Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Oct 2023 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The seven rules to follow to realize 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 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.

Ratings and reviews

This is a welcome shot in the arm of Vitamin Arnold, an antidote to some of the fear and negativity of our time. I hope young people looking for direction read this book and follow the advice (I learned some of these lessons the hard way). Charities are also hurting for volunteers and donations and I hope the last chapter helps turns that around. If you are looking for excuses, you will not find them in this book. Arnold is the real deal in terms of career success and public service, and we need more people like him.

This book has been very insightful. A lot of it has relatable experiences. I don't buy books often but I just had to read it because I felt I needed something to motivate me further. Thank you Arnold! You may never see this but this book was something I needed.

I didn't know what to expect, but I was captivated right from the beginning. I am greatly anticipating the rest of the book, after reading the sample! Thank you, Arnold! Your book will definitely 'Be Useful' !!!💜💖

About the author

Arnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-born bodybuilder, actor, businessman, philanthropist, bestselling author, and politician. He served as the thirty-eighth governor of California.