Total Recall

My Unbelievably True Life Story

By: Arnold Schwarzenegger

Narrated by: Stephen Lang, Arnold Schwarzenegger

Length: 23 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the most anticipated autobiographies of this generation, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Total Recall is the candid story of one of the world's 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 21. Within 10 years, he was a millionaire businessman. After 20 years, he was the world's biggest movie star. In 2003, he was elected governor of California and became a household name around the world.

Chronicling his embodiment of the American Dream, Total Recall covers Schwarzenegger's high-stakes journey to the United States, from creating the international bodybuilding industry out of the sands of Venice Beach, to breathing life into cinema's most iconic characters, and becoming one of the leading political figures of our time. Proud of his accomplishments and honest about his regrets, Schwarzenegger spares nothing in sharing his amazing story.

©2012 Fitness Publications, Inc (P)2012 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Inspirational!

A truly inspiring story! Would have loved to have Mr. Schwarzenegger read the whole thing, but understand he is incredibly busy.

Amazing book

This book was really good . I didn’t know Arnold was a big business guy , I just knew of the bodybuilding & acting . But this is a must read.

Terrific! Fun and inspiring.

What a story! What a life! Listening to the book makes me feel I’ve been hanging around Arnold, and he’s great company. He writes beautifully and he’s funny. Super inspiring! My only complaint, and it’s a mild one, is the long attention in the early part of the book to the weightlifting competitions. Otherwise, every syllable is a kick. Hey message you will definitely pick up is “reps“. That’s key to success, “reps“. Do lots and lots of them in every endeavor, whether it’s rehearsing a speech or studying a language or doing a dance move. Do it over and over until it’s second nature. Anyway, this book is absolutely great.

Outstanding

I loved everything about this book , I used to watch his workout videos when I used to workout and I’m back in the mood .
He achieved and overcame a lot which is why this book is a must read/listen.

great read

i really enjoyed the book. Such great detail all though his life. it's too bad Arnold only reads a small portion of this book , but i was never disinterested throughout the entire book. you never want to hate on his for being successful.

Loved it.

So much hunger and thrive to succeed, motivating as hell to take accountability and ownership over your life

So THAT is why Arnold is a success.

Would you listen to Total Recall again? Why?

Yes, probably, but not for a while since it was pretty long. Arnold's story is really fascinating. This is definitely a guy who worked very very very hard to be a success. Planning every step of the way and striving to meet every goal he set for himself. You would never walk away from this story and think, "What a lazy ungrateful guy." The forsight and drive he had from the time he was 14 is just amazing. Did you know he made millions on real estate before he ever became an actor? I also thought it really showed a great balance of his conservative and liberal views. He himself describes himself as a series of contradictions-- an environmentalist who drives a hummer, a fitness freak who smokes cigars-- and it was really refreshing hearing somebody who was open to a multitiude of ideas, even if they contradict his own. It also made clear what Maria Shriver saw in him. He tells his life story with such enthusiasm and humor, you are never left thinking "yeah yeah, shut up" or "I've heard it all before."

What did you like best about this story?

His humor and reasoning behind each of his views. It makes sense that he's a republican when you hear this story. How could he not be?

Which character – as performed by Stephen Lang and Arnold Schwarzenegger – was your favorite?

It's about Arnold, so of course he's my favorite character.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The death of his family members was sad. Also, this is a great immigrant story, which is always moving.

Any additional comments?

Some slightly annoying things are that Arnold only reads the first and last chapter. I found the main narrator's voice to be fine, but the switch from Arnold to this other guy was distracting (which is why I gave performance just 4 stars). Also, this book doesn't explain why he cheats on Maria or anything like that. He definitely brushes past the personal/emotional bits dealing with that, although throughout his book he talks about how detached he is from emotions and how he has had to learn how to connect with that part of himself throughout his life. Really interesting.

One of the best autobiographies I have read

Very inspiring and amazing story. From a boy in Austria to a successful person in any chosen area, that takes will, perseverance, right mindset and state. Very inspiring, much better than most of motivational books out there - it is real life success story

Surprisingly engaging

This audiobook is so long that I put off listening to it for awhile. But once I started it, I couldn’t put it down! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Arnold’s journey from a young boy, to body builder, to business man, to actor, to father/husband, and to politician. I actually started this book because of his recent ads to raise money for charity. I’m so glad I finished this and particularly enjoyed his explanations of how he approached tough decisions as governor.

I am astounded by how much I love Arnie!

I would NEVER have thought that I would like Arnold Schwarzenegger - but after reading this I absolutely love him. His attitude to life is amazing and this book truly is filled with life lessons and is inspirational. He has had a fascinating life filled with ambition, determination to do his very best, to have no regrets and to succeed in many fields. I am truly shocked by how much I have quoted this book and how much I respect and admire Arnie!