Shatner Rules

Shatner Rules is a book, consisting of a set of autobiographical memoirs of William Shatner. Written in the form of a guide, it helps the reader understand his universe and the world in which he lives. It contains rules he made, based on the experiences he had in his life. This is a top class book written by a top class person. It is engaging and captivating from the first page and ideal for anyone who wants to know who the man behind the name is. In this book, he demonstrates wonderful wit and humour, and anyone who is familiar with his personality will instantly like reading this book. The style of writing was clear, and it sounds just like him throughout the book, therefore it was a pleasure to read it. This book was co-authored by Chris Regan, a five-time Emmy Award winner, and he has captured the true essence of William Shatner.

I bought this book at the airport to take the boredom away from a 3-hour flight and I have to say that once I started reading it I could not put it down. I managed to read the whole book and write this review article during the flight. As a professional, I can instantly identify the immense preparation and discipline he brought to his acting roles. He is quite easily one of the best actors of the 20th century. He has an impressive worldwide following on all the social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

I have seen almost all of his acting work since the 80s and I wanted to know more about him. I am glad to say that this book manages to capture much of the man behind the screen roles. I liked the humour throughout the book, which he manages to blend with the serious parts of his life with great skill. As a Brit, I am not sure whether this is an American trait or a Jewish one, but another brilliant actor whose autobiography I have read Gene Wilder - Kiss Me Like A Stranger, also has this amazing ability in his writing.

I am not sure whether this book is an autobiography in the strictest sense or perhaps a memoir. However, if it is an autobiography, then it is one of the best and unique ones I have read in a while because he is very open and forthright about some of the events that occurred in his life. Just like most fans, I thought I knew everything about him but after reading this book, I learned that there was a lot about his life that I did not know. Consequently, this book was a revelation and anyone reading it will most probably end up liking him even more with an increased respect.

If you are an actor or someone who wants to become one then you must read page 66, because he offers some great insights into what is required of one in this profession. He is totally correct in pointing out that in Hollywood there are thousands of actors, however the directors consistently wrote his name on the checks and not someone else's. It does require a remarkable skill to make it in Hollywood, and Mr Shatner has that skill. He still has that box-office pull, and any film in which he stars is usually an instant hit.

In this book, he includes much of his off-screen relationships with fellow actors. My interest was in the sheer brilliance of the man, and what he has that enables him to be so good in his job? Why does he succeed where so many others fail? When I read autobiographies my interest generally tends to be in the area of profiling excellence, and this book provided me with many answers.

In this book, he mentions some fantastic stories of meeting great Hollywood legends. I found them both interesting and humorous. I particularly liked page 118 where he describes having dinner in Germany with Charlton Heston, which made me laugh. I of course remember Mr Heston, and in Croydon; we call him Mr 'Planet of the Apes' which was one of his finest acting works that really impressed us Brits. He is legendary, and as big as they come in Hollywood.

This book has a small section devoted to answering common questions asked by fans. My only one question would be whether he could really ride a horse. I remember seeing him in Generations and there is this wonderful scene of him riding a lovely horse. It is a beautifully captured screen angle where he manoeuvres the horse to move sideways, which was impressive and demonstrated great riding skills. There was no doubt that he controlled the horse, because it was a single take. When you read the book you will find out that he is a multi-talented person who can also ride a horse. I am embarrassed to write that whilst I can fly a plane, ride a motorbike, and drive a car, I have never been near a horse in my life. Nevertheless, that scene was inspirational... This is a great book that is highly recommended, and available from all good online bookshops.

Specification