Libraries and book stores everywhere are filled with biographies and coffee table books about the King. We will bypass these fine publications in favor of those that deal with the Elvis phenomenon rather than Elvis the musician/actor/icon. We present a short review of each book as well as a photo of each one. Click on any individual image to enlarge.

"ELVIS FOR BEGINNERS" BY JILL PEARLMAN-As good a place as any to start. This is a concise little gem which focuses on the social climate which produced and sustained the Elvis phenomenon. Plenty of insight on the forces that determined the directions that his career took. A fast moving trip filled with quotes, photos and illustrations by Wayne Wright. A worthy addition to your library.

"THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO ELVIS" BY FRANK COFFEY-Pretty much what you would expect from this series. Lots of trivia, quotes, tidbits and commentary spanning his entire life organized in the same format as all the other "Idiot's Guides". This is by no means a comprehensive guide but nonetheless a fairly entertaining read. Foreword by Dave Marsh.

"ELVIS IS EVERYWHERE" BY ROWLAND SCHERMAN-When Rowland Scherman was developing some film that he shot in New York, he was surprised to discover how often Elvis showed up in the photos. This planted the seed that led to this book. Wherever he went after that, he kept his eyes peeled for Elvis. This whimsical collection of images is the result of his quest. Elvis certainly is everywhere.

"IN SEARCH OF ELVIS" ET AL.-In the early nineties there was a flood of "Where's Waldo" ripoffs featuring Elvis as the subject of the search. The best of the bunch was "In Search of Elvis" with illustrations by Rick Sales and copy by Leslie Senvey. Others that were not as well executed and less complex include "Where's Elvis" and "In Search Of The King".

"WHERE'S ELVIS?" BY DAN KLEIN & HANS TEENSMA-This one combines elements of the two previous entries. Like Scherman's book it is comprised of photographs, mostly of crowd scenes. Like the Waldo books, you are challenged to find Elvis. The photos have been altered with Elvis' image superimposed somewhere within the scene.

"ELVIS SPOTTERS GUIDE" BY NIC VAN OUDTSHOORN-As long as we are searching for Elvis we may as well take a look at this minor oddity. It promises to provide everything you need to identify Elvis if he is in fact still out there. Actually it is little more than a poor man's Idiot's Guide, with trivia lists and a quiz. The "Elvis Ready Reckoner" and the "Easy Elvis Identifier" are the only on-topic parts of the book.

"THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO ELVIS" BY MICK FARREN-Another hodgepodge collection of Elvis stuff, with content comparable to the "Beginner's Guide". Topics are arranged alphabetically, from A "Aaron/Aron" to Z "Zevon, Warren". You will have to buy the book to find out the Zevon connection. Well written and entertaining.

"ON THE THRONE WITH THE KING" BY CHUCK OLIVER-"The ultimate bathroom Elvis trivia book". More Elvis trivia, this time in question and answer format. Q. What gift did Elvis present to Nixon, much to the shock of the Secret Service? A. Elvis gave the president a gun. Not much here that the hardcore fan wouldn't get right, but as good as anything else to occupy your time on the throne.

"THE ELVIS ATLAS" BY MICHAEL GRAY & ROGER OSBORNE-Still more Elvis trivia. This time in atlas format. Plenty of maps and charts showing where Elvis was and what he was doing at any given time. Well researched with impressive layout. Obviously a labor of love. This one definitely is a keeper and an essential part of your library.

"ROADSIDE ELVIS" ET AL.-Another trio of similar books. These things seem to come in threes. This time tourism is the focus as these guides provide a wide range of Elvis related sites to visit. None is better than the other, and each one provides a state by state breakdown of destinations for your next roadtrip. "Roadside Elvis" by Jack Barth is pictured here, mainly because it has the coolest cover. The others are "The Field Guide To Elvis Shrines" by Bill Yenne, and "Travels With Elvis" also by Jack Barth.

"ARE YOU HUNGRY TONIGHT?" COMPILED BY BRENDA ARLENE BUTLER-Elvis's favorite recipes are brought to you in one tidy package. Approximately 50 recipes broken down into the following categories; breakfast, soups and sandwiches, meat and potatoes, vegetables, and dessert. Eat like the King! Have fried cornmeal mush for breakfast and burnt bacon & mustard on rye toast for lunch. Yum!

"ELVIS FOR PRESIDENT" BY THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT THE KING-Brief satirical look at a possible presidential campaign. It was published to coincide with the 1992 presidential election. Considering how that one turned out, Elvis would have proved to have been a better choice, despite the deadness issue. Plenty of gags here; tax credits for bouffant hairdos, Richard Petty for Secretary of Transportation, and NEA funding of karaoke. Visualize if you will the sight of the presidental portrait done on black velvet!

"EVERYTHING ELVIS" BY JONI MABE-Probably the most extensive collection of Elvis memorabilia outside of Graceland belongs to Joni Mabe "The Elvis Babe". This well laid out book is short on narrative and long on pictures. There is some truly amazing stuff here, especially the items that she created herself. Fascinating.

"ALL THE KINGS THINGS" TEXT BY BILL YENNE, PHOTOS BY MING LOUIE-While Joni Mabe didn't start her collection until after Elvis' death, Robin Rosaaen began hers while she was still a little girl. This book displays her vast collection. A mere 35 pages provide less photographic detail but more narrative than the Mabe book. Worth a look!

"ELVIS RISING" EDITED BY KAY SLOAN AND CONSTANCE PIERCE-"Elvis Is Everywhere!" shouts the headline on the back cover of this one. Where have we heard that before? Moving into the world of fiction, we find here sixteen short stories, all with an Elvis tie-in. As in any such collection, the results are mixed. Probably the best known name here is W.P. Kinsella, who wrote "Shoeless Joe", which became the movie "Field Of Dreams". All in all a pretty entertaining read.

"MONDO ELVIS" EDITED BY LUCINDA EBERSOLE AND RICHARD PEABODY-Another anthology, this time by the editors of "Mondo Marilyn" and "Mondo Barbie". They keep their franchise going with more short stories and a few poems, once again centering on Elvis related themes. Contributors include Greil Marcus and Nick Cave. As much fun to read as "Elvis Rising"

"STARK RAVING ELVIS" BY WILLIAM McCRANOR HENDERSON-Here we have an Elvis themed novel. The story revolves around a young factory worker who sets out to become the number one Elvis impersonator. As the title suggests, he heads down the same self destructive path that led to the demise of the King himself. Needless to say, his dream turns into a nightmare as he sinks into total madness. Well written and worth your time.

"THE GOSPEL OF ELVIS" BY LOUIE LUDWIG-Gimmicky novel which presents the history of Elvis much as the Evangelists presented the life of Christ. Most characters have biblical names. Elvis is of course "The King". JFK is "The Savior". Oswald is "Judas". Puns abound. Carl Perkins is "Crispin". (St. Crispin is the patron saint of shoemakers). Disc jockeys are "Horsemen". Years have names, not numbers. 1958 is the "Year of John the Good". Footnotes are provided to inform the reader what all this means. Clever concept, however reading this thing is burdensome.

"THE TWO KINGS" BY A.J. JACOBS, ILLUSTRATED BY ERIC WHITE-More of that old time religion? Not quite! This a joke book of Elvis/Jesus comparisons. One sentence per page. Original drawings added as filler. Examples? Jesus is the Lord's shepherd...Elvis dated Cybill Shepherd. Jesus walked on water. (Matthew 14:25)...Elvis surfed. (Blue Hawaii 1961). Amusing bit of fluff.

"ELVIS! THE LAST WORD" COMPILED BY SANDRA CHORON AND BOB OSKAM- The 328 best (and worst) things anyone ever said about the King. Book of quotes. Self explanatory. One of the best; "That Elvis, man he's all there is. There ain't no more. Everything starts and ends with him" (Bruce Springsteen). One of the worst; "Elvis Presley-bloated, over the hill, adolescent entertainer-had nothing to do with excellence, just myth" (Marlon Brando). Umm...Marlon...sounds like you're describing yourself.