Rating: 
Summary: Olive branch to Trek fans becomes a love letter
Review: "Trust me, I know exactly how lucky I am... there's not a day that goes by where I don't look up into the heavens and say, 'Thank you.'"Are these the words of an egomaniac? Not quite: it's a quote from William Shatner's mea culpa, "Get a Life!" In the past, Shatner was undoubtedly an arrogant S.O.B., hogging screen time from his costars and telling Trekkers to "get a life" in a "Saturday Night Live" skit (hence the title). But in the last few years, Shatner has realized the parody of himself he's become, and decided he was the one who needed to "get a life." This book chronicles Shatner's efforts to learn more about Trek fans (and himself), often with riotous results. "Get a Life!" makes great casual reading, due to its segmented formatting and conversational tone. After a fairly lengthy history of Star Trek conventions (undoubtedly written by co-author Chris Kreski, but skillfully integrated with Shatner's first-person narrative), the book segues into a series of anecdotes, interviews, and sidebars. It's alternately fun (Shatner's encounters with an elephant and a skunk will make you laugh out loud), informative (the section on autograph forgery should be required reading not only for Trekkers, but any autograph collector), and even moving (particularly the interviews with the "Cat Man" and the anonymous fan with multiple personalities). Shatner even tackles the topic of his own idiosyncratic acting style, interrogating actor Kevin Pollak on how to perform the perfect Kirk impersonation. "Get a Life!" completes the process of self-discovery begun in Shatner and Kreski's previous collaborations ("Star Trek Memories" and "Star Trek Movie Memories"). This one tops them both in terms of candor and entertainment value, and should win over all but the most recalcitrant Kirk-haters.
Rating:
Summary: CAPTAIN KIRK WINS AGAIN
Review: As a Star Trek outsider, I purchased this book from my local library with the hope I would shortly become more knowledgeable of the Star Trek phenomenon and all its eccentric characters. I was horribly wrong. The few chapters that actually confront the ST convention aspect are almost literally copied and pasted onto multiple pages. In regular exposés, the investigator will lead up to a climax, building suspense for his audience, then deliver the "Big Secret" that will wow his readers and make them philosophize and think deeply until the final pages. No such luck with "Get A Life." Shatner is quick to punch out his reasonings behind the conventions, and then proceeds to play his broken record until page 321, where the message is summarized and repeated again. Throughout the novel are present roughly a dozen sidebars, each recounting an interview (distinct within Shatner's mind, but repetitive within any other normal person's). The interviews combine with the chapters upon chapters of other recited interviews to bore the reader to an early grave. However, look at the cover of this book and you will see the "subjects" of Shatner's novel, the Trekkies, in the background... in black and white. Who is that figure in the forefront, full-color? None other than William Shatner/Capt. James T. Kirk himself, and thus the true topic of discussion is revealed. In the novel, Shatner confesses to inject his convention speeches with unrelated jokes about his own private life to serve as filler to his presentations. He then writes a dozen chapters recalling these exact same "hilarious" stories, and thus makes filler for a book that could have otherwise been printed in 20 pages. If the reader purchases a book on Star Trek, the subject should be Star Trek, not Shatner's "knee-slapping" African safari (which you will encounter). Shatner confesses to being cocky at times, but this is also the way he writes, interjecting his tales with self-praise concerning everything from journalism skills, to interviews, to his humble nature (ironically enough). When, at any time, a reader can look at a paragraph and see the words, "I", "me", or "my" present in any number higher than five, you should know that the novel is less about the "subject" and more about the author. "Get A Life," is not the Star Trek explanation I had hoped for. This book will please the many William Shatner fans throughout the world, but very few else. To discover the real secrets of Star Trek, look for a more credible source.
Rating: 
Summary: Funny--no, hilarious!
Review: I have laughed until I have cried with this book. Shatner's master storytelling shines in this book with his killer anecdotes. I can't wait to read his Memories!
Rating:
Summary: Get A Life, You People!!!
Review: If cannot yell "Beam me up, Scotty!" when you just had enough, if you cannot flip your cell phone - no, I mean - communicator like Capt'n Kirk, if you cannot say "Success!" in Klingon, if you cannot say "Engage!" when you hit the gas paddle of your car, or you have never asked your pilot how fast the warp drive is, and if you cannot growl like a true Klingon, but you get a giggle attack when you see someone with a Starfleet Uniform, and think all Trekkies are nerds and need to Get A Life!, you shouldn't read the book because it won't change your perception. Thank you Mr. Shatner!
Rating:
Summary: The funniest audio book I have ever listened to . . .
Review: It is a shame that William Shatner has never released a stand-up comedy album, or even an album of one of his "Star Trek Convention" talks, but the audio version of his book "Get A Life", comes close to what Shatner might be like live on stage. While the book is supposed to be more about the history of the "Star Trek Convention", most of the audio book goes over actual questions that Star Trek fans have asked him over the years. I have always liked William Shatner's arsine personality, and it really shines through during his reading of this book. For example when he explains his fear of flying, there is a part (like a good stand-up comedian) where Shatner talks about the old and young "peacefully sipping soda through plastic straws" while on the airplane and then states that people like that "makes (him) sick . . . and I like to punch those people in the head". Other stories like his encounters with a skunk and a wild African Elephant are also very funny, and if not true - at least the true are of a stand-up comic. Although Shatner would want us to consider this serious reading, but it is still worth the money if you can find a copy of it.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting inside look at Shatner's world...
Review: Like the two other volumes before it ("Star Trek Memories" and "Star Trek Movie Memories"), the third installment in the Shatner Chronicles is informing, intriguing, and funny. Shatner and co-author Chris Kreski have painted a picture that may or may not truly reflect Shatner's views or life events, but is entertaining nevertheless. However, I did think it interesting that Shatner seemed open to teasing himself about his ego, his hamminess, his lack of technical abilities, and his reported stubborn arrogance. The history of Trek conventions is very well told, and is an insightful look into the early days of Trek fandom, and what motivated fans to go to a convention in the days before corporate marketeering took control of such fan gatherings. Also recounted is the true, behind-the-scenes tale of the famous letter-writing campaign that saved Trek from cancellation after its second season, as well as the story behind the infamous skit on "Saturday Night Live" from which the book takes its title. Shatner tells several funny tales that (suppossedly) really happened in his life, that remind one of a humorous disaster in which Kirk deadpans a "Why me?" through the hilariaous moment before the commercial break (such as being buried in tribbles). In one such story, Shatner tells the tale of being on a Greek isle, miles away from civilization, and seeing a Trek slogan scratched on a ruined Greek edifice: "Star Trek Lives!" True or not, the humor is fun. Shatner comes off as a good guy and a straight shooter, which is no big surprise (it is, after all, his book, written from his point of view). Still, one telling moment has to be when Shatner discusses how fans are being duped by unscrupulous dealers who trade in fake autographs. Shatner and his interviewees rail against the practice, and rightfully so. However, I felt there was more than altuism behind the actor's outrage. Little mentioned is the fact that Shatner takes a cut from the "official" autograph salesmen. I also had to wonder why De Kelley was not interviewed for the book, or even mentioned all that much. Nimoy, Takei, and even the actors on other Treks have a say here about conventions or just fans in general, but not Kelley. He passed about the time the book was released, and even so, his perspective as the third corner of the "triad" of Kirk, Spock and McCoy was sorely missed. If he could not give a direct interview, surely Shatner could have at least recounted a tale of Kelley's reaction to a Trek convention or the fans. Reportedly, Kelley spoke with Nimoy on the phone a while before his death, and the topic of Trek's popularity was something they discussed (De summed it up as, "Y'know? We were good!"). Yet, Kelley is not featured in the book at all. In any case, the book is a fun read for the history aspect alone, and some of the interviews are interesting as well. Trek fans will appreciate the effort, and hearing about some of the most common questions fans have, why they dress up as Trek characters and aliens, and other revelations about Shatner's encounters with Trek fandom on the convention circuit.
Rating:
Summary: A light-hearted look at the history of ST conventions
Review: Some long-time fans seem to have a problem with William Shatner writing (with assistance from Chris Kreski) about Star Trek. As he has readily admitted in some of his other books (STAR TREK MEMORIES and STAR TREK MOVIE MEMORIES), he did have a period in his career where he distanced himself from the phenomenon. Because of this, there are times in his writing -- and even in this new book -- where it is obvious that Mr. Shatner shows a lack of interest in the background on ST or science fiction in general that would not please a segment of fans. Saying that, however, Mr. Shatner does bring an "outsider's view" to his work that makes it more refreshing than someone who has been in the fandom for far too many years. Very funny and refreshing; but don't be surprised if you've heard some of the stories before. I would have preferred less interviews and more insight from Mr. Shatner himself as well. Still, couldn't someone have told Mr. Shatner that the B5 star he was bugging at the convention was not Tracy Scoggins but Claudia Christian? Yikes! No wonder she ignored him.
Rating:
Summary: "This really is William Shatner, and I stink!"
Review: The man who popularized the phrase, "Get a life!" writes a book to deal the dirt on those people for whom the expression most applies. It sounds like a wacky idea, but it actually turned out quite well. William Shatner and his co-author Chris Kreski have a pleasant, enjoyable, breezy prose style and what they're talking about it actually interesting. There's an entire strange sub-culture that goes on in science fiction fandom and it's fascinating to get a peek at it. Unfortunately, since this comes from William Shatner, it's not going to get at the darker side (through no fault of the author), but for what it is, it succeeds.
First of all, I should state that while I'm a fan of (a few of) the Star Trek series, I'm not terribly big into fandom. So while I'm certainly not ignorant of the vocabulary, I was a bit fuzzy on the details. But once the stories and the backstage secrets are revealed, well, it turns out there aren't that many big surprises. Shatner may have been astonished to learn that fans were as interested in hanging out with each as with the "stars", but it shouldn't come as a shock to most other people.
The book is more a journey of exploration than a straightforward journalistic look at fandom. The journey belongs to William Shatner. Apparently at one time he was famous among fan-circles for arriving shortly before his appearances, saying a few quick words and then counting his money on the next flight out of town. But after his character was killed off in one of the Star Trek movies, he decided to take a closer look at what went on at the convention scene.
GET A LIFE! begins with a potted history of organized Star Trek fandom. Given that Shatner freely admits to have had nothing at all to do with that, I can only assume that this portion of the book was researched by either Shatner or Kreski. Although the progression isn't exactly unexpected, I enjoyed reading about how it came about.
The book then moves into Shatner's relationship with fandom. Moving from his aforementioned "take the money and run" approach to gradual curiosity to understanding, reading his journey is quite interesting to see how someone from outside looks in.
Now, human nature being what it is, we can gather that not everything is warm hugs and embraces within fandom. I'm no fool; a quick look around the Internet can bring up thousands of flame-wars, feuds, angry grudges, various "he said / she said" battles and, in some extreme cases, lawsuits and restraining orders between various members of fandom. The book never gets into this topic, which I found a bit of a disappointment.
The portrayal of fandom is almost overwhelmingly positive. Lip service is paid to the looniest aspects - the folks who dress in Star Trek uniforms to inappropriate venues - but for the most part, anything negative is glossed over. The reasons for this rest on the author. I imagine it must be virtually impossible for William Shatner to go to a convention and not be greeted by a venerable wall of yes-men who happily tell him that everything is running fine, everyone connected with the organization is well liked and that there's nothing bad going on at all.
Still, despite possible inaccuracies and/or omissions, I did enjoy reading this one. It's funny, amusing and quick to read. There are numerous unrelated anecdotes, but I didn't find them at all distracting. Overall, I liked reading this. It's not the deepest sociological study you'll ever read, but the look it takes at certain individual fans is especially interesting. The thought of William Shatner donning a latex match and wandering through the dealers room to do research is certainly an amusing idea.
Rating:
Summary: Shatner is sci-fi god.
Review: This book is not a vendeta against fans or fellow cast members, so if you expect him trashing star trek actors or us fans, this is not the book for you, youll want to read George Takei's book.
This is a look at the convention, its fan base and a few personal stories of no particular relevence to Star Trek added for fun. I really enjoyed Shatners honesty and how early on in his career he never interacted with his fans, and as he grew older, he started to appreciate his position and absorb the love and what star trek means to a lot of the fans. There is an example of Shatners interest to interact in the convention, when he wears a mask as a disguise and walks around talking to stall owners, fans, and no one being the wiser that its him. There are some good interviews with some die hard fans, and with Leonard Nimoy, and Takai.
It was nice to read the closeness that Shatner and Nimoy have and the practical joke they play on each other.
This is a great read, and Shatner does not put down anyone and manages to come across as a warm, gentle person, who has mellowed out as he gets older and wiser. There have been comments that Shatner was somewhat rude to his fans when interviewed by Howard Stern, but if you actually listen to it youll find him constantly sticking up to the fans by the constant onslaught from Stern. Funny interview though. Check out Howard Stern interviewing George Takei, its gold.
Rating:
Summary: No trekkie should miss this!
Review: This book summarizes what William Shatner thinks about the Star Trek phenomena. It's really a very sweet and sentimental book. Mr. Shatner tells the readers about the history of Star Trek, Star Trek fans, Star Trek conventions (what happens there?), Star Trek anecdotes and more. He also tells some stories about himself. But more than everything else in the book, he tries to analyze what makes Star Trek such a huge success, and why some fans love this series so much that they are acting crazy (for example, he tells about a guy who likes to come to Star Trek conventions with his cats. The punch line? the cats are dressed in Starfleet uniforms!!). Mr. Shatner also interviews several cast members, asking for their take on the Star Trek phenomena. (Jeri Ryan, Leonard Nimoy, and more) As a big Star Trek fan I must say I really loved this book. William Shatner is actually a talented writer, and the book is very fun to read! However, I felt as if there was too little material.. I had hoped for more personal anecdotes from Mr. Shatner's experience. Either way, this is a book no trekkie should miss, and even people who aren't very big Star Trek fans will probably like it. One last thing - I think everybody who has liked this book should also look at the "semi" documentary film "Trekkies" which is wonderful, and reminded me a lot of this book.
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