The Work Horse that is William Shatner and His Autobiography "Up Till Now"

Over the summer I had some time to sit and enjoy a good book. Beginning in Grad school doesn't often lend me such time as free reading so when the opportunity presented itself I took full advantage. I knocked down five good reads but my favorite one was an autobiography by William Shatner titled "Up Till Now."

This book spans his entire career from his youth to his recent hit show BostonLegal. He also gives insights into his family life and friendships. The book a good mix of emotions especially humor. There is a very funny moment, one of many, in the beginning of the book where he is talking about his mother and the way she introduced herself to people, "Hi, I'm William Shatner's mother." One time on a plane a stewardess told him how they had his mother one time on the plane.

The book can be split into two sections: before Star Trek and after Star Trek. And if there is one phrase in which to describe Mr. Shatner I'd have to say he's a work horse, and that's not because he owns a horse farm in Kentucky. I'm probably one of the millions that have come to know him from his work with the hit series StarTrek. Although Star Trek being a big part of what made him recognizable figure, even in the depths or darkness on the U.S/Mexico border and leap into stardom, it is not overwhelming present in his autobiography. This gives us a greater look at his other works as there is so much more to learn of his fascinating career and his quest to be a star.

In my own observation this book also gives us the reader of some of the pitfalls of being a celebrity although he does not complain about it once as some celebrities have been known to do. He tells us stories of waiting by the phone for the next job offer in order to provide for his family. One woman he dated leaked where they will be to the paparazzi in hopes of helping her own career. The struggles of being married to another actor and the tensions that brings to a marriage when one career is soaring while the other is stagnate. Then there is the invasion of privacy in the face of tragedy. My heart ached when I read of his pain when he had to relive the night of his third wife's suicide when they released the 911 tape and how he had to live through the ridiculousness of rumors that he killed his wife.

What I admire most about Mr. Shatner is his desire to try new things. He says himself that he almost never turns down an opportunity because you don't know what adventure you will miss out on. That is why I recommend this book because it is an adventure you will miss if you don't.