Be Useful

The seven rules to follow to realise your true purpose in life-distilled by Arnold Schwarzenegger from his own journey of ceaseless reinvention and extraordinary achievement, and available for absolutely anyone. 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 toolkit for a meaningful life. Arnold 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 has shared 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.

Auteur

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a global icon: a titan of public life, sports, and entertainment. An immigrant with few resources, except those that really mattered: a vision, a fire in the belly, and an undeniable charisma, his story is one of classic inspiration and the power of the American dream. He is known all over the globe for his many accomplishments: world-champion bodybuilder, Hollywood action hero, successful businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, best-selling author, and California's 38th Governor.

This world-famous athlete and actor was born in Thal, Austria in 1947, and by the age of 20 was dominating the sport of competitive bodybuilding, becoming the youngest person ever to win the Mr. Universe title. With his sights set on Hollywood, he emigrated to America in 1968, and went on to win five Mr. Universe titles and seven Mr. Olympia titles before retiring to dedicate himself to acting. His big break came in 1982 when the sword and sorcery epic Conan the Barbarian hit box office gold, and in 1984, Schwarzenegger blew up the screen as the title character in James Cameron's sci-fi thriller, The Terminator. To date his films have grossed over $3 billion worldwide.

In 2003, Schwarzenegger became the 38th Governor of the State of California in a historic recall election, and as governor ushered in an era of innovative leadership and extraordinary public service. His legacy includes California's status as a world leader in renewable energy innovation, technological development and deployment, and he has been rewarded for his great leadership and vision many times over in many arenas, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center's "National Leadership Award" and the American Council On Renewable Energy's "Renewable Energy Leader of the Decade."

But it is Schwarzenegger's commitment to giving something back to his state and to his country through public service that gives him the most satisfaction; donating his time, energy, and personal finances to serving others all over the world. Schwarzenegger acts as Chairman of the After School All-Stars, a nationwide after-school program, and serves as coach and international torch bearer for Special Olympics. Since leaving office, also Schwarzenegger co-founded the R20 Regions of Climate Action, a global non-profit dedicated to helping subnational governments develop, implement, and communicate the importance of low-carbon and climate resilient projects as well as their economic benefits.