Sure, I watched a few Star Trek episodes on occasion, back in the late 1960s. But I was more of a Lost in Space fan, myself. I was only a few years younger than Billy Mumy (Will Robinson). However, my stash of favorite movies DOES include a VHS copy of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, even though I haven't watched it in years. ("Captain! There be WHALES here.") Maybe I'll pop it into the player tonight.

Anyway, you get the picture. Of course, I'm familiar with William Shatner and his body of work. I'm simply not as laser-focused on it as a lot of other folks are. So why did I pick up his latest memoir from a public library's CD shelf? I guess I chose it out of curiosity, mainly. I was interested in hearing him tell stories from his own life, in his own voice. In this regard, I was very pleasantly surprised. He certainly leaves a positive and memorable impression.

William "Bill" Shatner was 91 years old when he penned this memoir with his young co-author, Joshua Brandon. And yet, one of his themes here is that age isn't slowing him down as much as you might think. He's just as busy as ever. And he's intensely curious about ... well, EVERYTHING. He could easily be a spokesperson for life-long learning. Wait a minute. Maybe he IS. And maybe I'm just now finding out about his campaign, here.

Naturally, since this is a memoir, Shatner shares chronological vignettes from his personal past. He covers growing up in Montreal, his beginnings as an actor, and some of the daredevil stunts he unadvisedly took on, in addition to the basics of his multiple marriages, his three daughters and his multiple grandchildren. He is a lover of both dogs and horses, and be prepared to hear poignant stories about both. He enjoys writing and performing his uniquely fashioned songs, and he has a number of record albums to his credit.

One of the biggest surprises here is how environmentally aware and concerned Shatner is. He speaks of his experience of going up into space with Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin in October 2021. This was an enormously important event that continues to have a profound impact on him. You'll hear much more about his reactions, here. Who knew that this one-time spaceman would be a pure lover of Earth?

Let's talk about the spoken word. This audiobook consists of five CDs that carry about six hours' worth of narration. It's the full text of the book. I listened to Shatner read it -- nay, emphatically act it out -- during a full week's worth of commuting. And I have to say that he must be the most energetic reader I've ever heard. He's so eager to tell us his tales that his tongue practically trips over itself in the rush to get every word out. It's as if you have a front-row seat in the auditorium, and Bill Shatner is headlining as the top motivational speaker of the evening. And he's making eye contact, and he's talking to you, you, you. And you'd better make some good environmental choices, you -- yes, YOU! -- sitting out there, in your easy chair, or he'll beam himself down and give you an even louder talking to....

Every Trekkie should listen to or read this book, even if they favor other captains over Kirk. The rest of us will enjoy learning more about someone whom we've seen perform in a variety of roles over the years. At 91, William Shatner is indeed an inspirational personality. And Boldly Go could be one of the longest and most motivational speeches you've ever heard. Thanks for the kick in the butt, Captain!