Unflinchingly honest tales of the search for life - and fulfillment beyond the Starship Enterprise

Wheaton's book balances nicely the needs of an eager readership who already know his website with an introduction that allows for people like me who hardly remember him at all. The book presents a roughly chronological series of essays about trying to find work as an actor trying to recover from his image as a Star Trek actor.

A few thoughts:

- Wheaton's strength is his honesty. He does a great job explaining what makes him happy and sad, of really documenting the difficulties he's faced trying to gain legitimacy as an adult actor, and of the continuing struggle he has had with the past.
- Star Trek looms large over the book, and it presumes you know who he is--at least--from that world. The journey of the book could really be called "Running from Wesley Crusher," as Wheaton tries to deal with this ever-present aspect of his work.
- The inside baseball about auditions and acting works well throughout the book, though sometimes it strays a bit too much into dwelling on his frustration with the vagaries of the acting world. I could have done with one or two fewer essays about how he almost got a part, again.
- I particularly liked his discussion of the rising popularity of his blog and the concomitant boost it gave to his other efforts to make a living. By the end of the book, you feel like you really get to know Wheaton and you come to enjoy his voice quite a bit.
- In style, Wheaton does better when he doesn't get too over-blown in description. He has a solid storytelling style, including good details and finding the occasional bon mot. I suspect his later writing contains even more of this.

All in all, a good read. It's well worth picking up from the library or buying a copy if your own interest intersect with the WilW world at all. It probably won't be that rewarding for people who wouldn't mark themselves with the Geek that Wheaton proudly wears here.

Premise: From the back cover: "Just a Geek is the story of how Wil Wheaton faced down his constant companion, the ghost he calls 'Prove To Everyone That Quitting Star Trek Wasn't A Mistake.'"

I read this at a really good time. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that reading a memoir about career transition and self-doubt is really satisfying if one is full of doubt and in the midst of a potential career transition.

It doesn't hurt that this book is also clever, touching and really funny.

I rediscovered Wil Wheaton recently through the delightful Penny Arcade D&D podcasts. I don't get to do any gaming in my day-to-day life lately, so it's fun to eavesdrop on these games through the podcast. And Wil is obviously a really great gamer.

Reading the book was wonderfully comfortable. It's adapted from entries from his blog, each enclosed in a fuller story of what was going on in his life when he initially wrote the posts and interspersed with flashbacks for more information. I felt as if I were listening to an unusually open and honest story told by a friend.

The 'plot' of the memoir largely revolves around Wil making peace with having been on Star Trek, having left Star Trek, and figuring out what he's going to do with his life if he's not getting jobs as an actor. I liked the 'behind-the-scenes' of his blog, where he would reprint an early post, and then write that he had been exaggerating in the post so that he wouldn't reveal how badly the audition had gone, or how depressed he was, etc.

There are poignant chapters about interactions with other Trek cast members, sweet parts about his wife and step-kids, as well as parts about his passion for acting, and frustration with the 'industry'. Plus a really moving and funny section titled: The Wesley Dialogues.

I recommend Just a Geek to all us geeks, and to anyone who feels like you're fumbling your way through life, just trying to figure out the next step.

Immediately recognizable as a member of Star Trek Next Generation, this is about Wil's life when not part of the show. A lot of people don't realize that Mr. Wheaton was an actor before the STNG thing (ie Stand By Me) and appreciated his craft so much he wanted to attend actor's school and avoid typecasting. He did both but unfortunately the Hollywood system doesn't normally embrace actors for their skill but more the fashionable societal whims of the time. Wil was an actor in is heart and this book is a journal of his journal of his struggle to understand in his mind that he had other skills and callings equally important.

Constant rejection. Doubt. Self-Examination. Always moving towards his real destiny of web pioneer, husband, father and writer. Wil does a great job of taking us along the journey with him with all its twists and turns to a point where he finds what's really important in life - knowledge and satisfaction of self. In a way, this is Socratic study of self that challenges the reader to empathize with the author by relating little and big personal experiences to his. Wil's story is uplifting and encouraging. I checked his blog after reading this and his "luckiest man in the world" picture shows the fruits of his struggles.

Highly recommended to all, especially teens and young adults. Also highly recommended to the young at heart.

Wesley Crusher sucks! ... But Wil Wheaton is brilliant!

Just a Geek is an incredibly entertaining autobiography chronicling Wil Wheaton's life in the early 2000s. The book is not about Star Trek--it's about Wil Wheaton--but Star Trek features prominently as Wheaton describes how, so many years later, he still spends a lot of time reflecting on and reconciling with his tenure on The Next Generation. Wheaton does an excellent job of weaving his weblog entries into his book, injecting each chapter with raw feelings, fearless honesty, and reckless spontaneity.

Since I do not follow Wheaton's blog, I was pleasantly surprised with his caliber of writing and the amount of humor in his prose. He really pulled me into the story of his life, and I found myself reading larger and larger chunks of his book at a time. It was seriously hard to put down.

As a Star Trek fan, I really enjoyed reading about Wheaton's personal perspective of being on set, how he worked with his fellow TNG actors, and how he dealt with all the "hate" that came with portraying Wesley Crusher. The stories he shares about reuniting with his fellow cast members on the Nemesis set and performing at Star Trek conventions are particularly insightful. This is not to say that the rest of the things he writes in Just a Geek--like being a total computer nerd, having a wife and two stepsons, and auditioning for numerous other works--are boring because they are amazing to read about, too.

Just a Geek never failed to make me smile. Great work, Wil Wheaton! ... But Wesley Crusher still sucks.

(Just kidding, I actually LIKED Wesley.)

I've never really thought too much about Wesley Crusher to tell the truth. Yes, enjoyed the heck out of Star Trek TNG (if you watch my home movies of when my son was small in the '90s always in the background is either STTNG or NASCAR, depending if my husband was home or not), but I was never a Trekkie inspired to dress up and go to conventions or pay more than passing interest in the fact that this character moved on to other things. However, from reading this book I guess Wesley's desertion of the Enterprise was a much bigger event, world changing even, to those who loved and/or hated the character respectively and particularly to Wil Wheaton, who has been emotionally reeling from his decision for all these many years. I never knew!

Although the title claims Unflinching honest tales of the search for life, love and fulfillment beyond the Starship Enterprise this is primarily a story of how Wil Wheaton has come to terms with the effect Star Trek has had on his life and really doesn't move very far past that. His blog, also featured here, is a large part of how Mr. Wheaton is accomplishing this. But, this is just fine with me because if it hadn't been for the Star Trek aspect I would have never picked this book up considering the thing I remember him for most other than the big 2 (STTNG and Stand by Me) is his appearance on The Weakest Link where he acted like the world's biggest a**hole. Frankly, in the part that touched upon his Weakest Link appearance I was shocked that he made no mention of this and I read through the rest of the book thinking, "if he doesn't realize how much of a jerk he was then, I can't really take this book at face value." Thankfully, in one of the Appendixes he addresses a question about the appearance, and said he was "acting" the part since the studio just wanted to make the host look good anyway *big sigh of relief* I was very happy about this considering how much I enjoyed the book.

I absolutely do not pity Mr. Wheaton for the decision he made that so irrevocably changed his life, he manages to do this quite well all on his own without my assistance. He does do a lot of bellyaching about being haunted by the ghosts of his consciousness, "Prove to Everyone That Quitting Star Trek Wasn't A Mistake" and "Self Doubt". Actually, considering the amount of complaining, you would think this memoir would be a miserable read. It Is Not. No, I didn't find it exceedingly hilarious (except for the part about Jonathan Frakes running into the door during a scene), but it was interesting. Mr. Wheaton managed to keep me hooked, the writing was smooth and entertaining and I loved his honest declarations of his feelings towards his fellow actors and the acting industry. In fact, I can totally empathize with a lot of what he's feeling. The pettyish overreactions to slights (real or imagined, will we ever know?) by ST producer Rick Berman rather mirror my own reactions in comparable situations and the resentfulness towards those who criticize you or worse, ignore you. I could totally feel for him.

Overall I thought this book was really "cool" :-) I read every last word right through the appendixes and into the acknowledgements, which I would usually never do with a biography. Although I probably won't be an avid daily reader of his blog as I found the other parts of this book more interesting than those entries, I wouldn't completely discount the possibility of a little look-see. I am now curious to see how things are going with this conflicted man, he is an interesting character in and of himself, even without a script.

The strength of Wil Wheaton's memoir is his willingness to bare his soul, flaws and everything. His heart-on-sleeve style is nearly too much for me, but I can't help but admire his courage to be this honest. No doubt much of his strength comes from his supportive spouse and kids. Any person seeking answers in life would be lucky to have the family he has.

Just a Geek chronicles Mr. Wheaton's personal journey from successful child actor (Stand By Me, Star Trek: TNG) to a man in his early 30's searching for his niche. He uses a writing format of reprinting his blog posts and then commenting on them which works rather well. He wrote an earlier book called Dancing Barefoot which probably has more to say about the period of time just after he left Star Trek. This book basically starts with his first blog and the creation of his website.

Wil Wheaton has done a magical thing. You may remember him as Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: Next Generation. I remember him more fondly as Gordie LaChance from Rob Reiner's brilliant coming-of-age film, "Stand By Me." Wheaton is all growed up now...and we're a better population because of it.

"Just A Geek" made me laugh and it made me cry, but more importantly it inspired me to come out of "retirement" to post this review.

I stumbled onto his web log a few months ago ([...]) and, as a writer, really admired his down-to-earth, real-person way of relating his world. No ego-driven "look at me!" celebrity nonsense like some others I've read. So when I learned of "Just A Geek" from his website, I went out and bought it. It's easily the best purchase I've made in the past five years...and I rarely buy books.

Wheaton relates his life and the struggles he faced post-Next-Generation, adding web log entries as a means to illustrate his point. He comes across in his writing as the kind of guy you'd like to sit next to somewhere, chatting about this and that. With deep emotion, genuine caring, and a voice that is all him, "Just A Geek" tops the list of memoir-style writing, right up there with Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris. I highly recommend this book!

Wil Wheaton is best known for his teenage role as Wesley Crusher in Star Trek - The Next Generation. But after several seaons, he left. In part, as he explains here, because he wanted to branch out into other acting roles.
Probably unlike most of you, I'd only seen a few episodes of TNG. I was familiar with his role and had assumed that he'd made a packet and was now quite well off financially. But this book disabused me. Wheaton gives a searing autobiographical narrative that expands upon his earlier work, "Dancing Barefoot", and is far better written. In "Geek", he fleshes out a lot of the backdrop to the first book, which in many ways is a set of disjointed essays.
This book describes his travails in trying to find acting roles, especially back in TNG. Very revealing of how, even for someone with an accomplished record, rejections are so common. I've known people in Los Angeles who've dreamed of becoming professional actors, and also a few SAG members. None has even remotely equalled Wheaton. Yet even at his level, it can be heartbreaking. He chronicles a series of failed auditions. All the while struggling to help support his family. If the narrative is occasionally awkward, it is because it reflects real life, not a polished fiction.
Also poignantly, he regrets many times not staying with TNG for its full run. At the very least, it would have let him build a nest egg and so enabled less hardship later. In retrospect, his decision to leave was one of those fateful junctions in life. (The moving hand having written, cannot now unwrite, and all that.)
Many readers will find much to identify with here. Even if you have nil interest in acting, his experiences speak to broader issues in life that so many have encountered and endured. Wheaton writes for Everyman.

I just finished listening to the audiobook version of this book which Wil reads and annotates quite well. I would suggest getting the audio version because I believe you get much more of Wil out of it. Not sure if it's still available. Email Wil!
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this book not just as a fellow geek and fan, but also as someone who has reinvented himself, which, is a common theme throughout the book. He chronicles his career from Stand by Me to Star Trek TNG to the convention circuit. He's brutally honest about his shortcomings and mistakes, his love for his family, and his love/hate relationship with acting. While Wil has achieved some success as an actor (more than I feel he gives himself credit for), I think he has a big future as a writer (and blogger - check out his site [...]). Check out some of his fiction books as well!

This book is surprisingly "engage"-ing. (Hardy har har, sorry, couldn't resist!) Just a Geek features selected entries from Wil Wheaton's blog, chronicling his struggles to define himself apart from being a former Star Trek actor. I was impressed by Wheaton's honesty. Some of his earlier blog entries are less than flattering, and he is very candid in his explanations of why he wrote what he did. There are enough anecdotes about his experiences on the show and later interactions with the Star Trek cast and crew to satisfy "trekkies" as he puts it (didn't Wil get the memo that it is Trekkers now?), but ultimately Wheaton meets his objective of making the reader see him as Wil Wheaton as opposed to Wesley Crusher.

I thought this was well written. It is basically a collection of short true stories about Wil Wheaton and written by Wil Wheaton. Some stories have to do with Star Trek and Star Trek conventions but a lot of them don't. He just basically talks about different times in his life. For an example one 4th of July it was his turn to light up the fireworks and instead he light up all of them at once. Another time he met this really beautiful girl and she gave him her number. He kept it as a sourvine for many years but never called her. Why? Because he is a whimp when it comes to girls. Things like that. IT is very entertaining.
If you like Wil Wheaton and authors who tell it like it is than you would like this. It sorta reminds me of Catcher of the Rye type of writing except with a lot less cussing and he isn't as negative as the author of Cathcer of the Rye is.

Kristy Star Sisk

Yesterday I had a package from O'Reilly awaiting me on the porch. It was Wil Wheaton's Just A Geek. Since I've been doing little but reading and reviewing tech books of late, I decided to take a break and dive into this one. I am so glad I did. It's quite the read...

Wheaton, as many probably know, played Wesley Crusher in the series Star Trek: The Next Generation and starred in the movie Stand By Me. He was a teen actor at that time, and decided that TNG was holding him back from moving on to feature films. When he left the series, little did he know that his acting career would never be the same. He resented and hated how people defined him as Wesley, not as Wil, and struggled hard with what role TNG should have in his life. During that angst-ridden time, he got married, became a father to two stepchildren, struggled to find acting jobs, and most importantly, started a blog before blogs were all the rage. His site, [...] became a hit and attracted a loyal following. While many readers were trekkies, there was also a large audience of people who visited due to his writing, his comedy, and his ability to open up his life and share his feelings and struggles with others. This book tells the story, through blog entries and vignettes, of his transformation from child actor to budding writer.

The style is raw, comedic, emotional... While most of us don't come from his background, all of us can relate to the constant companions of Doubt and Self-Loathing, two creatures who question our every move and live to make sure they're having more fun than we are. I'm not a big Star Trek fan, and mostly got this book due to having some fellow colleagues who know Wil. After reading the book, I've added his site to my list of must-read blogs and look forward to reading his other book.

Wheaton has found his life's calling... he's a writer. And those of us who are his readers are better because of it.

Another good entry from Wil Wheaton. I have to say I enjoyed his earlier book 'Dancing Barefoot' which in some time warp scenario contained the stories that wouldn't fit in this book, a bit more. Much more of this book was dedicated to Wil's early blog posts where he was working at finding his voice and becoming a better writer. Still the stories were interesting enough to make the book an enjoyable read and as I'm as big a geek as Wil is I was easily able to relate to his tales.

I bought this book because I started reading Wil Wheaton's blog and some of the articles he's been writing for various internet sites and found them to be very funny. So, I thought I was going to get a funny, behind-the-scenes look at Star Trek:TNG. I didn't get that. What I got was excerps from his blog over the past 5 years or so. And it really wasn't all that funny. I actually cried (yes, cried) a lot more than I laughed. But you know what? I wasn't disappointed. It turns out to be a peek inside WW's head and his journey from seeing himself as a washed up actor to being happy being a writer, family man, and "Just a Geek." It's really a much more human story that the average person can relate to (I know I did!) instead of being a gossip-fest.

Wheaton writes in an easy, conversational style sprinkled with interesting, occasionally brilliant descriptive turns of phrase. Is he the next F. Scott Fitzgerald? Probably not. But it is an easy, enjoyable read about a guy coming to grips with his life taking a big left turn that he didn't intend to take. Even if you don't know Wil Wheaton from Adam and have never seen a Star Trek episode in your life, you will enjoy this book, because it's not about being a Trekker. It's about being a human.

I wondered what happened to Wil Wheaton after Star Trek: Next Generation. He's shown up lately in The Guild webisodes, but this was written before that. This story takes the reader through an ebbing season of his career, where auditions are not fruitful, bills are mountainous, and he reflects on his career, motivations, and decisions thus far. If you enjoy reading tales of personal triumph and character, you will enjoy this read. I did.

I truly enjoyed Wil Wheaton's unwavering look at his life post Star Trek The Next Generation and how he eventually relearns to love trek and himself. There were many parts of the book that I found myself touched and close to heartbreak when Mr. Wheaton goes back and rereads parts of his blog only to realizes just how insecure he was.

A story about growth and accepting who you are and your past. My only critique is that there are large sections of the book are taken directly from his blog. I wish all the material was new; however, then you may not have had the insightful feel of the novel. Either way, a great read and definitely recommended.

I blame Wheaton for my lack of sleep last weekend. I picked up the book as I was going to bed and I couldn't put it down.

True, there is a lot of his blog in this book; however, you get a really good incite of what was really going on in his mind. Some time and distance gives Wheaton more perspective of what happened to him and it definitely shows in the book.

He writes some really good stories about his own life I just wish he'd write more.

Something about this guy is so wonderful that it almost doesn't matter what kind of anecdote he's sharing, it's wonderful. He puts long rambling stories up on his website about poker (for the sake of whatever or whomever you hold holy, who writes about poker?), and somehow I read them like, "Tell me more, Wil. Tell me MORE." It's hard to imagine that pulling stories off a blog and publishing them in a book is a good idea, and maybe it isn't in general, but Wil pulls it off. He strings his blog entries together with new insights and backstories, and the end result is engrossing and so delicious that it's hard to put down until there are no more pages to turn.

Wil Wheaton -- he's not just Wesley Crusher anymore. In fact, he's a real-life geek.

This is Wheaton's longer book of short, autobiographical stories. His way with words will make you laugh and make you cry. I've found both of his books, and his blog, to be real inspirations.

Wil has written an absolutely excellent autobiographical book. The vulnerability of his frank honesty and foibles had me hooked from word to word, paragraph to paragraph and chapter to chapter. Bill Clinton (and nearly every other famous/celebrity autobiographer) needs to take "how to write about your life" lessons from Wil Wheaton!
Trust me, don't try to think of reasons not to read it. Don't limit it to Star Trek TNG. Even if you are a WWDN weblog fan, don't think you have already read this book through Wil's blog. Trust me, you haven't. JAG is much better!

I stumbled upon Wil Wheaton's site two years ago. I tore through his "first" book, Dancing Barefoot, as soon as I got it. Pre-ordered Just a Geek as soon as it was in the store's database. I loved it. It's not just something for Trek fans, but anyone in their 30s (or nearly there) trying to figure out where to go next. Trying to figure out how to accept where life has landed them, which is often different than where they started out try to go. I could read Wil's site and books for hours and look forward to the next installment in his life's work.

It's always refreshing to read material written by somebody who gives it to you "straight up". Wil doesn't hold any punches in this book, he is always acknowledging his faults and his triumphs- which is a great quality in a person. The vast majority of us tend to think that actors have it very easy. Well, maybe a few do, but most don't. Wil writes from the perspective of an actor who has had ups and downs in his career... and after reading his book, most people may get a better idea of what goes on behind closed doors in Hollywood and in Wil's more personal world.

"Just a Geek" by Wil Wheaton is an incredible book. Wil has proven himself not only a gifted actor, but a gifted writer. The book is raw and revealing. You feel every emotion right along with him. Tears well up when he does not land that role. You feel his love for his wife and stepsons. You experience the joy he finds in doing Star Trek conventions, meeting fans, and writing his blog. You will roll with laughter at the fireworks story. You see Wil, not as an untouchable Hollywood actor, but a real man, complete with all the trials, tribulations, and joys that all of us experience. My only complaint is with the foul language. This is not a book for kids, unless it is filtered by a parent, but it is a must-read, especially for the Gen Xer and Trekkie.

I've enjoyed Wil Wheaton's blog for several years now, looking forward to a new update every few days and wondering what he'll decide to say next.
"Just a Geek" is so much more than a collection of his blog entries. It's a journey from the Actor That Used to Be on Star Trek to the Very Cool Writer Who's Not Afraid to Share. The blog entries are there, but we get the thoughts behind those entries and the events that prompted them, all told in a warm, funny and unflinching style that proves that the seventh-grade teacher knew what she was talking about. Wil Wheaton not only grew up to be a writer, he grew up to be an excellent writer.

Wil's writing style never gets boring. Reading WWDN and Dancing Barefoot is so much fun because of the great writing abilities Wil has. This book was no exception. It's great to read how he interprets his feelings into words in such an eloquent way, and how he evolves as a writer and a person who can finally dictate his own life. Keep them coming Wil!

I ordered both Just A Geek and Dancing Barefoot at the sme time and never regretted it for a single moment. My only complaint is the size, too small. Wil's ability to captivate his audience is better suited to blogs and long running weekly (if not daily) shows. His style of writing makes you want to kow if he had that extra Guinness at the end of the night. I read Just A Geek in one night and have decided that Should someone ever decide to make another gambling/poker movie a la Rounds, Wil Wheaton should be the guy to write the script.

I laughed, I cried, but more than that, Wil Wheaton made me feel part of his life and shared struggles I had also experienced.

Snubbed by Hollywood execs since he quit Star Trek his audience has had to follow him via his blog or his live comedy performances. It's a big loss to the movie industry but our gain as it is unlikely he would've written such a brutally honest account of his transition from struggling actor to writer if he had still been caught up in the Hollywood madness.

I can't wait for the next book.

Without going into extreme detail about the contents of this book, I will say that it joined a select grouping of "books I have finished the first day I got them." Obviously, some books (War And Peace, many Stephen King novels) couldn't fall into that category by virtue of their length, but nontheless...this is an extremely engaging read of one man's journey towards finding his own identity and purpose.

I enjoyed reading about Wil Wheaton and getting to know more about him. There are lots of laughs and the way it is written it feels like you are really there with him in the moment when he is hanging out with other celebrities and experiencing the ups and downs of auditions.

Everything and everyone is cool apparently, do we all live on Hoth? Lol

I am currently more than half way through the book and I RARELY read. I'm hooked on this one and honestly have a hard time putting it down!

Wil describes things so well I can picture them in my mind like I'm watching a movie of his life experiences.

I recommend it!

It's always been hard to feel completely sorry for an actor, who's career hasn't blossomed as he had hoped, when he can write so darn well. If you are a regular reader of his web blog found at wilwheaton dot net, there's just enough new material here to make buying the book worthwhile. If you're not a regular reader of the web blog, buy the book and introduce yourself to an up and coming talented new writer.

Mr. Mailman brought JAG to my door exactly 2 hours ago. I ripped the package open and started reading. It's soooo good! I'm about 1/2 way thru the book and it's amazing. Wil is a wonderful person and writer. (not to mention incredibly hot) I need more!