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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
This is a very strong 4.5 book in my opinion. I loved this book because I learned about Leonard Nimoy but also William Shatner. I will be honest that I read this book for Mr. Nimoy because I am a huge fan of. It wasn't until I started this book that I realized i needed to learn about Mr. Shatner in order to understand this legendary friendship and how it had affected these two men. This book surprised me by how simple yet powerful it was. I truly learned things I didn't know from this book about these two men and life. This book was definitely worth a read for any Star Trek fans or fans of these two men in general.
3.5 stars. A good read but not, strictly speaking, a biography of Leonard Nimoy so much as William Shatner's recollections of working with Nimoy and the relationship they developed over the years because of the ongoing Star Trek phenomenon. Think of it as Leonard Nimoy's life as filtered through William Shatner's eyes.
There were a lot of things I learned about what the actors had to deal with in the original series and how they worked things out. It was interesting to learn that he was an accomplished photographer and published poet. I hadn't realized that Nimoy had a serious alcoholism problem and he died from COPD as a result of long term smoking.
There were a lot of things I learned about what the actors had to deal with in the original series and how they worked things out. It was interesting to learn that he was an accomplished photographer and published poet. I hadn't realized that Nimoy had a serious alcoholism problem and he died from COPD as a result of long term smoking.
funny
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
inspiring
reflective
Interesting reading, covers the lives of both Shatner and Nimoy, but rather than focusing on their friendship seems to simply tell parallel biographies, with neither feeling complete
For Star Trek fans
This is a good book for Star Trek fans. However, if you don't like William Shatner, you'll have trouble with reading this. There is at times more Shatner in this than Nimoy.
The co-author writes in Shatner's voice and style so the book is easy to read and chatty.
This is a good book for Star Trek fans. However, if you don't like William Shatner, you'll have trouble with reading this. There is at times more Shatner in this than Nimoy.
The co-author writes in Shatner's voice and style so the book is easy to read and chatty.
Probably the most poorly written book I've ever read. It was very "stream of consciousness" and very circular, with lots of overlap and repetition, so it is surely better in audio form read by William Shatner. However, the content raised it up to a 3 rating. I am a huge Star Trek fan, especially of Spock and Leonard Nimoy himself - and I think William Shatner is funny - so I really enjoyed all of the interactions and stories with these two, as well as their backstories.
While I enjoyed learning about the Life of Leonard Nimoy (sometimes in more detail than I thought necessary), I found certain aspects of this book annoying, and it wasn’t until I had finished listening to the audiobook that I discovered what and why.
First, William Shatner has always been known as something of an egotist. This book is no exception. I can understand occasionally drawing parallels between his life and Nimoy’s for clarification, but at times I wondered whose story this really was, Shatner’s or Nimoy’s.
Second, in his depictions of past events, Shatner often gleefully describes the pranks he played on Nimoy, who took them as opportunities to outsmart and outmaneuver Shatner. I can’t relate to Shatner calling Nimoy his closest and dearest friend at the same time he describes his often childish bullying he subjected Nimoy to.
Finally, Shatner closes with the revelation that he and Nimoy were not close and didn’t speak the last 5 years of Nimoy’s life. He claims not to know why Nimoy stopped speaking to him. However, he glosses over the incident that broke their friendship, calling it “just a little thing.” Given Shatner’s reputation with the other cast members of Star Trek, it isn’t surprising that he would gloss over and fail to recognize as significant the situation that obviously broke Nimoy’s trust in him and thus ended their friendship.
Unfortunately, what started out as a heartfelt tribute to an amazing man ended up sounding like the guilt-ridden confession of an egotistical person unable to see beyond his own experience.
First, William Shatner has always been known as something of an egotist. This book is no exception. I can understand occasionally drawing parallels between his life and Nimoy’s for clarification, but at times I wondered whose story this really was, Shatner’s or Nimoy’s.
Second, in his depictions of past events, Shatner often gleefully describes the pranks he played on Nimoy, who took them as opportunities to outsmart and outmaneuver Shatner. I can’t relate to Shatner calling Nimoy his closest and dearest friend at the same time he describes his often childish bullying he subjected Nimoy to.
Finally, Shatner closes with the revelation that he and Nimoy were not close and didn’t speak the last 5 years of Nimoy’s life. He claims not to know why Nimoy stopped speaking to him. However, he glosses over the incident that broke their friendship, calling it “just a little thing.” Given Shatner’s reputation with the other cast members of Star Trek, it isn’t surprising that he would gloss over and fail to recognize as significant the situation that obviously broke Nimoy’s trust in him and thus ended their friendship.
Unfortunately, what started out as a heartfelt tribute to an amazing man ended up sounding like the guilt-ridden confession of an egotistical person unable to see beyond his own experience.
There's so much to say about this book that I don't know where to start. The book leaves you feeling nostalgic and a little bit sad at the end but you also can't help but smiling. It's obvious how much William Shatner loved Leonard Nimoy in the way that he writes about him. They weren't always best friends and Shatner readily admits to being jealous of Nimoy's success in the beginning. He could have divulged further into the on-set feud rumors but the reader can see that he knows what he did wasn't the right way to behave. He could be seen as naive in a way but I think that's the charm of William Shatner. I knew so little of Nimoy before and this book was enlightening! I think the only fault is that William Shatner tends to jump around, going back and forth, and repeat himself on occasion. I still stand by my rating.