Shatner Rules: Your Guide to Understanding the Shatnerverse and the World at Large [Hardcover]

William Shatner (Author), Chris Regan (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 4, 2011

You love William Shatner.

You admire his many and varied talents.

You appreciate his creativity and willingness to take risks.

You want to learn his master negotiation techniques.

You wish you could hang out with him.

Admit it. You want to BE William Shatner.

And now...you can (almost).

This collection of rules, illustrated with stories from Bill's illustrious life and career, will show you how Bill became WILLIAM SHATNER, larger than life and bigger than any role he ever played. Shatner Rules is your guide to becoming William Shatner. Or more accurately, beautifully Shatneresque.

Because let's face it...Shatner does rule, doesn't he?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Shatner Rules:

“This book is an utter delight. It is, literally, laugh-out-loud funny. The stories are full of twists that are at times surreal—like having Henry Rollins and Rush Limbaugh together at a football party in Bill’s house. Shatner Rules is a light, clever, witty book that is all about enjoying life from the perspective of a now eighty-year-old man with fascinating stories to tell… this is a great read.”—Portland Book Review

“The galaxy's most famous starship captain offers a mostly tongue-in-cheek guide to his rules for living, complete with anecdotes and life lessons. Eighty years old and still going strong with multiple TV shows, films, books and appearances…Shatner's lust for life shines through… Whatever the situation--be it an awkward dinner with Charlton Heston or a fight to the death with a wild boar—Shatner applies his rules as only he can…[his] fans will relish the opportunity to learn from the master.”—Kirkus Reviews

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

William Shatner has cultivated a career spanning over fifty years as an award-winning actor, director, producer, writer, recording artist, and horseman. He is one of Hollywood's most recognizable figures and a major philanthropist. In 1966, Shatner originated the role of Captain James T. Kirk in the television series Star Trek. The series spawned a feature film franchise where Shatner returned as Captain Kirk in seven of the Star Trek movies, one of which he directed. Shatner played the title role in the hit television series T.J. Hooker and won several Emmys and his first Golden Globe for his role on The Practice and Boston Legal. Shatner's Raw Nerve, currently airing on Bio, is his edgy celebrity interview series. Most recently, he was the star of the CBS sitcom $#*! My Dad Says, a sitcom based on a Twitter feed of the same name. Shatner has authored nearly thirty fiction and nonfiction titles, including his autobiography, Up Til Now, which was a New York Times bestseller. An avid horse rider and breeder, he has won numerous world championships in several equine events. His passions for horses and philanthropy were united when he started the Hollywood Charity Horse Show in 1990. The annual event benefits Los Angeles-based children's charities.

Chris Regan is a five-time Emmy Award-winning comedy writer who has written for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Lopez Tonight. He was one of the contributors to the Daily Show's bestselling America (The Book) and is the author of Mass Historia: 365 Days of Historical Facts and (Mostly) Fictions. 

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525952519
• ISBN-13: 978-0525952510
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.2 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #503,187 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and Hilarious! October 6, 2011

By Old T.B.

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Shatner Rules, the latest book by William Shatner, is loaded with anecdotes about his life and work. There are humorous "rules" to how he lives his life interspersed throughout. The book is a fantastic read, never boring or plodding. Shatner displays an affable personality, a man able to make fun of himself and his over-the-top, egomaniacal image. His jabs at himself, former co-stars, and Facebook are all fun and worth reading.

Amidst all the humor, though, is a truly inspired message: say yes. Shatner says 'yes' to life, its challenges and opportunities. Sometimes this has made him appear foolish. But, it has also made him a successful and much beloved character on our landscape.

Ignore the serious self-help stuff out there. Pick up Shatner Rules, have a great laugh, and learn some important lessons.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I Laughed Out Loud October 11, 2011

By Kathy E. Gill

Format:Hardcover

I love Star Trek, in all its iterations (I petitioned for it to be resurrected back in the day), but I have never read a book about it or by a cast member. I've never even thought about buying a book from William Shatner. But I saw this, it spoke to me, and I bought it ... and am glad I did.

I laughed out loud from start-to-finish. Let me hasten to say that this isn't laughter for laughter's sake. There are sobering places, but in the main it is a celebration of life. Highly recommended, assuming you know enough about Star Trek to get some of the jokes. On the other hand, I've never watched Boston Legal and I got those jokes, so maybe you don't need too much backstory. :-)

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars great read! October 6, 2011

By Johhny Guitar

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

great read! love shatner and all his creative endeavors. what an amazing man. very open and honest. he truly can have a laugh at life and himself.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Bill Shatner really does rule, you know. October 29, 2011

By Jan Chilton

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a big fan of William Shatner, it is probably hard for me NOT to like anything the man does, but this book tickled me the most of anything he's ever done. The night I got it in the mail, I went to a restaurant by myself to start reading it. I'm sure the wait staff and other patrons thought I was a nut, because on the second page I literally chortled out loud, and probably smiled and giggled for the entire time I was eating and reading.

First, although it's not too much of a quickie-read as to disappoint, it's an easy read, and a fun one. Shatner regales us with his stories of the things he's done and learned over the last 60 years (He turned 80 this year) and drops the cutest one-liners all through his tales. The tone of the book is his humorous opinion of his reputation for having a huge ego. He makes fun of his ego, his reputation, and all those (his Star Trek co-stars) who still carry a 40 year grudge over the series that made them all famous. With easy-going quips and sheer bafflement over it all, he lets the reader in on the joke, with wonderful hilarity. At the same time, he really does give some rules for having a happy life, and lets us see a few of his disappointments and the appreciation he feels for all he's been given. May he live to be a hundred, and continue to keep his legend going for the next generation.

I can't recommend the book enough for any fan of William Shatner, Star Trek, or Boston Legal. You won't want to put it down once you read the first page.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Funny October 16, 2011

By D. Keener

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Shatner and co-author Chris Regan have written a very funny book. The material is fresh, covering some of Shatner's stranger choices (the movie in Esperanto, for example), his "singing," and his recent TV work, including the Comedy Central roast. But there are still plenty of Star Trek jokes and stories for those of us who will never get enough. With Bill turning 80, there is even a kind of wisdom to it. Say "yes," to Shatner Rules.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Fun! October 25, 2011

By Erik B.

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a very enjoyable book about a man I've been a fan of since I was eight. William Shatner, with co-author Chris Regan, presents a hilarious yet sometimes poignant take on the principles of living he has followed and follows to become and be The Shatner we all know and love.

There are autobiographical passages illustrating each of the rules, such as "Stay Hydrated," inspired by a coughing fit while performing in a 1961 Broadway play with Julie Harris and Walter Matthau, and my favorite, "Say Yes," which offers a behind the scenes look at the 2006 "Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner." There are many such passages about events in his life and career I was already familiar with, but each delivers new details I wasn't aware of. The rule of saying yes is returned to throughout the book, and its positive sentiment about the unexpected benefits to be found in things to which you might otherwise say no powerfully resonated with me.

Star Trek fans- about the feuds with co-stars of The Original Series accusing him of line and limelight stealing, he points out the fact that "...the stars of shows and films get more lines, more close-ups, and a slightly larger dressing room." And to everyone who yells "Beam me up Scotty" to him when they see him in public, he suggests alternatives from his non-Trek work ("Hey, Dad? Say some bleep!").

There's a lot more to enjoy in this book. The whimsical tone is punctuated by some serious and moving junctures about the accidental death of his wife, a beautifully intense fan encounter in New Zealand, and more.

I devoured "Shatner Rules" in just a few sittings. The only fault I could find was that its two hundred and fifty page length was too brief. I would have loved a thousand more.