses over the second half far too much for my liking. Movies like ERASER, COLLATERAL DAMAGE, JUNIOR, THE 6TH DAY, END OF DAYS, BATMAN & ROBIN and TERMINATOR 3 are passed over with hardly a mention, whereas JINGLE ALL THE WAY and AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS don't get even that. Speaking for myself, I would have happily sacrificed much of the book's material regarding his tenure as governor in exchange for more stuff about his films. But that's just me.
Arnold speaks candidly about some of the mistakes he's made, most notably his widely-publicized affair with his housekeeper. The book certainly contains instances of womanizing, casual drug abuse, and other kinds of behavior that many readers will find illustrative of Arnold's deficiencies as a role model. Others might be turned off by what they perceive to be his humungous ego (though, in light of Arnold's being a self-made man with a litany of incredible accomplishments under his belt, one might find it in his or her heart to forgive him the occasional lapse of humility).
Schwarzenegger's life has been as wild as it's been varied. If for nothing else, you have to appreciate the guy for his incredible lust for life and the way he has consistently been able to succeed in all his various endeavors way beyond almost anyone's expectations (Planet Hollywood and marriage being the possible exceptions).
The book finishes up with Arnold's advice on how you can get more out of your life. That single chapter is probably more useful than several hundred pages from your typical self-help book. I've always liked Arnold, but was never really sure how much I respected him as a person, as opposed to simply as an action movie icon. TOTAL RECALL definitely served to make me an even bigger Arnie fan. ...more

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Jun 11, 2013 Graham rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, biography-inc-auto, cinema

This was a pretty enjoyable read for me, but then it goes without saying that I'm a fan of Schwarzenegger as a movie star. In fact, he's one of my favourite actors; certainly one of the funniest and most entertaining, even if his acting skills pale compared to heavyweights of the craft.

TOTAL RECALL is Schwarzenegger's autobiography, written around a series of lengthy chats a writer had with the star. Weighing in at an impressive 620 pages, this is thorough stuff indeed that takes us from Arnie's ...more

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May 09, 2019 Chafic (Rello) rated it really liked it

Shelves: memoir-bios, audiobook, nonfiction

I was surprised at how much there was to take away from this.
This was a pretty enjoyable read for me, it covers the entirety of Arnold's career from humble origins in Austria and his rags-to-riches rise in America through bodybuilding, acting and eventually politics.

This was rather in-depth and somewhat motivational memoir.

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Feb 27, 2020 Charlie - A Reading Machine rated it really liked it

Excellent reading for any Arnie fan. He really is a very inspiring character at times. He obviously comes very humble beginnings but he is always in possession of fierce ambition and a desperate willingness to work. His rise through the ranks in body building shows him almost single handedly bringing the sport from one that engages few but the participants to one attracting worldwide attention, fans and celebrities. The chapters covering his ascent in Hollywood are equally entertaining. The book ...more

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Jan 20, 2014 Kris Ashton rated it liked it

When I was a teenager, the two things that rocked my world were martial arts and bodybuilding. Where most of my friends had cars or girls or musicians on their walls, I had posters of Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Jean Claude Van Damme and the bodybuilders I admired: Lou Ferrigno, Kevin Levrone, and of course Arnold Schwarzenegger. This led my mother to suspect I was gay apparently not uncommon, since Schwarzeneggers mother thought the same thing when he pinned up pictures of his idols such as Reg ...more

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Feb 27, 2020 Martijn Reintjes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, audio-books

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 shortcutseverything is reps, reps, reps.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Total Recall: My ...more

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Dec 03, 2014 Kenny rated it liked it

I enjoyed this - and could almost be persuaded to increase the rating. Which was a surprise - why? Well, it's quite engaging, despite the obvious PR steer that this should be a manual of how to achieve the American dream!

And to be fair, he certainly has - a fascinating life. From growing up in Austria, national service through becoming the world body building champion, building up a fitness empire, then becoming the leading action film star and then - in the piece that does justify the strap ...more

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Aug 22, 2013 Scott rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this and found it to be more than just a life story. Much of Arnold's personality is all over the book, his views on life and physical/mental health are clear and admirable. Though I don't agree with some of the decisions he's made in his life, I left this book with an admiration of his strong character.

The book moves from his childhood in post-WWII Austria (many amazing details here, some heartbreaking) to his body-building career, onto Hollywood, then governor of California. ...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Jenn Tat rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended for: people seeking life lessons or escapism that is offered through reading memoirs of accomplished individuals.

Explanations for scoring: The Governator has a congenially flawed personality, a good sense of humor and has led a rich and interesting life that made for enjoyable reading. The writing was satisfactory, as memoirs are usually conversational in tone. It was the content that I really appreciated. His struggles and triumphs as a self-made man are inspiring, as are his ...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Dave rated it liked it

I am a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I have followed him from bodybuilding to movies and I even voted for him to be the governor of California in the recall election. I have read everything about him that I could possibly find.
For me, this book confirmed a lot of the information from the 1990 book ARNOLD: An Unauthorized Biography and rehashed a lot of stuff from The Education of a Bodybuilder and various bodybuilding magazines. It does however contain new details and a fresh insight. The ...more

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About Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger

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Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor, businessman and politician, and served as the 38th Governor of the state of California.

Arnold gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood action film icon. Schwarzenegger was nicknamed "The Austrian Oak" and "The Styrian Oak" in his bodybuilding days, "Arnold Strong" and "Arnie" during his acting career, and more recently "The ...more