As a Trek fan since 1966 (yes, I was only 6 years old, and I tried hard to understand some of the complexities of the show on NBC, though I remember watching it with my dad and my brother, Rob), and having watched all the episodes of each series, as well as the spinoffs, including “Deep Space Nine,” I always thought I had to know everything Trek. Just when I thought I knew everything, I tune into an old episode to realize that I didn’t recall that actor Kelsey Grammer portrayed Capt. Morgan Bateson of the U.S.S. Bozeman in the “Star Trek: Next Generation” episode “Cause and Effect.” How did I forget that one?

Or the recurrence of the almost-perfect number 47 on many, many an episode, time and again. Gosh.

(However, I recalled the many excellent roles portrayed by actor Jeffrey Combs, most notably Weyoun on DS9 but also the Andorian, Shran, on “Star Trek: Enterprise.”)

I realized what a rich history the series has with many actors associated with it.

Coolest of all, from pages 92 and 93, are the devices that Trek inspired that were only a techno-geek’s wishful thinking in 1966 to 1968, such as the communicator (the cellphone), talking computers (Siri, Alexa, et. al.), the replicator (3D printers), tablets (iPad) and universal translators (the apps and websites) and others.

It's always fun to read these coffee-table books.