Customer Reviews

I Am Spock

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As an original Trekkie, I am always looking for additional information about the Star Trek phenomena. I am interested in more than just the shows themselves, I have an additional interest in the lives and careers of those who played the major characters. In this book, Leonard Nimoy not only discusses his role in Star Trek, but also other aspects of his professional life. Of all the major characters, he is the only one who developed a significant career in film outside of Star Trek. Yes, I am aware that William Shatner starred in a television series, but that was short-lived. Nimoy has been very active as a writer/director, being involved in the development of some very good movies.
There is very little information about Nimoy's personal life outside his career in the book. The bulk of the discussion concerns his role in the original Star Trek series, subsequent Star Trek feature films and some of his experiences behind the camera as a director. All information that I have encountered bolsters the thesis that Nimoy puts forward in the book, that he is very highly regarded as a director by the remainder of the Star Trek original cast. He also is very positive about William Shatner, and it is clear that he and Shatner are friends, despite some creative differences in the past.
Nimoy also raises a point about Shatner and Star Trek that should be taken seriously. Shatner has often been criticized for overacting in the series, Nimoy notes that it probably could not have been any other way. Jeffrey Hunter, the original captain, was more introspective, and was not well received by all test audiences. At that point in entertainment history, dynamic heroes were a necessity in all action venues.
Leonard Nimoy is a very literate man who tells a different side of the Star Trek phenomena. There is no scandal, no personal pique, just a statement of what happened and how much he enjoys having been a part of an ongoing entertainment phenomena.

Leonard Nimoy is best know as the actor that portrays Spock in the Star Trek universe. Those that follow films also know him as the director of Three Men and a Baby and The Good Mother, not to mention a couple of the ST films. This interesting biography includes a healthy dose of Spock, as indicated by the title, along with some divergences into his other acting roles and his directorial work. The time frame is from approximately the beginning of the original series to the end of his appearance in the Star Trek: the Next Generation episode entitled "Unification", where Spock appeared alongside the Enterprise D crew. As such, it is certainly a complete record of his work in the Trek universe (so far!).

It is a personal autobiography, in that discussions always centre on Nimoy himself. This is a contrast to the Shatner "Star Trek Memories" books, in that Nimoy makes little attempt to explore his extended Trek family. However, we get a very candid look at Nimoy's contributions over the years, including the conflicts on the set (between the actors themselves and between the actors and the directors, writers, etc.). It is a thoughtful book, analysing the phenomenon of Trek and mulling over his place in it. His schizophrenic relationship with the Vulcan he portrays is especially highlighted (including updated versions of his dialogues, similar to those in the earlier I Am Not Spock).

My only disappointment is that he spends little time on his early life and on his family life. We only hear about his parents when he discusses their passing on. He talks about working with his son on a TV show, but barely mentions his children previous to that. This is not a problem overall (presumably he means to protect his family from the publicity), just a small disappointment. Otherwise, it's highly recommended - a thoughtful and thoroughly enjoyable look into the mind Leonard Nimoy.

(...)

A "fascinating," Vulcan-like observation of a human and his Vulcan alter ego. Unlike many autobiographies, this one eschews tattletales, in favor of a relatively objective look at a remarkable career.

The most interesting part is the inner dialogue between Nimoy and Spock, particularly after Spock's "reincarnation" (see Star Trek III: The Search for Spock).

This one's a keeper.

Star Trek fans will love this book, and non-fans should like it as well. Many celebrity bio's are so Narcissistic you can't finish. Although there was some ego present here it was not overbearing. The first chapter was slow, but it picked up after that. The conversations between Spock and Nimoy are worth the price even to a modest fan of the original series. There were moments when you felt like you were on the set with him. Which made me feel like going back and re-reading all of the Star Trek novels. He also was kind to others in his industry who at times were rather nasty to him. I feel he is an underated actor. His two seasons on Mission Impossible and his episode on Columbo are worth viewing. I give it four stars.

This is not an autobiography for the person who wants the details of Nimoy's childhood or family life, he focuses almost exclusively on his work. That said, this is a witty, well written work that keeps you chuckling while revealing alot of his character. The conversations between Nimoy and Spock by themselves make it worth the buy. A must for any Star Trek fan.

A solid, well crafted work from a very surprising source. When one thinks "Leonard Nimoy" writer is NOT the first thing that comes to mind. However, after finishing this work it is difficult to discount the man's obvious talent. While the work is written in a sort of grandfatherly air, with fondness at youth past, there still remains grains of truth which embed themselves thoroughly in the psyche. It is a revelatory work concerning the creative process/struggle of an actor. It is at once very amusing and honest and is thouroughly infused with a sense of diginity one would not expect from a hollywood veteran.
The dialogues betweent the author and his ubiquitous character are in a word excellent. Nimoy manages to say so much through those short exchanges. It is definitely a must have for any serious star trek fan.

This is exactly what a Star Trek fan needs to fill the void left by the cancellation of this show. Nimoy's book is intelligent and full of insight. It was particularly interesting to understand how the character Spock evolved over time and how Leonard Nimoy, the actor, worked to perfect the Spock we know and love. Unfortunately, it does make you hungry for more, more, more Trek! 79 episodes and a handful of motion pictures is not enough! I stayed up all night reading this and immediately raced out the next day to search for his first book, "I Am Not Spock." I've even started reading Star Trek novels, as well as the autobiographies of other actors on Star Trek, just to satisfy my new Spock addiction. It was also gratifying to learn that Leonard Nimoy had a good track record outside of Star Trek, in plays as well as film. This background history, added to his insightful descriptions of the concept behind Star Trek and his subsequent successes as a director, makes one feel that Star Trek fandom is the choice of intelligent beings. I read this and felt flattered that I'd had the good sense to love Star Trek in spite of abuse from non-Trekkers. Nimoy is a great actor, on or off of Star Trek. And his kind-but-truthful treatment of William Shatner and Gene Roddenberry, both of whom he could have eviscerated, tells you that he is a good man and a loyal friend as well. Great book, well worth reading!

Leonard Nimoy's Star Trek tales are gentler, more forgiving versions of the stories told by William Shatner in the Shatner "Memories" books.

"I Am Spock" is an entertainging piece, perhaps a bit 'jumpy' in places, flashing forward and backward between Star Trek events and Nimoy's other works, and repeats much of the tales in his earlier book - but it was difficult for me to find much fault with this volume.

What I did find interesting was that, while Mr. Shatner's stories often show Mr. Nimoy as a tough businessman, with the "f"-word peppering his direct quotes, the Mr. Nimoy in "I Am Spock" seems more reserved and gentlemanly. Which is the truer? No matter. Mr. Nimoy's modesty shines softly throughout this book. He's obviously very (multi) talented in all facets of his art, and it's a pity the original Star Trek series didn't extend him the opportunity to direct, or create, or produce as he did in later years - then the Enterprise would have definitely fulfilled its 5-year mission, rather than only 3.

Bottom Line: A good read, especially for the Star Trek / Nimoy / Spock fan - but don't expect anything intringing, new, or shocking. This is the grandfatherly Nimoy talking, and his memories all seem to be fond ones.

When I picked up this book I was like ah well might as well read it. The truth was with most autobiographies I lost intrest after the first chapter. When I got to the end of chapter one in this book however, I couldn't put it down.It was facinating to see what happened on the set. I have only seen one of the original Star Trek episodes, "Trouble with Tribbles," and now the top of my christmas list is the original episodes. I relize that they might seem un real compaired to other recent Star Treks but the book sparked an intest in me that I never knew was there. My friends all call me a Star Trek nut. I don't care. I even recomented the book to a friend. She read it and was instantly hooked. I think we plan to spend January watching Star Trek and reading "I Am Not Spock," and the book by William Shatner," Memories." This book is a book to read for any fan of space history.

A puzzle that must inevitably contain William Shatners "Memories" books, as well. Reading both accounts, one can begin to see at least a good portion of the whole.
Nimoy's accounting is a good one, but definitely a very personal one. It is all from his own perspective, and this is solidified with rare use of others' quotations, and his rather delightful internal dialogues with the character of Spock. It tells not only of his time working on Star Trek's various projects, but his other loves, such as the theater, photography, and his career as a director.
Nimoy also seems to pull his punches more often than not. There is more than a little industry back-patting and mild shmoozing contained therein. Though he outlines a few of the problems he had with Gene Roddenberry and goes so far as to say "our personal relationship had deteriorated", he always falls short of actually condemning the man for his behavior on any matter, even some rather stressful, deceitful, and just plain cruel things he did.
But even though I'm a Star Trek fan, I was just as fascinated with the other parts of this work that don't really have that much to do with Star Trek... even if they're ABOUT Star Trek. More than being about Star Trek, this is also about the games that studios and those in the industry play. (Such as Nimoy and Shatner's own salary negotiation ruse.)
I have also found that some of what is laid out here can be used as invaluable tools for writing. Some of the concepts Nimoy lays out lead to thought and, though on the surface the application to writing isn't always obvious, I'd definitely suggest this as a multiple-read for any aspiring author.
This work also contains an important insight to other accounts released by connected actors such as Nichelle Nichols. She and Walter Koenig, among other Original Series castmembers, have cast rather damning disparagements towards William Shatner. However, the Shatner portrayed here is no slobbering ogre or spotlight thief, but what seems to be a very realistic showing of who he is... not without flaw, but certainly not a bad person. At one point, Nimoy notes that when his (Nimoy's) father died, Shatner attended the funeral, which touched Nimoy greatly. There is no mention of Nichols, Koenig, Doohan, or any of the others who have called Shatner selfish and arrogant attending this funeral, or aiding Nimoy in any other significant way. (There is mention of Nichols at one point being found late at night in Roddenberry's office wearing nothing but a sweatshirt, but Nimoy tries to allow the reader to assume that this might have simply been a prank.)
In all, this book isn't wholly about Star Trek, but rather about the effects of Star Trek on Nimoy's life, and it's a very, very worthwhile read.