The Standard Reader
The Standard Reader Books in Brief Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger by Laurence Leamer (St. Martin’s, 432 pp., $24.95) “I do things my own way because my instincts are better...
...Leamer captures the essence of Schwarzenegger throughout his biography, while telling the tale of how he defied the odds to conquer the world of bodybuilding, become a Hollywood star, and develop as a major political leader...
...Jordan Fabian Home Invasion: Protecting Your Children In a Culture That’s Gone Stark Raving Mad by Rebecca Hagelin (Nelson Current, 288 pp., $22.99) Rebecca Hagelin is a happily married, working (vice president of the Heritage Foundation) mom who is rearing three children...
...Those people whom he admires such as his mentor as an Austrian youth, Alfred Gerstl, bodybuilder Joe Weider, and his wife Maria Shriver, quickly gained his trust and loyalty...
...Her solution is simple: Computers must never be set up in a child’s room or behind closed doors...
...He writes of Schwarzenegger’s promiscuity, self-absorption, and conniving antics that occurred during all stages of his life...
...And yes, Christian faith does play an important role in her life...
...Through Leamer’s exceptional access to Schwarzenegger, the reader gains a more complete understanding of who he is...
...Leamer does not make Fantastic into another Arnold infomercial...
...Leamer also offers light criticism of Schwarzenegger’s political career, at times suggesting the governator is more style than substance...
...Schwarzenegger’s experience as an immigrant is another compelling subplot...
...Perhaps the most interesting element of Schwarzenegger’s personality that is discussed is his identity as a “people-person...
...Hagelin also notes nearly one in three teens can access email from their own rooms, unsupervised by parents...
...Schwarzenegger’s competitors and foes were the ones that bore the brunt of his ever present sophomoric pranks and insults...
...But this in no way should put off even the most liberal parents...
...Overall, Fantastic is a satisfying read that allows the reader a unique look into the world of Arnold Schwarzenegger...
...But it’s not just porn sites that present a problem—it’s email and chat rooms as well...
...Of the 45 million children who have Internet access, over 50 percent report having been contacted by a stranger in a chat room or through email...
...Yes, the people enthusiastically recommending her book on the back cover are Sean Hannity, Michael Medved, Tim and Beverly LaHaye, and Laura Schlessinger...
...Martin’s, 432 pp., $24.95) “I do things my own way because my instincts are better than anyone else’s researched thinking,” Arnold Schwarzenegger said to Laurence Leamer, explaining his decision to announce his candidacy for governor of California on the Tonight Show in 2003...
...Fantastic is laced with countless quotes and stories, such as the one above, illustrating Schwarzenegger’s commanding presence, instinctual decisionmaking, and natural boldness...
...One of the many subjects Hagelin discusses is kids and the Internet...
...She cites a study done by the London School of Economics that shows 6 out of 10 children ages 9 to 19 who have Internet access have seen pornographic websites, usually while using the Internet for homework...
...Her book is packed with down-to-earth, practical, common sense advice, plus nearly forty pages’ worth of names, phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses of hundreds of organizations and individuals for concerned or even desperate parents...
...Despite this, it is clear that Leamer respects Schwarzenegger for all he has accomplished...
...Hagelin doesn’t want to turn your kids into prudish goody-two-shoes, but she does want to do her part to save them from the many seductions of our advertiser- and consumerdriven age...
...Fantastic is a rare opportunity to read a fairly portrayed account of Arnold, replete with entertaining stories and characters...
...The author explains how his politics were shaped by the contrasting experiences of his strict Austrian upbringing and later immersion in American culture...
Vol. 10 • August 2005 • No. 43
