William Shatner has seemed larger than life to many fans for more than four decades now, but in Shatner Rules: Your Key to Understanding the Shatnerverse and the World at Large he offers a look at himself as a normal man. He tells of personal insights and experiences as a working actor, as a husband and even as a grandfather. The stories span the time period from Captain Kirk all the way to Denny Crane, with Shatner joking about everything from his well-known ego to the fact that he's quickly approaching 85.
Shatner is well-known for both his perfectly timed delivery and his unmistakably familiar voice, so it just wouldn't be the same if the audiobook version of Shatner Rules wasn't narrated by Shatner himself. This, in fact, makes the book seem much like listening to the stories of an old friend rather than listening to an audiobook.
Shatner is an musician, spoken word artist, writer and director, but he is best known as Captain James T. Kirk from Star Trek. Though the series only lasted three seasons, he reprised the role in seven films and has even written several novels as the character. Shatner's other film work includes playing police sergeant in T. J. Hooker in the show of the same name, hosting real-life drama Rescue 911 and portraying an attorney named Denny Crane in both The Practice and Boston Legal.
In addition to his work in writing Star Trek-related fiction, Shatner has written several non-fiction books. These include Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account of the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek Memories, Star Trek Movie Memories, Get a Life!, Star Trek: I'm Working on That: A Trek from Science Fiction to Science Fact, Up Till Now: The Autobiography and Shatner Rules. Shatner Rules, co-written with writer Chris Regan, was published in 2011.
Regan is best known as a writer on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where he worked from 1999 until 2006. He's also written comedy show pilot episodes for several networks. As a journalist, his work has been published by New York and USA Today.
"I listened to this on audiobook and I definitely recommend this one!!! If you love Shatner, this will not disappoint. His "rules" are funny and always lead so another anecdote about his amazing life. He even gets serious in some parts and you learn a bit about what makes him...him ;) "
— Paula (5 out of 5 stars)
" Shatner is awesome. I love the way he writes and makes me laugh out loud. A good guy for sure who I'd like to have over for dinner. "
— Marjorie, 2/16/2014" Shatner Rules is a quick and enjoyable read. As always, he takes you on his ride thru life- hilarious at times, a touch of bitterness, informative regarding all that is Shatner, and witty! "
— Paula, 2/6/2014" It was funny. An easy read. "
— Promise, 1/27/2014" I love William Shatner.. and this book is great... "
— Alisa, 1/22/2014" I enjoyed it. Some funny stuff, though if you've read Shatner's other books there's not a lot new here. It's also a quick read, broken into frequent small segments. "
— Charles, 12/28/2013" I get the feeling Shatner can be charming when he's interested and he seems like a fascinating man, but I also get the feeling he's a steamroller on legs, hence hard feelings from his co-actors. But at least he seems aware of that and isn't totally clueless. He does have quite a sense of humor, energy, and at 80 I'm sure he could take my dad (who's letting himself go badly at 73 years of age) in a fight. "
— Zazzu, 12/28/2013" Very enjoyable read. "Bill" always makes me laugh. "
— Ivy, 12/26/2013" I have been a fan of the (original series) Star Trek forever. Regardless of Mr. Shatner's reputation for egotism and self-promotion, (which he discusses at length), I can't help liking the guy. This book is a lot of fun. "
— Bryant, 12/24/2013" Funny book and a real treat for Shatner and Star Trek fans. Would recommend it! "
— Kris, 12/19/2013" I couldn't figure out if this was written tongue in cheek or if Shatner really is that full of himself. My conclusion...Shatner thinks he's all that. But it's a quick fun read. "
— Monica, 12/16/2013" Mostly funny, but sometimes a little too arrogant. "
— Carol, 12/5/2013William Shatner, an acclaimed actor, musician, recording artist, author, and film director, is best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the highly successful Star Trek television series. He has also starred in the television series T. J. Hooker and as Denny Crane in the hit television series Boston Legal, a role for which he has won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.He is also the author of numerous Star Trek novels, memoirs, and nonfiction books.He is actively involved in charitable activities for the Juvenile Justice Connection Project, Tourette’s Syndrome, the California Endangered Species Campaign, and Toys for Tots, and he also speaks at Star Trek conventions nationwide. He made his film debut in the 1957 production of The Brothers Karamazov, followed by Judgment at Nuremberg, The Intruder, and other films. During the early 1960s he had guest roles in many of the top television shows.