I Am Not Spock (and) I Am Spock, by Leonard Nimoy

I Am Not Spock [791.092 Nim] and I Am Spock [791.452 Nim]
by Leonard Nimoy

In the wake of the passing of actor Leonard Nimoy on February 27th, much mention was made in his various tributes, obituaries and remembrances online, of his two autobiographies. I Am Not Spock (1975), seemingly a knock on the iconic Star Trek character with which Nimoy was forever linked, is far more than that. A struggling actor, who joked with his children that he frequently didn't have any jobs that lasted for longer than a week-or-two at a time prior to Star Trek, Nimoy was justifiably concerned of being typecast after Star Trek's 3-year run ended, but the fans refused to let Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the others fade from memory. I Am Not Spock should more accurately have been titled "I Am Not Just Spock", and readers should enjoy Nimoy's look back at his early career.

So many critics misinterpreted the earlier autobiography as a slam against Star Trek and its obsessive fans, that it seems that Nimoy had little choice but to flip the argument around with his later, second, autobiography, which he titled I Am Spock (1995). Looking back at a much more extensive career, Nimoy fully embraced his half-human/half-Vulcan alter-ego, relishing the many opportunities that Spock provided for him. Nimoy was much more than merely an actor. He directed films, he was a poet, a philanthropist and a photographer. If you are interested in learning more about this fine actor's career, I highly recommend reading both of these books, back-to-back -- they provide for a "fascinating" perspective on his career, at least up through the late 1990s. It is too bad that he couldn't have written a third volume, that caught us up to his later career achievements, including his involvement in the rebooted Star Trek feature films, and his recurring role on Fringe (2008-2013). In the meantime, it is only logical that you should read these two volumes...and then reflect on Nimoy's final Twitter post: "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" He certainly did "Live Long and Prosper"! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Scott's Reviewer Profile and more of his reviews ]

[ Leonard Nimoy's Twitter Feed ] | [ Wikipedia article on Leonard Nimoy ] 

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