ARNOLD: The Education of a Bodybuilder

Arnold Schwarzenegger is cute. This being the case, one is inclined to make all sorts of excuses for his literary efforts. After all, when you've been lifting dumbbells for a living, a pencil isn't an easy thing to maneuver. Even with help. Half of this is autobiography. Arnold's Graz childhood in his uncomprehending parent's house (he converted one unheated room to a gym when they complained he was away too often training); his compulsion to succeed at an unpopular sport; his early contest victories; his later contest victories; how he became gorgeous. The second half is a muscle-building program for amateurs who want to look like Arnold. There's a section on the development of muscle groups preparatory to weight-lifting, then the gradual introduction to the use of weights. We liked the pictures, too.