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## What Herbert Solow’s Account Tells Us
Herb Solow’s perspective on the *Star Trek* production history is the most detailed inside account available from anyone at the executive level of Desilu during the relevant period. His book *Inside Star Trek: The Real Story*, co-authored with Robert Justman and published in 1996, provides information about the development period, the network negotiations, and the internal Desilu dynamics that is not available from any other source with comparable access.
Solow’s account is shaped by his perspective: he was a central participant in the events he describes, and his characterization of his own role is naturally colored by that participation. His account of his negotiations with NBC over Spock’s ears, his defense of *Star Trek* before the board, and his role in managing the relationship between Roddenberry and the network reflects genuine involvement with these events, while also reflecting the perspective of someone who has a stake in how those events are remembered.
His characterization of Ball’s role — that she did not understand *Star Trek*, that her approval was based on trust in his judgment rather than assessment of the show’s content — is consistent with other accounts and is probably accurate as a description of her level of engagement with the show’s creative content. It does not, however, diminish the significance of the institutional decision she made. Corporate governance is a function distinct from creative judgment, and the significance of Ball’s override of the board vote does not depend on her having been a *Star Trek* enthusiast.