Blurb
The world’s greatest bodybuilder. The world’s highest-paid movie star. The leader of the world’s sixth-largest economy. That these are the same person sounds like the setup to a joke, but this is no joke. This is Arnold Schwarzenegger. And this did not happen by accident.
Arnold’s stratospheric success happened as part of a process. As the result of clear vision, big thinking, hard work, direct communication, resilient problem-solving, open-minded curiosity, and a commitment to giving back. All of it guided by the one lesson Arnold’s father hammered into him above all: be useful. As Arnold conquered every realm he entered, he kept his father’s adage close to his heart.
Written with his uniquely earnest, blunt, powerful voice, Be Useful takes readers on an inspirational tour through Arnold’s tool kit for a meaningful life. He shows us how to put those tools to work, in service of whatever fulfilling future we can dream up for ourselves. He brings his insights to vivid life with compelling personal stories, life-changing successes and life-threatening failures alike — some of them famous; some told here for the first time ever.
Too many of us struggle to disconnect from our self-pity and connect to our purpose. At an early age, Arnold forged the mental tools to build the ladder out of the poverty and narrow-mindedness of his rural Austrian hometown, tools he used to add rung after rung from there. Now he shares that wisdom with all of us. As he puts it, no one is going to come rescue you — you only have yourself. The good news, it turns out, is that you are all you need.
Review
Sometimes books come into our lives at exactly the right time, and I feel that this was the case with Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger. I listened to the audiobook version of this very inspiring read.
The first chapter is probably one of the most inspiring and engaging things I’ve read recently. Arnold’s deep voice reverberated throughout my soul, awakening something within me. His words were the fuel I didn’t even realize my creative engine needed.
The title of that chapter is entitled “Have a Clear Vision” and he talks about how we need to set aside time and space to be with our thoughts and our dreams, whether it is taking a walk or simply sitting. But it should be a quiet, sacred space devoid of distraction. He talks about how he often sees people who are trying to actively work toward a goal but taking all the wrong steps to get there. He relates this to their lacking a clear vision about what exactly it is they want. Sometimes we do take steps to work toward something but the steps we take aren’t the right ones for that particular goal.
It’s a lesson that isn’t new or groundbreaking, it’s a simple concept that we all know to be true and yet we seem to need to be reminded of it over and over again. Arnold even acknowledges at the beginning of the book that the tools he shares are ideas and concepts that are tried and true and have been around for ages.
The book is a short read/listen and only has seven chapters, each of which corresponds to the seven tools he believes are essential when building the life you want. Arnold shares these life lessons in an interesting way. It doesn’t come across as preachy or like he is punishing us for not knowing exactly what steps we need to be taking. It’s like an old friend sitting down with us and just talking and sharing.
The book is part inspirational nonfiction and part memoir. He shapes each lesson around some aspect of his life and shares a pivotal experience that helped him realize the tremendous importance of that particular tool. I found his shared experiences to make the lessons even more impactful.
The essence of what Arnold tries to inspire is actionable motivation. Not just coming up with a dream and taking a haphazard step in a direction you think might take you where you want to go, but deliberate planning and focused action. And this is something I really loved about the book. It wasn’t just come up with a dream and you can make it happen! Yes, of course, dreaming is an essential part of becoming who we truly want to be, but we have to work hard to get there. And Arnold’s life experiences prove just how impactful hard work and dedicated focus can be.
Arnold can sometimes ramble a bit so the conversation can get a little scattered. This is actually one reason I might recommend listening to the book as opposed to reading it. I feel like reading that would have made it less impactful and harder to follow. Hearing him trail off at times was endearing and truly did feel like I was just having a cup of coffee with him and chatting. The audiobook feels raw and unfiltered, and I think that’s one of the strongest aspects of the book.
While I loved the book and the overall message he was trying to convey, I didn’t necessarily agree with every aspect of what he had to say, but that is to be expected with any type of advice. However, I truly believe there is something for everyone in Arnold’s words.
I do have one fairly big nitpick about the audiobook. He didn’t say “I’ll be back” at the end of each chapter! But it’s okay, I won’t hold it against him. Forever.
If you’re looking for a quick read/listen that will inspire, motivate, and entertain you, I highly recommend this wonderful book.
Lisa M. Gott 