Rating: 
Summary: Concise, specific, and detailed
Review: Besides being written by Arnold, this book is a very good reference. It has many of the top exercises used to gain mass and define the muscles. It has been a very valuable reference for my workouts. His workouts are very specific and I didnt find the format of his workouts to be good for me, However the exercises he includes are incredible, I use a good portion of them in my routine and the pictures of the bodybuilders that are best at the exercises show how really to do them. Also there is a good reference section for the actual art of posing and competitive training as well as a brief bio of the sport, Arnold and many of his idols. Must have desk reference but not the end all of weighlifting books.
Rating: 
Summary: Best book for anyone interested in bodybuilding!
Review: This book gives information for anyone interested in bodybuilding, no matter your age of your fitness level. The training routines are easy to understand with descriptions of all the exercises. Nutrtion section is a little outdated, but still has good information.
Rating:
Summary: The Best
Review: I am a personal trainer with 3 certifications, 2 from ACE and one from the Baylor Institute of Medicine. I beleive this book is worth every penny and then some. It is written in a nice and easy to read style. If you are well read on the body and enjoy exploring new techniques or need to master old ones, this is the book. I loved learning about who he was and how he faced his challenges in his career and how used his mind to focus his energy for his success in building an awesome body. You will learn so much from the book, from how to be focused,picking a gym,a partner,diet,nutrition and of course how to buil the altimate body. I do not do steroids and I strongly believe that wheather you are trying to learn some basic techniques or trying to compete in body building this book is by far the best one. I have read a lot of books I gaurantee you that if you read this you will learn, grow(metally and physically) and enjoy the stories of how body building and how lifting weights came to life. He does not spend to much time on the history of body building but he does educate you a bit on it in the beggining.I think it is nice to know s little history on the subject. Last Note: Get the hardcover book (it is very nice) and read this book before you decide to go the Frank Zane route.
Rating: 
Summary: interesting but not scientific
Review: The book describles the individual bodypart exercise in details.Very outstanding! It includes the chapter of bodybuilding history, which is quite interesting. But majority of the information in the book is not based on scientific and the suggested training programs is too intense. He suggested that advanced trainees train each bodypart 3 times per week .However, this is too intense and easily cause overtaining. For advanced trainees, training each bodypart twice or even once per week is enough to stimulate maximum hypertrophy. Anyway, the part of individual bodypart exercise is so valuable that the book is still good reference in your own library. ....
Rating:
Summary: Ultimate guide
Review: I don't care what anyone says after doing endless amounts of research and having trained over 9 years I can tell you nothing is as good as this. Wimpy trainers who after working out a week get a little bump on their arm think they no everything, they don't! Most the guys making crybaby comments about this book have no business working out! Arnold and his co-authors tell you exactly what you must do to get in top shape. They don't hide anything from you they give it to you straight and give you a feel what a bodybuilder must do to achieve their goals. The comment about an entire section being devoted as being ridiculous is a joke! This book is in second edition and the only reason why the steroid chapter has been added is because so many readers complained about it in the first edition.
Rating:
Summary: Not Completely Safe Techniques
Review: Arnold, in his prime, was still the greaters bodybuilder ever. And when he was doing it, the judging criteria didn't have so much emphasis on lookind cut, ripped, or however you want to put it.... the fact that several bodybuilders have died of dehydration over the past several years is frightening. In Arnold's day they went for a fuller, healthier look, and people weren't dying.Still, this book, like its first edition, still contains a full chapter on use of steroids. Sure, he did it, everyone did it and still does it at the professional level, but with laws the way they are now it takes some measure of dishonesty on the part of "patient" (bodybuilder) and doctor to get these products. And they're still potentially dangerous, even if used in moderation. Can anyone say FOR CERTAIN that Arnold's heart condition wasn't due to steroid use? I'll skip over the good parts of this book; I do believe it's the best book of its type, but I don't want to reiterate things covered in so many other reviews. I do have a warning about lifting techniques. Most of what Arnold teaches is very good, very safe, but this book should be used only as a reference manual. Go back to it now and then to remind yourself of this or that, but you need to learn to lift from someone who is already an experienced weightlifter! It doesn't need to be a mammoth powerlifter or bodybuilder; it does need to be a good teacher, someone who will correct your form, technique, lifting schedule, etc. until you know enough to go on your own or with a partner. One safety tip: Arnold still teaches doing the front dumbbell raises (in the shoulders chapter) with the palms facing the floor. Doing it this way is how I wrecked my left shoulder, couldn't lift for 5 months, and had to go through physical therapy. The way physiologists and physical therapists recommend this lift is by keeping your palms facing each other instead of the floor. This way you don't put excess strain on a particular small muscle in the area of your shoulder blade. You still get a good workout on your shoulders, and it's safe. Happy lifting....
Rating:
Summary: The Best book on Body Building
Review: Anyone who has been training for at least five years knows there is no better book out there. No one should have given this book anything less than a perfect 5! While trends come and go this book is a classic. If you want to master the sport of bodybuilding buy this book. I have read though the original book cover to cover 3 times and I can tell you you'll always find new and insightful information. If you're at all serious about bodybuilding skip out on those useless pills for a week and pick up this book it will bring you to a new level of knowledge. The guy who was complaining about over training is way off base bodybuilders today are just getting lazy and looking for any excuse to stay out of the gym. But if you want to get cut up and not look like a slob with your shirt off stay close to the recommended suggestions. The only thing I regret is not ordering the book in hardcover.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational!
Review: Ok it's not the bible, but it has renewed my desire to bodybuild. The book has three levels of exercise programs, three levels of diet programs, and some general diet advice. The book also has advice for competitions, and a considerable list of exercises (with pictures). There are also "Advanced" tips for bodybuilders, like "21's" for curls.... intense, but rewarding! I would recomend this book to anyone who is starting out, or those like me who are starting again. Some of the exercises may be outdated (which is why the book recomends reading the latest info; bodybuilding is a relatively new "sport"). It's relatively cheap for what could be the centerpiece of physical fitness during the rest of your life.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Source of Information
Review: When I first began to strive for a better body, i had little to no information on the subject. Looking for a source that would prove to be reliable was a difficult task. I chose this book on the advice of a friend, following the instructions put forth in the book I have found that I have made some impressive gains, compared to others using a more standard method of bodybilding. It has information that would be helpful to everyone from those entering the sport to those looking to enter the competetion circuit. I feel that this is an excellent guide for everyone looking to better their bodys.
Rating:
Summary: Good Info on Exercises-Althoug Outdated
Review: If you're trying to find a book which shows a wide variety of exercises for each and every muscle group, this book is excellent: it shows proper execution and purpose of each exercise (although some of those purposes are mostly based on tradition and not on scientific data). The book also has plenty of information on nutrition, and the pictures are awesome. The big flaw on it is that the information on training frequency and volume of training seem to be from a bygone era: anyone trainig this much (specially natural trainees) are in for an overtrainig nightmare. Bottom line: buy it for recreational and inspirational purposes, and buy a good book (such as Charles Poliquin's, Steven Fleck's, etc.)for designing workouts.
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