What a terrible book. It’s rare that I pick-up a book that I can’t even finish, but this one was incredibly tough to sit through and I had to put it down. I was on a plane trying to push through this book and even with no where to go and nothing else to do, I had to put this book down and stare out the window! It’s that bad, folks.

And it’s really a shame to say that because the author, Michael Blitz, does a magnificent job of researching what is included in this book. That said, what is included is nothing more than a series of applications of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s name. He cites websites, newspaper articles, magazines, reporters, etc, that all use the term “Schwarzenegger” to describe something that is bigger or better than the rest. This is actually a fun exercise for the first few pages. Then it gets tiresome by about page 50. Then you hit page 100 and you want to hit somebody. I flipped around to later in the book just to get by this mind-numbing public masturbation of the Schwarzenegger name and it continues all the way through.

How many f’ing times can you go over pop culture’s use of Schwarzenegger’s image, likeness, and catchphrases? How many times can you emphasize that Schwarzenegger is used because he’s a big, giant man who realized the American Dream? Alright! We get it! Damn it – one could cover these points in a few pages and move on to why Schwarzenegger really matters.

Schwarzenegger matters because he ignited a revolt against a broken system of government in California. He’s important because regular people made an irregular decision and asked an irregular candidate to be their leader. He’s important because he’s given the people exactly what they wanted and he’s done it in a public manner that leaves nothing to closed door meetings or secret dealings. THAT is why Arnold Schwarzenegger is important.

He’s not important because of the million and two pop culture references he gets each day. Come on – how vapid a book can one write!? Overall, I admire the depth of the author’s research, but there is nothing worth reading in this book. I advise you to spend your time more wisely and if you DO decide to bring this book with you on a plane, please carry a back-up!

By the way, you can read most of this book on Google Books by clicking this link. But don’t be a fool like I was – once you get bored, move on!