Shatner Rules

Your Key to Understanding the Shatnerverse and the World at Large

By: William Shatner, Chris Regan

Narrated by: William Shatner

Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

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?

©2011 William Shatner (P)2011 Penguin

I am a William Shatner fan...

Would you listen to Shatner Rules again? Why?

Yes, I would listen to it again. I enjoy Shatners humor and story telling.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

This wasn't the best of his books, but it was enjoyable. The format about his "Rules" wasn't that effective, but a cute try.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

As self effacing a William Shatner's humor and storytelling is, i was glad to hear the personal conflicts handled delicately.

Any additional comments?

If you enjoyed Boston Legal you should listen to Shatner narrate his own books. He's a treat.

Insightful, Funny, and Conscious

Where does Shatner Rules rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Tops! He's absolutely delightful, with an undercurrent throughout of compassion for humanity and a keen and understanding eye for quirky behavior.

What other book might you compare Shatner Rules to and why?

It's a pretty unique auto-biography.

What about William Shatner’s performance did you like?

He's . . . always . . . able . . . to . . . keep . . . you . . . eager . . . for the . . . next . . . word.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were some laugh out loud moments. And some parts really make you think about how people are, and how we treat each other.

Shatner Rocks

Where does Shatner Rules rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a delightful reading of William Shatner's latest tongue-in-cheek collection of rules for living life as Mr. Shatner does. It is part autobiography, part stand-up comedy and an excellent listen, especially if you were unable to catch Shatner's World on Broadway on on tour. You may still have a chance, since he is currently touring additional cities and there is a DVD in the making.

Have you listened to any of William Shatner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

If you have only heard The Transformed Man, yet you otherwise enjoy Mr. Shatner, you owe it to yourself to give this a listen. Afterwards, you may chose to give his other two albums a spin. Has Been is Shatner's song-stylings in their finest setting ever. Ben Folds and a cast of musical co-stars make this more than work listening too. It ranges from sardonic, touching, emotional, to down right funny. It is summed all up at the end with the song "Real" written for WS by Brad Paisley, and "sung" as a duet. The current Seeking Major Tom is a little bloated, but how can it miss with such gems as "Space Cowboy" (again with Paisley), "Rocket Man", and "She Blinded Me With Science". You might want to bone up on your Esperanto...

Loved it

I have already listened to it a few times and can see many more listens ahead

William Shatner DOES Rule!

Would you listen to Shatner Rules again? Why?

I have listened to this book three times already and am sure I will listen to it many more times in the future. I have shared it with family and friends and alike. The book is funny, irreverant, sweet and insightful. William Shatner speaks so easily and so freely in this book you actually feel more like a friend listening to another friend share stories rather than a reader. He doesn't hold back either. Mr. Shatner shares some real personal insights and experiences and doesn't shy away from talking about his Star Trek relationships, epiphanies and even failures.

Listening to this book is almost like having a heart to heart with one of the most successful actors on the planet. In this book he shares triumphs, life lessons and some truly funny stuff. As an actor this book holds lessons that are invaluable. As a pure straight up fan this book is simply priceless.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The standout character in this book is quite simply, William Shatner. He holds a mirror up to himself and his life and reveals to us the man, the actor, the husband, the creative mind, the grandfather. He shows himself as a real human being, flaws and all. Mr. Shatner is proud of his accomplishments, his highs and his lows and is not afraid to learn from all of it. In this book he shares his lessons and his fantastic, sardonic sense of humour and above all else: his intense gratitude for the life he lives. This man is a fighter and he makes you want to be one too.

What does William Shatner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

While Mr. Shatner is a fantastic writer, clear, concise and capable of weaving many a fantastic mental picture with his words alone hearing his actual voice is the absolute icing on the cake. I hate to admit this, I am a voice actress after all, but this is one book that absolutely NO ONE else could have read as successfully. Mr. Shatner uses both his superb writing style and his intimate

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

William Shatner in his own words, the story of a gifted man.

Any additional comments?

I bought this book because I have been a fan of Mr. Shatner's from Captain Kirk all the way to Denny Crane and beyond. I thought it would be a great laugh. I was seriously surprised by how genuinely open he was in this book and how willing he was to lay his life wide open for readers to see. Listening to this book was like having one of Oprah's Lifeclasses/Master Classes shared with me in a private session. Very refreshing. It was a pleasure and an honor and I would highly recommend this reading experience to absolutely anyone of any age.

Bill Shatner's Ego as large as his sense of humor

Everyone knows William Shatner has a HUGE ego, and when you listen to this book narrated by him you will also find out he has a terrific sense of humor, and doesn't take too many things seriously. ( Especially ex-startrek crew) For a man getting close to 90 his wit is sharp and right on. I found my self laughing out loud. I don't think you'll feel cheated listening to this, except it ends too quickly.

Feels like "Up Till Now" outtakes, but still good.

What did you love best about Shatner Rules?

Bill Shatner's enthusiastic narration.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

There wasn't really a story here to begin with.

Which scene was your favorite?

I can't think of one. This is an enjoyable and pretty humorous book, but not one that sticks with you with memorable moments.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, pretty much.

Any additional comments?

I loved and adored "Up Till Now", and when I noticed that Shatner had yet another audiobook out, I was ecstatic. His performance here is as good as his narration of "Up Till Now", but regrettably there isn't much meat to the story - or lack thereof. The book consists of short chapters recounting "Shatner Rules", which are basically humorous tips by which to live your life and succeed in it. They are extremely tongue-in-cheek, though, so there is very little actual advice here, and the stories Shatner tells seem a bit Grade B, as if they were leftover material from "Up Till Now". He also chimes a bell to mark each rule which I found repetitive and annoying.

I can only really recommend this book to Shatner fans who liked "Up Till Now" and were left wanting more. If you just want to hear Shatner tell some amusing life stories and crack a few jokes, and aren't really concerned with being riveted and clamped to the edge of your seat, it's not an unworthy purchase. Either way, I'd start with "Up Till Now" first.

Great read by a funny guy!

Where does Shatner Rules rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

If provided some light reading from among many others I have recently read. Shatner is a very funny man.

What did you like best about this story?

Learning about his life and his approach to it.

Have you listened to any of William Shatner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no

William Shatner about William Shatner

What did you like best about Shatner Rules? What did you like least?

Any self-respecting fan of Danny Crane will love the way William performs this book. I feel that the book is a bit lacking in substance and I might have found it difficult to read, although listening to the book being performed by the author is a treat.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Insights to his family and how he never took Star Trek seriously to start with I found interesting. I suppose the book didn't really grab me as much as I thought it would, I'm not disappointed I'm just not blown away.

What about William Shatner’s performance did you like?

It's all good, he's getting on now and for a man at his age (80) to be so clear in his communication and thought is really something. It's as it should be... even though his story in this book didn't really resonate with me I did want to hear it because of William Shatner's performance. Well done.

What else would you have wanted to know about William Shatner and Chris Regan ’s life?

Who the hell is Chris Regan?

Any additional comments?

Good listen, scratched an itch I had.

hilarious.

What did you love best about Shatner Rules?

shatners funny delivery and storytelling.

What did you like best about this story?

it was fun to experience what being shatner is like. it's fun and interesting.

Which character – as performed by William Shatner – was your favorite?

shatner, of course!

Any additional comments?

i didn't know what to expect when i got this book, but i was completely floored. this book was laugh out loud funny, and often insightful.