Grimlock ♥ Ultra Magnus

Because Takei is just amazing.   Absolutely amazing!   As a man who simply is caring, sensitive, intelligent, as an activist, as an actor.   As someone who is willing to laugh at himself, and who does so with a grace that humbles me.   Much of this is both laugh out loud funny and informative, which is exactly what he says he hopes for with his Facebook posts.   He wants to make people both laugh and think. 

He has some good points.   He calls out Grammar Nazis and Doubters - and I agree with him to some degree.   I will occasionally point out grammatical errors in posts, but mostly only my friends.   If they're learning/learned English as a second language and I know this, I only correct them if they make it known by asking me - either in a public or private post.   If I know they'd want to know in a review, or suspect it, I'll mention it.   But a post by a person who does not make their living off the English language?   Off writing?  I tend to not notice as much, or get as aggravated by the errors.   (Once you've published the book commercially, though, grammar errors aggravate me.   A lot.)

He also has some valid points about humor: at some point, humor is going to offend, and we have to learn how to laugh at ourselves.   To laugh in the face of tragedy, even, sometimes.   To stay sane.   To deal with that shit.   And Takei is impressive: he deals with so much, lets so much roll of his back...

Why didn't I give this a higher rating then?   As much as I loved the points he made, this book was pretty fractured.   It didn't make a coherent whole, although each chapter taken separately was - for the most part - pretty tight.   There were a couple where I felt frustrated because it was being pulled in so many directions.   I would have preferred either something more streamlined, or for him to do each chapter by subject to make it more cohesive. 

Then again, this book is worth the read just for the story - pictures included - about how the Spider-Man harness had a hilarious effect on emphasizing his junk.   It was just another example of how even-tempered he is, and  how he can laugh at himself.   There's a lot here, a lot of information, a lot of insight into this fabulous man.   (And, yes, dammit!   He would be the best gay Asian uncle ever!   And he says something to this effect at the end of the book.)

In the end, 100% worth the read, even if it is a bit fractured. 

PS - watch the video in the source.   Takei making a 'whole package' joke is awesome!