FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
William Shatner Reveals Deepest and Most Personal Thoughts in New Book
“Wisdom & Worries: Reflections on Life, Death, and Everything in Between” is on sale October 27
New York, NY (October 13, 2026) – Open Road Integrated Media, the book industry’s leader in applying technology to book discovery, announced today the publication of a highly personal and unique work by the legendary actor William Shatner. Wisdom & Worries: Reflections on Life, Death, and Everything in Between is comprised of Shatner’s reflections on pivotal moments in his life, lessons he has learned, and the perspective he has gained about himself, about others, and about the the world around us. Shatner is also narrating the audio book edition.
As to why he wrote Wisdom & Worries, Shatner explained that the reflections “have revealed a deeper truth of my experience than any other form of expression.”
Each reflection begins with a brief narrative by Shatner providing context, and then continues in verse, similar to a song’s lyrics. In one reflection reflection entitled “Masks,” Shatner writes about how taking on many roles has led to “confusion of who I really am from strangers, friends, family, and even myself.” In another, particularly poignant, reflection called “So Far From the Moon,” he describes how, following the cancellation of Star Trek and the breakup of his first marriage, he finds himself watching and wondering as the astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to walk on the moon.
“We were struck by the emotional power and authenticity of Wisdom & Worries,” said Open Road CEO David Steinberger. “Reading this book is as close as one can get to knowing the true essence of William Shatner.”
Shatner described the process of writing the book as a path to self discovery: “From my religious upbringing, to my struggles to succeed as a young actor, to my roles in television and film, to the highs and lows of my professional and personal lives, to my passions for science, nature and animals, to my recent trip to space, the words in this book present a unique self-portrait that I, myself, have found surprising and revealing.”
“We’re especially gratified that William Shatner himself will be reading the audio book edition of Wisdom & Worries,” said Open Road Publisher Christine Gillespie. “Shatner is an iconic figure in American culture, and listening to his voice brings extra meaning to this deeply personal work.”
William Shatner has worked as an actor, writer, musician, producer, director and celebrity pitchman. He notably played Captain Kirk on Star Trek from 1966 to 1969 and in seven Star Trek films, and won Emmy awards and a Golden Globe for his role as attorney Denny Crane on the TV drama Boston Legal. To write Wisdom & Worries, he teamed up with Robert Sharenow, an Emmy-winning television producer and writer, as well as an award-winning author, who currently serves as President of Programming for A+E Global Media.
Wisdom & Worries: Reflections on Life, Death, and Everything in Between by William Shatner and Robert Sharenow (979-8-3372-1154-1 paperback; 979-8-3372-1153-4 eBook; 979-8-3372-1392-7 audio book) publishes on October 27, 2026. Some of the material in the book has appeared previously as lyrics in music performed by William Shatner in collaboration with others.