First of all, I’d like to say a big thank you to Eaglemoss for providing a copy of the book for reviewing! I’ve never had a review where someone has provided materials for me to preview, so this was something new and cool too! With that out of the way, on with the show!
Space, the final frontier. It’s big and vast, and a little bit scary. Sometimes it’s nice to explore the vast unending cosmos when you’re centred. You don’t want to be panicked out there like some sort of red shirt, not looking where you’re going and suddenly you’re lunch for a Mugato. You have to keep a level head and stay calm.
Thankfully Glenn Dakin has a solution. Mr Spock’s Little Book Of Mindfulness. Published by Eaglemoss (retailing at £8.95 – $4.85 Prices correct at time of publishing) is framed as a sort of “What would Spock do?”, Vulcan philosophy with a touch of human mindfulness. It’s a fun little read that helps take the edge off a worrying and illogical mind.
Pulling quotes from not just Spock, but also Sarek, Shakespear and Einstein, this rather fascinating (see what I did there?), little book. It isn’t a serious guide to mindfulness, but rather as the book says “a light-hearted exploration of the wisdom of Mr Spock”. And light-hearted is right on the money. The book opens with a wonderfully cartoony and simple illustration of Spock with a pie to the face and the quote:
This Chaplinesque opening sets the tone for the book, thoughtful, but also funny, and as living up to the quote, it does make me smile.
I have to confess, when this book landed on my desk a little while ago, I thought:
“Ah yes, a little book of mindfulness, it will be a nice series of illustrations with a few quotes next to it. Nothing too meaty and will be something to make me chuckle from time to time.”
Well, it’s nice to be wrong sometimes. Dakin provides a wonderful and thoughtful little book you can breeze through in an afternoon. But why would you want to rush it when you can take the time to ponder and wonder about what’s inside? Each of the books 9 chapters focuses on a different aspect of our lives around us, from from “Focus” to “Family” and “Change”, each chapter pulls inspiration from the various television and movie adventures of Spock, (And yes you TAS fans, Yesteryear gets a shoutout.).
Of course, it won’t turn your life around in the wink of an eye. But for 109 pages, it’s a fun read. Even the end of the book contains a few pages referencing some of Spock’s best and most inspirational quotes (apparently Live Long and Prosper wasn’t his only big line).
I am a big fan of this book, it’s humor, it’s observation of the character of Spock, what we can learn from him and what little joys we can find in life along with
The last pages also contain two very touching dedications. One to D.C Fontana, who the book notes are the” Matriarch of Vulcan Philosophy”, and the great Leonard Nimoy, along with his final moving tweet.
“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory.”
It’s a reminder that such a character has such a legacy, not just for Nimoy, but for the writers, actors and other creatives behind the character, but not only that, the people that come after that are inspired by all of their work.
Is it worth the price? As a novelty gift that you’ll flick through in an afternoon? Certainly! While this was a review copy sent to me, I was still really eager to pick it up and read through it. While a lot of it is tongue-in-cheek fun, there are a few good nuggets of wisdom and warmth to be found in it’s pages.
If this book sounds like your kind of thing you can but it HERE
