Travel Reads: “Star Trek: The Wisdom of Picard” by Chip Carter

Quote books are becoming more and more popular. They are easy to read in short bursts, and they are relatively easy to create for the authors. So it isn’t surprising to find a Star Trek quote book like The Wisdom of Picard coming out.

Summary of The Wisdom of Picard

Chip Carter has combed through all the Star Trek: The Next Generation television seasons and movies, as well as the Picard series, to find Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s wisest utterings. He organized them into the following categories:

Philosophy and Humanity
“Friendship must date to risk, Counselor, or it’s not friendship.”
From “Conspiracy”, ST:TNG, Season 1, Episode 25

History and Science
“Who is to say that this history is any less proper than the other?”
From “Yesterday’s Enterprise”, ST:TNG, Season 3, Episode 15

Literature and the Arts
“We were once as you are now. To study you is to understand ourselves.”
From “Who Watches the Watchers”, ST: TNG, Season 3, Episode 4

Exploration and Adventure
“A Klingon may not be good at accepting defeat, but he knows all about taking risks.”
From ST: TNG, Season 5, Episode 16

Politics, Leadership, and Diplomacy
“I have never subscribed to the theory that political power flows from the barrel of a gun.”
From “The High Ground”, ST:TNG, Season 3, Episode 12

And then he packaged it into a full-color, 6″ by 6″ coffee table book filled with images from all of the shows.

What Worked for Me

This book is beautiful and very fun to peruse. I can imagine fans gathering and pulling a random quote from the book and discussing for hours whether Picard was right or wrong. Or, if they are uber-geeks, playing a “Name the Source” game in which a quote is read and the players much accurately name the which show or movie it came from, bonus points for season and number!

What Didn’t Work for Me

Because of the thick paper and hardcover binding, it was really hard to keep it open without both hands. Of course, that’s probably not a problem unless you’re writing about it and pulling some quotes!

Travel-ability

Unlike most coffee table books, The Wisdom of Picard is very easy to take with you in a purse or backpack. When the pandemic ends, why not take it with you for some fun and games while eating delivered pizza in a hotel room?

Conclusion

Love him or leave him, you have to admit that the writers who wrote his dialogue had a lot of fun. And it shows in the quote-worthy quotes from the book. If you are a Next Gen fan, or possibly a new fan from the Picard series, and wish to get a little retrospective from the “life” of Picard, this little book is a cool find.

Score for The Wisdom of Picard: 4 Palm Trees out of 5 Possible

Grab your copy on Amazon today.

NOTE: Although I received this book free to review, that did not affect my opinion of the book. Read past reviews of books I’ve received for free and you’ll know I don’t hold my punches.