The Exchange

Be Useful: Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger has lived an epic life.

His life reads like a folk tale.

From a poor upbringing in post-World War II Austria, he discovers bodybuilding and becomes a multiple winner of the Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia titles after moving to America.

He was the star of numerous box office blockbusters ranging from “Conan the Barbarian” and “The Terminator” to “Twins” and “True Lies.”

He was a two-term governor of California.

Now, 76 years old, he still performs in movies and TV series – including a three-part documentary of his life and “FUBAR,” a Netflix series, is still an advocate of exercise and has become something of a self-help guru, which has led to his latest book, “Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life.”

For folks who immediately think why should people listen to a man who “blew up” his family with an affair, Schwarzenegger opens the book with this incident. He refers to it in listing the failures in his life, adding “No failure has ever felt worse than that.” He does not rehash the details of the incident in this book since he has discussed it in other places and it has been chronicled elsewhere.

Instead, “Be Useful” focuses on lessons he’s learned in his multi-tasking life. The seven tools are broken into chapters: “Have a Clear Vision,” “Never Think Small,” “Work Your Ass Off,” “Sell, Sell, Sell,” “Shift Gears,” “Shut Your Mouth, Open Your Mind,” “Break Your Mirrors.”

Schwarzenegger shares anecdotes from his life and wisdom gained from his multiple careers.

He writes in a conversational, friendly but take no prisoner style but it reads more like principles he applies to himself. So why would he expect any less from his readers? and if you’ve bought the book for Arnold’s insights, why would readers expect any less?

For example, some fuss has been made about his advice regarding rest and naps. “Rest is for babies and relaxation is for retired people.” You can hear his voice saying this line straight from the printed page. and he owns it because he advocates sleeping eight hours a night then getting busy with each and every waking hour.

Or better yet, be useful with every waking hour.

“Be Useful” is a good read, enjoyable with plenty of ideas for getting more out of one’s life.

The Exchange: John Grisham

You may want to revisit “The Firm” before reading John Grisham’s latest novel, “The Exchange.” At least, watch the 1993 movie of the same name starring Tom Cruise, if not re-reading the 1991 novel that made Grisham a household name.

After all, even as big an impression as “The Firm” made as a book and a movie, it’s been 30 years and counting since we visited characters Mitch and Abby McDeere and the trouble they ran into when he unwittingly took a job straight out of law school with a Southern law firm that represented the mob.

In “The Exchange,” Grisham visits Mitch and Abby for the first time since “The Firm” and while it’s been 30-plus years for the author and readers, it’s only been about 15 years for the McDeeres.

“The Exchange” is set in 2005. Mitch works for a massive international law firm with offices around the world. Abby is a cookbook editor. They live in New York with their young twin sons. The McDeeres have found a good, prosperous life for themselves after surviving “The Firm,” the Mafia and the Feds in their youth.

Maybe too good.

Part of the appeal of “The Firm” was it revolved around a young, economically strapped couple hitting the career lottery after he graduated from college in a book written by an up-and-coming author about to hit the publishing lottery with his second novel.

Here, the McDeeres are living a life filled with international travel, eating meals nightly prepared by five-star chefs in their home – the chefs are auditioning dishes for cookbooks they hope Abby will publish. They live in a luxurious apartment. Mitch is partner in a firm with a 48th-floor office overlooking Manhattan. Flying to Rome and other parts of the world is simply part of their lives.

The McDeeres have certainly come up in the world since “The Firm” as so has Grisham.

The crux of “The Exchange” is Mitch must visit Gaddafi’s Libya. A client is seeking payment for a bridge that Gaddafi wanted built in the middle of the desert then changes his mind as it nears completion.

Mitch is accompanied by the adult daughter of an Italian partner in the international law firm; the daughter is also an attorney. On the morning of Mitch’s scheduled visit to the bridge, he falls ill and is unable to go. The young woman goes instead. Terrorists kidnap her and her escorts, record and air the brutal killing of her security team then demand $100 million for her release.

Mitch and Abby, who becomes the terrorists’ contact, race against time to save the young woman.

“The Exchange” happens to feature the couple from “The Firm” but it could really be any characters from more recent Grisham books. The ending is somewhat anticlimactic and will likely not satisfy readers who prefer seeing justice meted out in novels featuring terrorists.

Still, it’s Grisham. The book is good, suspenseful, interesting throughout and does answer whatever happened to the couple from “The Firm.”