Mini-review: Total Recall

The lingering impressions you are left of Schwarzenegger after reading his lengthy biography are threefold. They are: he has an outrageous sense of fun coupled with an incredible work ethic and fiscal prudence. Together they make for an inspirational read.

Things that surprised me were his early focus on developing business savvy and ensuring his financial independence before embarking on a career in acting, his clear application of life lessons to the adjacent possible and his egoless willingness to absorb learning from others.

Some key learnings:

1. Arnold used his funny name, weird accent and huge size as assets to help him stand out in Hollywood.
2. The significance of his visual (huge biceps) over intellectual credibility when working with young disabled boys in an exercise programme. 
3. Redefining his vision of what fitness looked like when prepping for an early movie role. He needed to drop tens of pounds because he looked too big on camera, and so he looked in the mirror and imagined himself as no longer fit for the new niche he wanted to operate in. 
4. When someone says "No." You hear "Yes," hug them and say, "Thank you for believing in me."
5. Bringing a beginner's mind to a decision. In Schwarzenegger's view its better to take a decision and "always wander in like a puppy" than get paralysed with too much information and not. 
6. The importance of repetition. The book contains a photo of a short speech Arnold made to the UN. There are fifty-five marks grouped in blocks of five written in pencil at the top. That's how many times he practiced it. 

With one exception, he does tend to gloss over some of the more controversial aspects of his life, but if you were feeling charitable you might say that's because he seems to be someone who prefers to look forward rather than dwell on the past.  He is also one of those rare examples of a republican who is genuine socially liberal in their outlook.

Finally, just in case you hadn't picked them up along the way, the book finishes with a chapter on Arnold's rules which summarises the most important things he's learned in his life.