Live Long and...What I Learned Along the Way, by William Shatner with David Fisher

William Shatner is a national treasure.


 As I closed this book, I looked back upon what I had just read and realized that I have an unexplainable, unreasonable love for William Shatner. He is one of my all-time favorite celebrities, and probably one of two people that I'm not related to whose death, whenever it happens, will probably hit me hard. (The other is Stan Lee....) Yeah, I've heard stories and read books by other STAR TREK alums, I know how self-centered and difficult he is supposed to be, how people who worked with him back then felt that he held them back....But, I ask you, how could you possibly sit through a William Shatner interview, or see him on his "Reality" show , BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, and not fall in love with this guy? He's funny, charming, self-deprecating, and seems to have a true wisdom about him. I freakin' love this man!

His latest book is packed with stories and anecdotes from his nearly nine decades on this Earth, and, while I take celebrity self-help books with a grain of salt, Shatner seems to be onto something here. He's not doling out advice...In fact, he states repeatedly that you should NOT follow his advice, but perhaps try to adapt some of his philosophies to fit you own life. And his philosophies are simple: Appreciate every day, live your life to the fullest, stay active, stay healthy, don't retire and stagnate...DO something with yourself, whatever it may be, just stay active in mind and body. These are platitudes that I can get behind. And while I'll never be comfortable doing some of the things that Shatner has done, and continues to do, his opinion that you should try saying yes to things that make you uncomfortable is one that I'm going to try to adopt.

Along with all of the sage wisdom, we get stories from his life and career, and I was surprised by just how raw some of these reminisces get....not in a tell-all, shocking way, but he shares some memories from his childhood and early relationships that are almost heartbreaking, and provide a lot of insight into his life when stacked against some of the things that his co-stars have accused him of. His honesty was refreshing, and appreciated.

I, for one, am glad that William Shatner is still with us, and has decided to share his experiences with us. Live long and prosper, sir!

St. Martin's Press provided a review copy.