Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story (Thorndike Press Large Print Nonfiction)
Choosing the title of his autobiography must have been easy for Schwarzenegger. Finding a reason for writing it, especially at this particular moment, must have been a lot harder. As everyone (at least everyone who reads the gossip sites) knows, the body builder, movie star, and governor fathered a son with the housekeeper. As Arnold makes clear, he wants nothing more than to reunite with his wife, Maria Shriver. So why go there? Oh, well, Arnold has always been a guy who sets a goal and meets it, so maybe this will work out, too. His strong will was forged in a harsh Austrian environment, where parents and teachers delivered body blows, and dentists didn’t use anesthesia. At 10, Arnold knew he would one day come to America, and, by 21, he was a Mr. Universe living large in L.A. His movie career pushed him into superstardom, and when he decided to run for governor, he won that, too (though he left office with an approval rating of 28 percent.) This is a dishy bio on lots of fronts, dipping as it does into the worlds of body building, politics, movies, and the Kennedys. Arnold seems to have a modicum of self-awareness: for instance, he knows he’s secretive (you think?), but his last chapter, “Arnold’s Rules,” really reveals him: don’t overthink (no problem); stay hungry; change always takes big balls. A guilty pleasure for those who just can’t say no. --Ilene Cooper--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.