Live Long and... What I Might Have Learned Along the Way

Shatner, with the assistance of Fisher (coauthor of Shatner’s previous memoirs), opens this frank and witty memoir by admitting, “I have lived a fortunate life.” Shatner, known for his portrayal of Captain Kirk on TV’s Star Trek (and later in the Star Trek films), grew up in Montreal and is candid about his loneliness as a child. He lived at home until he graduated from McGill University, and his relationship with his mother was complex (he asked his mother whom she loved most, and she answered, “Daddy, because he gives me things”). Shatner lauds the courage of his friend Christopher Reeve after Reeve broke his neck in a horse-riding accident, and laments the loss of close friend Leonard Nimoy, “who understood addiction, who knew all about alcoholism and warned me it was more powerful than I possibly could understand.” Shatner delivers sage advice on romance, wealth (“Live within your means... try to stay out of debt”), and his prolific career, and his honesty will resonate with readers (he was so broke at one point that “when Star Trek was canceled, I was Captain Kirk, though I couldn’t cash a $15 check”). At 87, Shatner movingly reflects on his long life as a gifted, troubled, hard-working entertainer.[em] (Sept.) [/em]