Get a Life!

It took the death of James T. Kirk in Star Trek Generations for William Shatner to finally become -- oh no! -- a TREKKIE! In this candid and hilariously self-depreciating book, Shatner admits that, for all those years as a cast member, he had been totally clueless about what Trek fandom was all about. To find out, he dons a really tacky rubber alien mask in order to mingle anonymously with the crowd. (The book has photos of him wearing it -- I wonder how many fans will see them and think, "Oh no! I was standing right next to Bill and never even got his autograph!") When the undercover experiment is over, he has a new respect for what happens at a Trek convention. And when he asks the fans what to call the book, they suggest, "Get a Life!" So he did. One of the funniest parts of the book is in the first chapter, where he describes going to a typical speaking engagement, from panic on the plane (this ex-starship captain hates flying!) to being met at the airport by an enthusiastic fan who invaribly can't find the car, then being driven at top speed to the convention, where he is smuggled in the back door past the smelly garbage dumpsters, through the hotel kitchen, then along the "secret" passageways used by the cleaning staff, to emerge backstage -- all choregraphed by security teams using codes like "The Eagle has landed" to try to keep his exact arrival time a secret from the crowd. Whew! No wonder he had to put on a mask to enter the real Trek universe! I, for one, am glad he did, because this is a very entertaining book.

I read this book and find it to be a very good book. I loved the pokes at Nimoy and found the story about the elephant to be equaly funny!

Wow! I sat down at a local bookstore waiting for my wife with "Get A Life" in my hands thinking I'd read a few pages to pass the time. 5 chapters later, my wife was waiting for me--I had to buy it and read the rest at home. This book makes me laugh out loud (aforementioned wife thinks I'm nuts). I'm happy to see that Mr. Shatner enjoys the love, affection, and Star Trek subculture which he had a hand in creating. His self-deprecating humor is funny and refreshing, his insights (and those he interviews) are heart-warming and dead-on. Kudos to Mr. Shatner!!!!! This book should be interesting to even "casual" Star Trek fans.

This book was a GREAT read for those of us who don't get to conventions and see the other trekkies out there in the world. Also great for the convention go-ers too. The stories and the interviews with the other actors about their star-meets-fan adventures is a treat. The book talks about the start of the convention craze and where it is now. Shatner is funny throughout the book with behind the scene tales and will be very serious about some things also. One serious moment is an interview with a young lady that has multiple personalities, but used Star Trek to cope. Three of the personalities are Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. She was abused as a child and grew up on Star Trek. Its a wonderful story that relates to all people about courage and the influence Star Trek has to help people cope with tough times, to meet new friends, and look to a peaceful future. I recommend this book to all trekkies. Is a tribute to the fans of the shows. I also recommend it to people who don't understand the reasons why people love Star Trek. Get it and enjoy.

At first, I thought three books on Star Trek from Mr. Shatner was a bit too much, considering the borderline disdain he's shown for the subject at times in the past two decades. However, this is an absolutely delightful book in which Shatner explains his previous attitude towards the series and its fans, and comes to a new and deeper understanding of the most unique fan base ever created around a television show. By turns it's funny and serious and very touching. Well worth any fan's interest.