Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith (Cover Image May Vary)

Book Description

God never changes, nor do the central truths of Christianity. But our understanding of those truths is in constant flux. Christians will always be exploring and discovering what it means to live in harmony with God and each other. Now in softcover, Velvet Elvis offers original and refreshingly personal perspectives on what Christianity is really about.

Customer Reviews:

What if...?.......2007-10-19

"What if tomorrow someone digs up definitive proof that Jesus had a real, earthly, biological father named Larry, and archaeologists find Larry's tomb and do DNA samples and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the virgin birth was really just a bit of mythologizing the Gospel writers threw in to appeal to the followers of the Mithra and Dionysian religious cults that were hugely popular at the time of Jesus, whose gods had virgin births? But what if as you study the origin of the word virgin, you discover that the word virgin in the gospel of Matthew actually comes from the book of Isaiah, and then you find out that in the Hebrew language at that time, the word virgin could mean several things. And what if you discover that in the first century being "born of a virgin" also referred to a child whose mother became pregnant the first time she had intercourse?"

What if it was proven that Christ was not raised from the dead?

1Cr 15:14-20
And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up--if in fact the dead do not rise.
For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

It seems that some people would be better off if they didn't call themselves Christians.

What a refreshing book..........2007-10-09

"Just because I'm a Christian and I'm trying to articulate a Christian worldview doesn't mean I've got it nailed. I'm contributing to the discussion. God has spoken, and the rest is commentary, right?" Rob Bell commands the attention of his readers, even down to the blip on the back of the book. He encourages his readers to look at the Christian faith a little differently, from biblical history that describes Jesus as a real person to ideas of the Christian individual's role as a witness, with the environment, and in the church. Bell does not ask the reader to agree with him; in fact, he begs that the reader test and probe what he says. "Don't swallow it uncritically. Think about it. Wrestle with it." I just love that Bell is so humble--that he offers a lot of truth in the book, yet begs the reader to question it. It's time for the true Christianity to step forward. People like Rob Bell, who know they don't have it all right but keep at it, are the people who are leading the pack.

Fresh perspectives on ancient concepts.......2007-09-24

Rob Bell does an excellent job applying ancient concepts from early Christianity and Judaism to our modern world. Whereas many recent works on Christian spirituality fall short in substance, Velvet Elvis is strengthened by Bell's scriptural grounding and historical contexting.

For example, my favorite part of the book was the chapter on the significance of Christ's call to "follow me." Bell highlights how rare it was to be worthy of a rabbi asking you to follow him - you basically had to be in the MENSA of Talmud interpreters. In contrast, Christ invites mere fishermen to follow him. Thus, when Christ invites average people like us, he is showing the same confidence in us as the rabbis showed in their selected followers.

By placing in its proper context a portion of scripture that I had previously overlooked, Bell helped shed fresh, new light on my faith. Bell uses this new light to reenforce his ideas on what the church should like today.

I recommend this to both Christians and non-Christians alike. Bell may convince you that following Christ is actually much different than what you had assumed. I know he did for me.

Velvet Elvis, Contorting an analogy.......2007-09-21

I find a number of subtle and sometimes obvious faults in this book that make it dangerous. Throughout the book, particularly in the first few chapters, Mr. Bell makes a number of analogies which he contorts, stretches and forces. The most notable analogy relates to the velvet Elvis itself. It is never quite clear what the velvet Elvis typifies. On pages 10 and 11, one can surmise either Jesus, the Christian faith or the church. However, in the last paragraph on page 11 he states that Luther "never stopped rethinking and repainting the faith."

On the next page, Mr. Bell states that "I embrace the need to keep painting... I mean theology: the beliefs about God, Jesus, the Bible, salvation, the future. We must keep reforming the way the Christian faith is defined, lived, and explained." Whereas, I would agree that culturally, over the years and centuries adaptations and changes needed to be made -- specifically, with the outward appearance of dress and hair style and the place of women in the church. (Actually, in different parts of the world, culturally different practices continue to be used. Christian women in the Middle East and in some parts of the United States still wear head covering.) The basic tenets and faith principles have not been changed only rediscovered, and reapplied. Hebrews 6:1-3

On page 14, the statement is made "but this book is for those who need a fresh take on Jesus and what it means to live the kind of life he teaches us to live... this pursuit of Jesus is leading us backward as much as forward." To this I say: 1. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. 2. Growing from faith to faith does not imply that faith is being replaced but rather implies an increase in faith. The mustard seed is growing. 3. The church needs to change -- not God's Word or Jesus. Several times throughout his text and even on the back cover Rob Bell states "God has spoken, and the rest is commentary, right?" God's Word is inexorable and unchanging.

A number of senseless and vague statements are made throughout his text. On the surface they give a pretense of being deep but are rather nebulous, incongruous and convoluted. In chapter 1 on page 21 he states "Jesus' intention was, and is, to call people to live in tune with reality." (!?) Next he develops the analogy of springs on a trampoline and compares these to the doctrines of Christian faith. He contrasts this with what he claims is current theology that the Christian faith is inflexible and is like a brick that is fixed in size which "can't flex or change size because if it does then it can't fit into the wall." It seems to me that we're talking about a foundation upon which we can build the church or our faith and which needs to be unshakeable so that no storm can topple it. Sand certainly flexes and changes but does not make a good foundation. This is another example of him forcing an analogy and getting into trouble. Many of his statements thus far are too cutesy and contrived! -- done for sex appeal and to force interest and controversy.

Later he makes the statement that seems to imply that the creator, God the Father, is the painting. However, all that can be known of God is revealed in his son and his son is the true painting (what can be seen of the father) and can be visualized better by some them by others. On page 26 he states "what if tomorrow someone digs up definitive proof that Jesus had a real, earthly, biological father named Larry, and archaeologists find Larry's tomb and do DNA samples and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the virgin birth was really just a bit of mythologizing the Gospel...?"

To this I say -- what if the moon is made of green cheese? Why ask the question in the first place?

What if the Christian faith is that solid and that unique in that it is formed on bricks and not a trampoline? All the questions asked on page 28 and 29 are peripheral to the issue and are often used by unbelievers as an excuse to not take the final step of faith. We have all been taught as Christians and soul winners to listen to these arguments but to deflect them and get to the main issue which is what are you going to do with Jesus? His statement on page 30 "questions, no matter how shocking or blasphemous or arrogant or ignorant or raw, are rooted in humility" is pure baloney. At the bottom of the page he states "maybe that is what God is looking for -- people who don't just sit there and mindlessly accept whatever comes their way."

The Christian faith is a foundation not a trampoline. I would rather have a brick foundation than a trampoline for a foundation. It is interesting that in forcing and stretching his analogy he finally states that he is too exhausted to jump anymore and finally just "lies down on the mat and stares up at the vast blue sky above us." This is resting in your faith and in a firm foundation.

In chapter 2 on page 46 he makes the statement "once again, the Bible is open ended. It has to be interpreted." Interpreted by the Holy Spirit -- not by man. On page 48 he makes the statement that a rabbi may find "a new way to understand the Scriptures that was closer to what God intended than the way of the rabbis who had come before him." These are new truths and not new understandings of the truth.

On page 50, "giving the keys of the kingdom" was not Jesus giving authority to make new interpretations of the Bible but was for binding and loosing people who were enslaved that he might set the captives free. Page 55, second paragraph, he states "the Bible has to be interpreted. Decisions have to be made about what it means now, today." To this I say that many passages are not open to interpretation because with many passages there is no cultural or background bias.

I find it interesting that Mr. Bell uses analogies endlessly to make points but then objects to others using analogies. On page 62 he finds issue three paragraphs from the bottom with those who use the Bible-as-owners-manual metaphor.

He makes the comment that the Bible is "alive today" and then on page 63 he states that "it is a book of ancient narratives. We cannot make it something it is not." The details given in the Bible may be at times very specific but the truths are transcendent and not subject to interpretation.

On page 64 he states that John in writing his Gospel "has an agenda." To this I would say that it is God who has the agenda and directs John to inform us about it.

On page 65, third paragraph, he states "the Bible has the authority it does only because it contained stories about people interacting with the God who has all authority." The authority of the Scriptures does not come from being based in current events. If this were the case, the Koran and books in other religions would have the same authority. Further down he states "the authority is God who is acting in and through these people at that time and now these people at this time." The authority comes from the fact that it is the Word of God. The Bible does not imitate current events, current events mimic the Bible. Being contemporaneous does not equal authenticity. On page 66 he states that the "Bible tells a story. A story that isn't over. A story that is still being told. A story that we have a part to play in." To this I say that stories are only a small part of the Bible. Further down on this page he makes the remarkable and dangerous statement "the people who eventually wrote all of this down weren't sitting there with their hand and a pen moving as if controlled by some outside force. The writers of the Bible had agendas." God had the agenda -- Luke and John were just obedient.

In chapter 3 he really goes off the deep end. Here we go into the New Age philosophy which he so obviously espouses. On page 74 he asked the question in the first line "and is that something actually someone?" This statement was made after saying that he felt close to God when being out in nature and experiencing touchy-feely sensations. These experiences made him aware that there was something bigger in this universe. Does this mean that someone who does not know God can experience him? On page 77 he states that "the whole earth is full of the weight and significance of who God is." On page 80 he states "I claim and affirm the truth whenever I find it." Truth found in the world is not equivalent to truth found in the Bible. On page 81 he states "truth is available to everyone." I agree, Satan quoted scripture. In the final paragraph on this page he states "Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life. If you come across truth in any form it isn't outside your faith as a Christian. Your faith just got bigger. To be a Christian is to claim truth wherever you find it." Does this mean there is Truth in Buddhism, Islam and Hindu? Jesus said he was The Truth not a truth.

On page 83, in the middle of the page he states "for Jesus then, the point of religion is to help us connect with ultimate reality, God." Jesus is the one who provides the pathway -- The Way -- to God through forgiveness of sins.

At the top of the page 85 he states "he is teaching people to live as Christians, and then whatever they do will be sacred, holy work. Music already is worship. Music is praise. Music is sacred. Music is good." Music can be worship, praise, sacred and good. I think we are seeing some of Rob Bell's agenda in this statement. It is obvious that he used his background as a musician as a springboard and this probably has a lot to do with his success within his church. Parenthetically, I must say this last statement is conjecture on my part.

Page 86, middle of the page, he states "the Bible is filled with stories of God teaching people how to think. How to discern. How to sort and sift and figure out what is true and what isn't. What is good and what isn't. What brings life and what brings death." With this statement, he makes the claim that we are exclusively to work out our own salvation without the benefit of redemption or forgiveness of sins. On page 88, he states "so the issue isn't so much taking Jesus to people who don't have him, but going to a place and pointing out to the people there the creative, life-giving God who is already present in their midst." God may be there but Jesus the Redeemer is not. He criticizes the statement by missionaries who say they are about bringing God to the lost. He states that God is already there. God may be there but Jesus the Redeemer is not. The missionary is bringing salvation not God.

Nowhere in the book is the New Age Jesus more dramatically depicted than on page 92. He makes the statement "and Jesus is the life force that makes it possible... my friends are resonating with Jesus whether they acknowledge it or not... Jesus was up on that cliff with us that day... in affirming and celebrating all that they did that day on the cliff, my friends are closer to Jesus than they could ever imagine."

Finally, 107 pages into his book, first mention is made of redemption. On page 108, he makes the statement "the point of the cross isn't forgiveness. Forgiveness leads to something much bigger: restoration. God isn't just interested in the covering over of our sins; God wants to make us into the people we were originally created to be." The work of the cross was not the covering of our sins but the removal of them. The last line of page 109 states "but we can join a movement that is as wide and deep and big as the universe itself. Rocks and trees and birds and swamps and ecosystems. God's desire is to restore all of it." This is New Age, Mother Earth and bright Green! God is not interested in making us what we originally were intended to be. He has so much more for us than that. Because we now have free choice, he wants to make us free and not slaves. Heaven is so much better than the Garden of Eden.

The rest of this book is pretty much plain vanilla and not very profound. Consequently, there is not much that is controversial here.

On page 148, last paragraph, he states "for Jesus, this new kind of life in him is not about escaping this world but about making it a better place, here and now. The goal for Jesus isn't to get into heaven. The goal is to get heaven here." This is an unbalanced statement. Jesus made the comment that the poor we always have with us and he accepted spikenard, et cetera. His ultimate goal for us is in heaven. That is why he states that we should lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven by blessing people here today. On page 150, middle of the page, he makes the statement "and Jesus calls us to return to our true selves." To this I state we can't -- we must be born again. Further down, he states "we need you to you." New Age!! "We don't need a second anybody. We need the first to you." Social Gospel. Next page he states "trust Jesus can repair the scarred and broken image." He can't and you won't. It is his business to produce a new image/creation.

Page 158 is rather interesting, in the second paragraph he states "from day one (which is really day six). They are in intimate relationship and interaction with their environment. They are environmentalists... This is why litter and pollution are spiritual issues." It's really nice being Green!

He states "we cannot live independently of the world God has placed us in. We are intimately connected by God." However in the Bible we read that we are to be in this world but not of the world. On page 159, third paragraph from the bottom, he states "these people cannot be separated from their environment. One part falls out of harmony and everything is affected. As one text says, 'the whole creation has been groaning.' It is all thrown off." This is a stretch of the Scriptures. The groaning is part of the travail for the New Creation.

On page 160 he states "remember when God made the world, he called it good. Why would God destroy something he thinks is good?" In the Scriptures we read that God will create a New Heaven and a New Earth and the Old will be destroyed. Next page, he states "in Jesus, God is putting it all back together again." However, Jesus stated that he wanted to put in new wine in new wineskins.V

Rob Bell modern Christian.......2007-09-19

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith written by Rob Bell is a short novel, only 177pages.

Rob Bell is the founding Pastor of Mars Hill, a church in Grandville, Michigan. Bell graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He has written two books, Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith, and Sex God. Bell is also featured in a series of short films called NOOMA. He
and his wife Kristin have two boys.

Things that work about this book are, that the author has brought a broad view of what a person's individual interpretation of the Bible does and does not tell the audience. Bell uses everyday examples of family and ministry occurrences to inspire thought. He defines vocabulary terms that the society as a whole may be unfamiliar with.

Although the writer is obviously a Christian, he is
writing probing and eye-opening what-ifs on every other page. He tells the reader about his own struggles with faith and gives little tips throughout the book in the reading on how to hone in on the struggles of life and overcome them.

The book needed a larger font. Reading the script chosen was difficult because the line of the letters is so thin. When the editors separate chapters, they use sub-headings. This does nothing for the reader except distract from the reading.

Rob Bell has written a great novel in Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith. This book would be best for the Christian who needs a jumpstart, a person
seeking Christ, and for anyone who simply wants something to think about. Anyone who considers themselves spiritual in any way would finish this book without wondering why they started it.

Ultimately, Velvet Elvis will open the eyes of anyone reading it. This book would be especially interesting to the casual Christian reader.

Average customer rating:

Pretty good
I'll keep reading him because he's great but . . .
The Watchman
Righteous Thriller
DIVING INTO ADVENTURE IN THE PIKE POSITION

Watchman, The
Robert Crais
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1593550421
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Book Description

Larkin Conner Barkley lives like the City of Angels is hers for the taking. Young and staggeringly rich, she speeds through the city during its loneliest hours, blowing through red after red in her Aston Martin as if running for her life. Until out of nowhere a car appears, and with it the metal-on-metal explosion of a terrible accident. Dazed, Larkin attempts to help the other victims. And finds herself the sole witness in a secret federal investigation.

For maybe the first time in her life, Larkin wants to do the right thing. But by agreeing to cooperate with the authorities, she becomes the target for a relentless team of killers. And when the U.S. Marshals and the finest security money can buy can't protect her, Larkin's wealthy family turns to the one man money can't buy - Joe Pike.

Pike lives a world away from the palaces of Beverly Hills. He's an ex-cop, ex-Marine, ex-mercenary who owes a bad man a favor, and that favor is to keep Larkin alive. The one upside of the job is reuniting with Bud Flynn, Pike's LAPD training officer, and a man Pike reveres as a father. The downside is Larkin Barkley, who is the uncontrollable cover girl for self-destruction - and as deeply alone as Pike.

Pike commits himself to protecting the girl, but when they immediately come under fire, he realizes someone is selling them out. In defiance of Bud and the authorities, Pike drops off the grid with the girl and follows his own rules of survival: strike fast, hit hard, hunt down the hunters. With the help of private investigator Elvis Cole, Pike uncovers a web of lies and betrayals, and the stunning revelation that even the cops are not who they seem. As the body count rises, Pike's biggest threat might come from the girl herself, a lost soul in the City of Angels, determined to destroy herself unless Joe Pike can teach her the value of life…and love.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty good.......2007-10-17

I like Pike, but prefer Elvis as the protagonist. But all in all, this was an enjoyable read.

I'll keep reading him because he's great but . . ........2007-10-15

but THE WATCHMAN is so over the top I found myself smirking at every new twist. I just can't get away from the image of Paris Hilton, to whom Robert Crais has sworn the kind of devotion Sir Walter Raleigh gave to Queen Elizabeth I. Here disguised as "Larkin Conner Barkley" (always with the three names, as if she were Ivy Compton Burnett) and topped with a sultry mane of Lindsay Lohan's red hair, Paris Hilton has Joe Pike under her thumb from page one. At first she's devil may care and puffed up with paparazzi attitude, but as the pages go on and she's forced to live "The Simple Life" on the run with Joe and, to a lesser extent, Elvis Cole, she gets to appreciate the big guy's Marine Force Recon experience and even to love Elvis' quirky sense of humor same as we all do.

Joe opens up his heart to her--they begin to touch covertly--never anything erotic--just a pat here, a hand slithering down a knee there. All in the background of a truly confusing case I couldn't make any sense of.

I like Paris Hilton too but I don't write books about her claiming that she has the immortal romanric depths of Cathy in WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Robert Crais, you are whipped boy!

And worse, you have made John Chen into a total laughing stock. We always thought his "I'm in it for the tang" complex was amusing but he is now a total Pike slave and will do anything for the man. C'mon, Crais, read some post-colonial theory! Why is John Chen the total Kato to Joe Pike's Green Hornet? Get your houseboy somewhere else,

I like Joe's back story, the part in italics, these flashbacks help build up the picture we have heard in previous novels of Joe being abused by a stern dad and that's why he's now "the Watchman."

Will Paris Hilton--I mean "Larkin Conner Barkley" return in future novels? Maybe she'll bring Nicole Richie with her this time so that Elvis can have a new love affair. I'll keep reading Robert Crais because he's so great but this book is a gigantic celebrity love letter.

The Watchman.......2007-10-12

One of Robert Crais best. I couldn't stop once I started listening. Joe Pike really did his job this time.

Righteous Thriller.......2007-10-01

The Watchman is a superior thriller that kicks off as if you're in the middle of a tension-filled scene, and doesn't let up on the thrills and suspense until the very last pages. Crais knows how to keep the dialogue light, the action lean, and still sprinkle the whole book with healthy doses of humor.

Read the other reviewers' plot summaries if you want. I'm keeping this review lean, mean, and to the point. Like Joe Pike.

Recommended.

Highly.

DIVING INTO ADVENTURE IN THE PIKE POSITION.......2007-09-22

Joe Pike, silent partner in the Elvis Cole Detective Agency, takes center stage in this well orchestrated offering from Robert Crais, with Elvis Cole stepping into an important albeit "supporting role". For those who have followed the "strong, silent, mysterious Pike" through various Elvis Cole books.....we are finally offered a glimpse at Joe's military experiences, his time as an L.A.P.D. cop, and his relationship with his father. Joe may not be a guy brimming with emotion, but his quiet nature is perfectly fitted for this compelling character.

Recommended by his old police force partner Bud Flynn, Joe is hired to protect Larkin Barkley, the beautiful, spoiled and largely ignored daughter of a real estate tycoon. Joe must utilize all of his accumulated training and experience (as well as his Colt Python and Kimber) to keep both he and Larkin out of the reaches of assassins as well as government agents.

During the first few chapters of the book, I was so aggravated with the shallowness of the Larkin character, that I could have killed her myself.....or at least slapped the daylights out of her. (Crais must have used the antics of Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan and Brittany Spears for inspiration when developing this character). As the book progresses, Larkins behaviour is modified and the reader, like Pike and Cole, begins to relate to her. Larkin aside, I loved the pace, plot structure and language of this novel. It's an edgy thriller filled with enough action, plot twists, and body count to satisfy all lovers of suspense and daring exploits. Pike's appeal is his uncanny ability to anticipate the actions of his foes, and then out-plan and out-maneuver them.

Fact of the matter is that Crais talent with the written word creates vivid pictures in your mind that would translate beautifully onto the silver screen. I can see any number of actors as Joe Pike. Bruce, Harrison and Arnold are getting a little "long in the tooth" for this sort of action, but how about Daniel Craig, Gerard Butler, or Clive Owen? Check out The Watchman and see if you don't agree? If not, do your own casting......it's a free country and your entitled to your opinion too.

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith

Average customer rating:

Sorry, I want to, but I just cannot read this book
This is an Amazing book!!
Repainting Personal Views Only
Wonderful, Wonderful Book
Vince - Superintendent God-Botherer

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith
Rob Bell
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 031026345X

Book Description

We know there’s something more. We sense it, we feel it, we know it. And we want it. We want an authentic spirituality.

Customer Reviews:

Sorry, I want to, but I just cannot read this book.......2007-10-08

I am a long-time pastor (more than 40 years) of small (less than 50 regular attendance) churches in the mid-Atlantic region. I picked up this book based solely on the statement that a military chaplain whom I respect was using it. I had hopes that it would show me something new about sharing the gospel. I do find 'narrative preaching' a very important tool for reaching new Christians and the unchurched. It requires more and different preparation than has been my habit.

I cannot rely on this book to help me. It is a long standing debate among theologians as to the soundness of the principle that the end justifies the means. I am on the side that says NO to this proposition.

The public, easily verifiable, facts as to the history of the beginning Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids is very different from the history presented in this book. That conflict makes the rest of the book meaningless to me.

If you accept that the end is important enuff to justify deception as a means of sharing the Gospel, then you will have no problem with this book.

This is an Amazing book!!.......2007-07-21

Rob Bell writes just like he speaks, and thats what I love about Velvet Elvis, its just as powerful as the nooma videos.

Repainting Personal Views Only.......2007-06-22

Rob Bell is a gifted writer and has a knack for catching one's attention. But Repainting the Christian Faith is not something that needs to be done by Bell or anyone else. Rediscovering the Faith Once Delivered for the Saints is appropriate and right, but not thinking that we can come up with Something New Under the Sun.

As stated the book is intriguing yet at the same time deceiving from the standpoint that Bell likes to throw bombs, but never has to explain why they are thrown. Two such examples from early in the book.

First, Bell poses the question of if evidence could be produced to prove that Jesus was not born of a virgin could we still follow Jesus' teaching, could His message still carry the same weight. Bell throws this bomb and it is a good conversation starter, but he never cleans up his mess. Bell states very quickly that he does believe that fundamental principle, but he leaves it at that and does not tell the readers why the question is good, but that if the answer is NO (that Jesus was not born of a virgin) then Christianity is false and Jesus' words cannot be followed. This is the overrriding deception of this book and whether it is intentional or not, Bell needed to explain to the readers that while the question is good, the answer is important and foundational to the faith.

Second, Bell chides a large denomination for taking a stance on family relations, specifically on the wife submitting to her husband and claims that this denomation's entire meeting was centered around forcing a wife to submit to her husband. He does not name the denomination (it was the Southern Baptist Convention of 2000) but claims that they took Scripture out of context. Bell states, "did they not read the previous verse? Did they never read the verse that says a woman has authority over her husband?" This deceptive language is followed by a very faint endnote that in the hardback edition is almost impossible to read with the naked eye. Imagine the shock when a reader would track down this verse that says a woman has auhority over her husband to find the reference being 1 Corinthians 7:4 which is speaking specifically of conjugal rights, not hierarchy in the household. Bell who had just finished accusing a denomination of taking Scripture out of context to prove his point, does so by taking Scripture out of context to deceive those who don't check out the endnote.

It is for this reason alone that I cannot recommend this book to the novice reader who does not have a handle on their faith.

I would however recommend the book to those who are solid in their faith as a means to sharpen yourselves against those who, perhaps even in a desire to share Jesus, water down the gospel to a point where it may become ineffective. Remember, the size of his church does not mean that all is well.

Wonderful, Wonderful Book.......2007-06-08

I absolutely loved reading Rob Bell's perspective on God and faith. If you want to think about your spirituality, read this book. I found it to be uplifting and eye opening. Rob does not claim to have all the answers but, as he puts it, he adds to the dialog. I enjoy very much the dialog. It gave me a new perspective on my relationsip with God and feel I have grown closer to Him.
Thanks Rob, write some more!

Vince - Superintendent God-Botherer.......2007-05-31

We are on the verge of what could be a great revival, in America especially, that starts with Rob Bell and other Christ following leaders who can see through the traditions that have clouded the Christian faith in the west. Many have been encouraged to drop the traditions that have been passed as gospel truth for the last 100 years because Bell has been able to communicate what many of us have been thinking for a long time.

The Mystery Is The Truth !

Average customer rating:

poorly written
When the daughter of a tortilla tycoon is murdered, a detective ...
Only one criticism
Great addition to series
Joe Pike steals the show

L.A. Requiem
Robert Crais
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385495838
Release Date: 1999-06-01

Amazon.com

More than 10 years ago, I was shocked to learn that some puerile piece of fluff had won the Edgar for Best Paperback Original, when it was so obvious to me and virtually everyone else in the Western Hemisphere that the award should have gone to The Monkey's Raincoat, the book that introduced Elvis Cole, private eye, and is to this day one of the funniest books I've ever read.

The terrific Elvis Cole series has grown through the years, each book better than the last, but nothing prepared me for the quantum leap (yes, it's a cliché, but it belongs here) that Crais has made with L.A. Requiem. It's not as funny as the other books in the series, but it's a beautifully plotted detective story, rich with police procedure, and it will keep even the most sophisticated reader at sea right until the end. And that's what elevates this book to the level of literature.

This one is more about Joe Pike, Elvis's silent sidekick, than it is about Elvis. We learn, through Pike's own eyes, how his childhood made him the way he is today. It's also about a friendship so strong that it threatens Elvis's relationship with his beloved Lucy. It is a tender but dark book--a serial killer book--but it doesn't attempt to outgross the other serial killer books on the shelf. It is funny at times and chilling at other times, making it one of the rare books that can't help but linger in the memory long after it's been read and put away. --Otto Penzler

Book Description

Los Angeles is a city of perpetual reinvention. Inviting, with a promise of infinite hope, it can also be a glittering landscape of debilitating isolation. The city's lost souls take comfort in its promise--the notion that tomorrow could be the day to start all over again, to transform oneself into someone else. Someone more powerful, more beautiful, more daring.

At the core of L.A. Requiem is Joe Pike, a former cop with a past as dark and foreboding as his demeanor. His only stable relationship is with his partner of twelve years, Elvis Cole, a talented and quick-witted PI with skeletons in his own past.

When Pike's former lover is found dead at a reservoir in the Hollywood Hills, the duo is brought in by the woman's father to monitor the police investigation. But Pike's no stranger to the men and women in the LAPD's elite Robbery-Homicide Division, at least one of whom has been harboring a long-buried desire for revenge.

With a rich cast of characters reminiscent of Raymond Chandler's classic The Long Goodbye, L.A. Requiem is the apotheosis of Crais's writing career--a gripping novel that envelops Cole and Pike in an ever-tightening web of conspiracies, secrets, and mortal passions that threatens to destroy their friendship, and leave one, or both, dead.

Customer Reviews:

poorly written.......2007-09-29

I am beginning to think only those who love a book write a review. Others immediately dismiss it and go on to better reading. L.A. Requiem is my second attempt at Robert Crais. The first was Forgotten Man. This book was flat, characters were jumbled but I made my way through it. This highly touted L.A. Requiem just had to be better, but it isn't. The writing is poor. Elmore Leonard says to writers; don't write what they don't read. In Crais books I was skimming and scanning more than ever. At the rate I was skipping I could have finished it in nothing flat. Joe Pike, okay so he had a poor upbringing, he is just a rude man. Elvis Cole, oh who cares.

When the daughter of a tortilla tycoon is murdered, a detective ..........2007-08-07

... must solve the crime before his mysterious mercenary partner goes to prison as the prime suspect. Absorbing. Longer review available at my website the Impatient Reader. See My Amazon profile for URL.

Only one criticism.......2007-07-08

This is my third Elvis Cole novel. I find them exciting, "page turners", with humor. They are well written and intersting. There is one thing that reall bothers me, the totally unnecessary and gratuitous profanity, particulary using Jesus name in vain, that really bothers me. Thanks

Great addition to series.......2007-02-10

This is the 8th installment of the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series. Elvis is a wise cracking but hard working gumshoe in LA. Joe is a man of few words but incredible action and redefines the term "silent partner". In previous books Elvis has been the narrator/main protagonist with Joe slipping in and out when needed and the author has done a very good job of not bringing Joe into the fray to save the day a la Mr. Wizard. Because of this, those of us who have read the series know Elvis fairly well - Joe, not so much. That all changes in this book. The "case" in this volume begins when one of Joe's friend's, (!), daughter disappears and quickly spirals into the pursuit of a serial killer - all with Joe Pike as the fulcrum. I try to read series such as this in order, both for simple chronology reasons and also to enjoy an author's development. This book is a case in point of the latter. As stated in earlier reviews, the reader gets a whole new perspective on Joe Pike and he says more in this book than in all the previous combined. We learn of his past and even get inside his head. The story slides back and forth in time as well as in narrative perspective - not just Elvis this time - without missing a beat. Even with a couple of fairly predictable plot "twists" this is an extremely entertaining book. Highly recommended.

Joe Pike steals the show.......2006-12-24

With "The Last Detective" I read it for Elvis Cole. With this book I read it for Joe Pike. There was a lot of great aspects to this book. But, mostly the great characters keep you reading. Robert Crais has a way of developing a character exactly how you want them to be or how you would want them to act. Oddly enough I did not really like Elvis's girlfriend Lucy, this time. But, I think that was intended. The one problem with this book is that I felt it dragged a little in the middle. Several times in order to get to the actual scene you had to navigate through some (although very well written) divergence. That said I only read two of the Elvis Cole books and I intend to read the rest of them.

Average customer rating:

Good read
Good ,Light, Crime Novel
An excellent leisure choice for mystery fans.
Fast And Entertaining Detective Story
A man keeps disappearing

Indigo Slam: An Elvis Cole Novel
Robert Crais
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345435648
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Amazon.com

Readers who complain that there's too much wisecracking and cute icon worship in Robert Crais's books about Los Angeles private eye Elvis Cole will be glad to find these traits downplayed (but not totally disappeared) in this story about Cole's search for a missing printer whose specialty is funny money. The book is centered by the presence of the printer's three children--especially the motherly 15-year-old Teri and the obnoxious 12-year-old Charles--who hire Elvis from the phone book. Cole, hoping to become the stepfather of the son of his own lady love, gets sucked in by the children's combination of need and family unity, and soon finds himself in the middle of a shooting war between Russian gangsters, Vietnamese patriots, and ambiguous Federal agents. Previous Elvis outings in paperback: Sunset Express, Free Fall, Lullaby Town, The Monkey's Raincoat, Stalking the Angel, Voodoo River.

Book Description

Life in the California sun suits Elvis Cole—until the day a fifteen-year-old girl and her two younger siblings walk into his office. Then everything changes.

Three years ago, a Seattle family ran for their lives in a hail of bullets. Hired by three kids to find their missing father, Elvis now must pick up the cold pieces of a drama that began that night. What he finds is a sordid tale of high crimes and illicit drugs. As clues to a man’s secret life emerge from the shadows, Elvis knows he’s not just up against ruthless mobsters and some very angry Feds. He’s facing a storm of desperation and conspiracy—bearing down on three children whose only crime was their survival. . . .

Customer Reviews:

Good read.......2007-08-24

This is my first Robert Crais book but it won't be my last. I especially enjoyed his (the author's and Elvis's) voice - casual, laid back, self-deprecating.

Crais gets a lot of meat in one descriptive paragraph and, as such, is a master of characterization. I especially liked what he did with the kids and the girlfriend.

The plot twist at the end might have been a tad too much, but it was forgivable given all that went on before.

Good read.

Loren Christensen - coauthor of On Combat and a bunch of others.

Good ,Light, Crime Novel.......2007-06-22

Elvis is involved in finding the father of three mother-less children. As you probaly will guess the story becomes more involved. Elvis is great. Lucy his girlfriend is interviewing for a television job.
Joe Pike protects the kids. And Russian mobsters show up in Los Angelos.
This is a relaxing read.

An excellent leisure choice for mystery fans........2007-03-06

Robert Crais' INDIGO SLAM provides an involving Elvis Cole novel which receives David Stuart's winning voice and tells of a teen who entices Elvis to search for her missing father. The case should be easy - but the father is involved in the criminal underworld and soon Elvis is in over his head in this fun, involving mystery. An excellent leisure choice for mystery fans.

Fast And Entertaining Detective Story.......2006-06-02

It starts out simple enough. A 15-year-old girl and her two younger siblings hire Elvis Cole to find their father who has been missing for eleven days. The situation becomes extremely complicated from there. If you were to plot this story on a graph, it might end up looking like a spider's web. But Crais makes it work. This book was originally published in 1997 and reissued in 2003. It's a fast and entertaining read.

A man keeps disappearing.......2006-05-16

3 1/2 to four stars - definitely not five. A counterfeiter who acted as a government witness against Russian gangsters in Seattle is put into a witness protection program in Salt Lake City by Federal Marshalls. He disappears, along with his three children. Three years later, his children appear in Elvis Cole's office wanting him to find there father. They had been living under a new name in Los Angeles, and he went out 11 days earlier and has not come back. His oldest daughter, fifteen-year-old Teresa, has a wad of cash. Events move on from there.

The story is generally well written as Elvis looks for the father, encounters bad guys, finds the father, loses him again, and eventually finds him again. Along the way, he discovers other people are looking for the man, including the Russian gangsters and the Federal Marshalls Service. The Secret Service is also interested, and the FBI becomes involved along with the local police. In a side plot, Elvis also has to deal with his girlfriend's ex-husband.

There were, perhaps, too many twists added to the end of the story, and it became a little unreal. Also, the author's description of Seattle settings seemed a little off. Has he ever visited the city? He also keeps referring to Los Angeles hills as mountains. Perhaps he has never seen a real mountain.

Sunset Express: An Elvis Cole Novel (Elvis Cole Novels)

Average customer rating:

Enjoyed the audiotape
Decent
Easy Entertaining Read
Mediocre
Is evidence really evidence? (3.75 *s)

Sunset Express: An Elvis Cole Novel (Elvis Cole Novels)
Robert Crais
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345454944
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Book Description

Prominent restaurateur Teddy Martin is facing charges in his wife’s brutal murder. But he’s not going down without spending a bundle of cash on his defense. So his hotshot attorney hires P.I. Elvis Cole to find proof that Detective Angela Rossi tampered with the evidence. Rossi needs a way back to the fast track after falling hard during an internal investigation five years ago. But Cole needs to know if she’s desperate enough to falsify the case against Martin in order to secure her own position. As Cole and his partner Joe Pike work their way through a tangle of witnesses and an even greater tangle of media, they begin to suspect that it’s not the police who are behind the setup.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyed the audiotape.......2007-05-19

Lots of the reviews here give this one 3 or 4 stars. Perhaps it was the format, perhaps it was the end of the school year rush for me and the welcome respite this book provided. Perhaps I just liked it better. Nevertheless, it was a good thriller, despite the fact that problems with Elvis and Joe's case are telegraphed from miles away.

My audio version was read by a narrator who has done multiple tours as a reader for Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. So, the listener is naturally drawn to make comparisons between Elvis Cole/Joe Pike/Lucy and Spenser/Hawk/Susan. Readers familiar with them both can see the analogies already. "Sunset Express" is probably the most Spenser-like of the Cole novels I've read or listened to so far. Lots of relationship discussion (for Cole anyway, a little less than average for Spenser).

I give this one a grade of A-

Decent.......2007-05-01

I'm a big Robert Crais fan but I think he can do better than this one. While it was an exciting read, it was not very original because it draws too many comparisons to the OJ Simpson case. For example, you have a very wealthy man with lots of connections who hires a dream team of a defense counsel to represent him after getting charged with murdering his wife.

Again, there were some good dialog and action scenes but the storyline was not very original.

Easy Entertaining Read.......2007-03-05

Elvis Cole is hired by a famous Hollywood lawyer to investigate a police officer who found evidence that led to the arrest of the lawyer's client. The client is a wealthy restaurant owner. As it turns out Elvis is being used by the lawyer. There's lots of things going on and Elvis eventually discovers the truth. His girlfiend Lucy comes for a vist and Joe Pike gets on board the investigation. This is not one of the better Robert Crais's novels but it easy to read and entertaining. ( B).

Mediocre.......2006-10-30

This book is fast reading although it took about 150 pages to get going. The author balances the intertwined stories very well yet appears to do little to make the characters that he has created seem real. They are cardbord cutouts with little substance to them. Although not great, it certainly does qualify as a fast and easy read even though much of the story is quite predictable.

Is evidence really evidence? (3.75 *s).......2006-05-28

Being a Crais first-timer, one is immediately struck by the similarities to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series: set in LA, the main character, Elvis Cole, lives in a house on a hill on stilts where coyotes and hawks are observed and heard, the geography of LA is amply described, and romantic pursuits seem to be difficult for one reason or the other. Both Harry Bosch and Elvis Cole are good guys that are not fully appreciated, though Bosch operates within the LAPD and Cole is a PI.

SUNSET EXPRESS is essentially a story of what money can buy a defendant: an expensive team of lawyers that is quite capable of manipulating public opinion, if not actually creating evidence, to favor the client. Cole is hired by high-priced lawyer Jonathan Green to track down leads/tips that could lead to the exoneration of well-to-do entrepreneur Teddy Martin accused of murdering his wife. Cole becomes a bit of celebrity as his findings make the local news in orchestrated press briefings. But Cole's uneasiness ratchets up when his conclusions are distorted by the Green team.

The book is well-paced with a sound plot, though some contend that it is not Crais' strongest. The character development is rather minimal but Cole's attempt at forming a relationship with Louisiana lawyer Lucy Chenier is appealing and revealing. Recommended - will read others.

Average customer rating:

Should have been better
Hard to put down this story
The Forgotten Man
A big disappointment
good, easy reading

The Forgotten Man (Elvis Cole Novels)
Robert Crais
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345451910
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Book Description

Elvis Cole is back...

With his acclaimed bestsellers, Hostage (a New York Times Notable Book) and Demolition Angel, Robert Crais drew raves for his unstoppable pacing, edgy characterizations, and cinematic prose. Now, in The Last Detective, Crais returns to his signature character, Los Angeles private investigator Elvis Cole, in a masterful page-turner that probes the meaning of family and the burdens of the past.

Elvis Cole's relationship with attorney Lucy Chenier is strained. When she moved from Louisiana to join Elvis in Los Angeles, she never dreamed that violence would so easily touch her life -- but then the unthinkable happens. While Lucy is away on business and her ten-year-old son, Ben, is staying with Elvis, Ben disappears without a trace. Desperate to believe that the boy has run away, evidence soon mounts to suggest a much darker scenario.

Joining forces with his enigmatic partner, Joe Pike, Elvis frantically searches for Ben with the help of LAPD Detective Carol Starkey, as Lucy's wealthy, oil-industry ex-husband attempts to wrest control of the investigation. Amid the maelstrom of personal conflicts, Elvis and Joe are forced to consider a more troubling lead -- one indicating that Ben's disappearance is connected to a terrible, long-held secret from Elvis Cole's past.

Venturing deep inside a complex psyche, Crais explores Elvis's need for family - the military that embraced him during a troubled adolescence, his rock-solid partnership with Pike, and his floundering relationship with Lucy - as they race the clock in their search for Ben. The Last Detective is Robert Crais' richest, most intense tale of suspense yet.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

In his major New York Times bestseller, THE LAST DETECTIVE, Robert Crais returned to his signature characters, private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner, Joe Pike. Now Crais delivers a stunning, edge-of-your-seat suspense novel that leads Elvis to the very thing he’s always searched for—the dark secrets of his own life…as well as a brutal killer determined to stop him.

Los Angeles, 3:58 a.m.: Elvis Cole receives the phone call he’s been waiting for since childhood. Responding to a gunshot, the LAPD has found an injured man in an alleyway. He has told the officer on the scene that he is looking for his son, Elvis Cole. Minutes later, the man is dead.

Haunted throughout his life by a lack of knowledge about his father, Elvis turns to the one person who can help him navigate the minefield of his past— his longtime partner and confidant, Joe Pike. Together with hard-edged LAPD detective, Carol Starkey, they launch a feverish search for the dead man’s identity—even as Elvis struggles between wanting to believe he’s found his father at last and allowing his suspicions to hold him back. With each long-buried clue they unearth, a frightening picture begins to emerge about who the dead man might have been and the terrible secret he’s been guarding.

At the same time, Elvis has no way of knowing he has awakened a sleeping monster. The further he goes in his investigation, the closer he draws to a merciless killer who is violently connected to the unidentified man’s past. This psychopath believes Cole is hunting him, and he goes on the attack to find Elvis before Elvis can find him.

Summoning all the powerful elements that have made Robert Crais one of the preeminent crime writers today, THE FORGOTTEN MAN is a spectacular tour-de-force of suspense and intrigue.

Customer Reviews:

Should have been better.......2007-09-27

I've read all the Elvis Cole novels and I found this one to be lacking cohesion.There was just too much going on and the basic premise of the story turned out to be unfulfilling.I'm not going to get into re-telling the story because that has been done by other reviewers. I would have liked to have had Joe Pike more involved in the story.I feel he is a much more interesting character than Elvis Cole.The pointless inclusion of the ex-girlfriend and Detective Starkey's pathetic pining for Cole was a waste of paper.I gave it 3 stars because even though it was not up to Robert Crais usual standards, it was alright.

Hard to put down this story.......2007-09-11

This is my second Robert Crais novel, and if I'm right I have somewhere between 7 or 8 books to go. With that said I have some excellent books to look forward to. I thought that "The Forgotten Man" was well written, and the story flowed evenly from one chapter to the next. By midway in the story I found it hard to put the book down, but I did and picked it up the very next day. There was plenty of action surrounding the turbulent life of the private detective, Elvis Cole. I highly recommend this book.

The Forgotten Man.......2007-08-06

At the scene of a crime, a gunshot victim tells an officer that he is looking for his son, Elvis Cole. By the time Elvis is notified and reaches the man, he has passed away. Elvis isn't sure whether he is related to the dead man or not. While growing up, his mother never divulged the identity of his real father, and Elvis has been searching all his life for this mysterious person.

Elvis and his partner, Joe Pike, along with LAPD detective Carol Starkey, begin an intense search to identify the dead man. What they unearth reveals a man with a secret past linked to murder. Unknown to Elvis, he has been targeted by a killer who is intent on keeping the secret intact.

The plot was easy to follow and the mystery fairly easy to resolve. This is a well-written novel, especially pertaining to Elvis's feelings about his childhood and his unknown father. The Elvis Cole series continues to strengthen with each outing and reveal, layer by layer, what makes Elvis Cole tick.

A big disappointment.......2007-06-12

"The Forgotten Man" is a far cry from "The Last Detective." It wanders for 356 pages to a ridiculous ending. Overwritten and not at all helped by the whining Carol Starkey and her fantasies about Elvis Cole.

good, easy reading.......2007-06-11

Robert Crais novels are like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels. It is easy reading, good, and funny (with a dose of adventure and mystery)

Average customer rating:

Good, but Jerry Schilling is missing from this book...
Interesting enough
Elvis by the Presleys
The King
Great book, wonderful insight! Loved it!

Elvis by the Presleys
Priscilla Presley , and Lisa Marie Presley
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0307237419
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Amazon.com

Think of Elvis by the Presleys as the ultimate souvenir guide from your tour of Graceland. The 256 pages are packed with family photos, reminisces, and still-life photography of Elvis's possessions. The book is also a companion volume to the multimdedia event that brings the personal side of Elvis to the masses from the recollections of just six family members: wife Priscilla; daughter Lisa Marie; cousin Patsy; along with Priscilla's mom, dad, and sister. Many of the words written here were not in the TV show but one assumes what will make this a keeper are the photos. Along with candid shots, there are stills of the home movies seen on the CBS special (and subsequent--and expanded--DVD), and the still life shots by Henry Leutwyler get your mind racing. Here one can dwell on Elvis's guitar and think of all the music that came out of it. You can spy his phonograph with the record that was on it when he died, his wallet, an autographed Bible, his first contract, a hand-drawn football play, even his FBI badge along with pristine views inside Graceland. Some shots seem like filler (a boot, "with the original mud," Lisa Marie's crayons), but the overall impression is you are viewing pieces from the Museum of Cool, circa 1970. Several of Pricilla's passages and some of the images allude to Elvis's dark side: the massive reference book on pills and three guns are shown (plus the TV Elvis shot) looking like items from a murder investigation. Ultimately, do we really learn anything new about Elvis? Perhaps not, but there are several segments where Priscilla (the main voice) draws us in with her emotional recollections. The book (and program) is never better than telling the courtship in Germany when a homesick solider found an older-than-her-age 9th grader. Elvis by the Presleys does not try to be compressive; it succeeds as a warmer, more heartfelt tribute to The King. --Doug Thomas

Book Description

For the first time, the inside story of legendary entertainer Elvis Presley’s life as a husband, father, son, cousin, friend, spiritual seeker — Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley, and other family members, come together to memorialize our greatest star in this stunningly illustrated companion to a major television special and longer-form documentary.

Elvis by the Presleys is a uniquely fascinating treasure and serves as the essential companion to a major television special on CBS and, from Sony BMG, a longer-form documentary DVD and its related CD. Culled from hours of new family interviews conducted for the television special and DVD (much of it appearing exclusively in this book), enhanced with Elvis quotes, and illustrated with private family photographs and images of personal memorabilia from the archives of Graceland/Elvis Presley Enterprises, Elvis by the Presleys is an extraordinary document about an extraordinary figure.

In all, the book is the compelling result of a historic gathering of voices of those who not only witnessed from the wings Elvis Presley’s public life, but also knew the superstar out of the spotlight. His former wife Priscilla Presley, their daughter Lisa Marie Presley, his cousin Patsy Presley Geranen, Priscilla’s parents, and members of the combined and extended families sensitively and candidly share their intimate perspective on the real person, while at the same time celebrating one of America’s greatest stars.

As Priscilla Presley puts it in Elvis by the Presleys, “Who can think of Elvis without thinking of Graceland?” Here Graceland is seen as a teeming family retreat, where the kitchen was the center of operations; where tag football games were played in the yard; where folks drove golf carts up and down the hills; and where Elvis spent many of his happiest times.

Elvis by the Presleys reveals life at Graceland like never before. We witness the arc of his love affair with Priscilla; Elvis as a father to his adored Lisa Marie; his obsessions and passions; and the strength of his musical legacy, which continues unabated to this day. There are Christmas cards here, too; contracts and invoices; selections from Lisa Marie’s childhood scrapbook; and even a picture of the champagne bottle (signed) from Elvis and Priscilla’s wedding.

Here, now, is the tumultuous story of the life of a lovely yet complex man; a portrait of the career of a brilliantly accomplished yet often frustrated artist; an insider’s tale of enduring love, related with warmth and unguarded candor . . . and a story told the way only a family can tell it.

2-hour CBS special airs May 2005

4-hour Sony BMG documentary DVDand its companion CD in stores May 2005

The DVD is a longer-form presentation of the footage edited for the special. Both the special and the DVD are comprised of the family interviews, private home movies, performance footage and interviews, and photography — some of the material rare, some never before available to the public.

The CD of Elvis’s music features Elvis classics, hidden treasures, rarities and family favorites.

Customer Reviews:

Good, but Jerry Schilling is missing from this book..........2007-04-10

This book is a very good companion to the DVD set. I enjoyed both and felt I got to know lots more about Elvis and Priscilla (a talented and charismatic woman in her own right). However, I was wondering why there is so much of the excellent Jerry Schilling in the "Elvis by the Presleys" DVDs and nothing from, or about, Jerry in this companion book. Jerry was clearly a great and devoted friend to Elvis for so many years and he is mysteriously missing from this book -- even in epidodes which we know he was involved in (as he tells the stories himself in the DVD's). Most notable of these episodes is Jerry's relating of the time that he and Elvis went to see President Nixon at the White House so that Elvis could volunteer his services to combat drug abuse. Jerry tells the story so well in the DVD, yet his presence at this event is omitted in the book. Priscilla fans will be delighted by a fascinating photo of a long letter written by the teenaged Priscilla to Elvis from Germany when she was about age 16. Anyone who reads it can never believe any of the nonsense out there about Priscilla's parents wanting or encouraging her to live with Elvis at such a young age. The letter makes it clear that she is most determined to do this despite strong resistance by her father (especially) but she intends to persevere until she convinces him to let her leave Germany and finish high school in Memphis. All in all, the "Elvis by the Presleys" book and DVD set are highly enjoyable for the true Elvis fan.

Interesting enough.......2007-03-29

Fairly interesting. Some side stories from family members & friends some photos that weren't very interesting (photos of everyday objects with no real importance to the story of Elvis). Funny that they focus so much on his spiritual side, considering that they are into the "Church of Sciencetology" (or however you spell it). Can't imagine anyone being serious about that group. But it makes me wonder how Elvis would have felt if he'd known about his ex involving his daughter in such a group. I hope on some level these women believe in something other than aliens conjured up by some science - fiction writer. Anyway I just thought it was funny that these two would focus so much on that side of his personality. The book was ok but not as interesting as I thought it would be when I ordered .

Elvis by the Presleys.......2007-03-09

Very interesting read. Gave to life long fan of Elvis.

The King.......2007-03-09

Great book,every Elvis fan should have it. In pair with the DVD it makes a great collection. It makes Elvis even greater entertainer and person. Long live Rock and Roll!

Great book, wonderful insight! Loved it!.......2006-03-22

Loved the stories from Elvis' loved ones - it's nice to hear their version instead of from biographers and jaded celebrities.

Me and a Guy Named Elvis: My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley

Average customer rating:

Thanks, Jerry! Best Elvis book ever written!!!!
One of the Best I've read
Outstanding
Review of book
Very entertaining and Good Book

Me and a Guy Named Elvis: My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley
Jerry Schilling , and Chuck Crisafulli
Manufacturer: Gotham
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1592402313

Book Description

An intimate memoir of a friendship with the greatest artist in rock and roll history, taking you from late-night parties at Graceland to the bright lights of Hollywood sets and glittering stages of Vegas

On a lazy Sunday in 1954, twelve-year-old Jerry Schilling wandered into a Memphis touch football game, only to discover that his team was quarterbacked by a nineteen-year-old Elvis Presley, the local teenager whose first record, “That's All Right,” had just debuted on Memphis radio. The two became fast friends, even as Elvis turned into the world's biggest star. In 1964, Elvis invited Jerry to work for him as part of his “Memphis Mafia,” and Jerry soon found himself living with Elvis full-time in a Bel Air mansion and, later, in his own room at Graceland. Over the next thirteen years Jerry would work for Elvis in various capacities—from bodyguard to photo double to co-executive producer on a karate film. But more than anything else he was Elvis's close friend and confidant: Elvis trusted Jerry with protecting his life when he received death threats, he asked Jerry to drive him and Priscilla to the hospital the day Lisa Marie was born and to accompany him during the famous “lost weekend” when he traveled to meet President Nixon at the White House.

Me and a Guy Named Elvis looks at Presley from a friend's perspective, offering readers the man rather than the icon—including insights into the creative frustrations that lead to Elvis's abuse of prescription medicine and his tragic death. Jerry offers never-before-told stories about life inside Elvis's inner circle and an emotional recounting of the great times, hard times, and unique times he and Elvis shared. These vivid memories will be priceless to Elvis's millions of fans, and the compelling story will fascinate an even wider audience. BACKCOVER: Advance Praise for Me and a Guy Named Elvis

“This book kept me up late into the night as I turned the pages, reliving every situation and every story as if I were there all over again, until I finished. Jerry Schilling's words brought tears to my eyes, making me smile and nod as it filled my head with things I had forgotten but thankfully he remembered. Jerry tells his story with the freshness and purity of a man who truly loved his friend. Me and a Guy Named Elvis is not only authentic, honest, and truly moving—it is a marvel.”
—Priscilla Presley

“Jerry had the keys to the kingdom, the keys to the King's houses, to the King's cars, to the heart of what made Elvis a King in the first place. Here he unlocks every door and his own heart to boot. In this book, Jerry Schilling brings grace to Graceland.”
—Bono

“Jerry Schilling has captured the beauty of my father's spirit in a way that has never been done before. I will admit that I was nervous to read another book on this subject, especially by a friend (there are not many who remain in my life from this time period, as Jerry does), but this book is by far my favorite. It is a captivating, well-written, and un-crucifying account of many historic moments that shows the real birth and evolution of Rock and Roll and how it bridged the racial divide. Jerry tells his story of a young boy growing up poor with no real family before fate changed his life during one Sunday afternoon game of football—and he tells it with humility, honesty, and dignity.”
—Lisa Marie Presley

“What Jerry Schilling has written in Me and a Guy Named Elvis is an account of one man's experience, a personal memoir that, while it places its narrator squarely in the midst of historic events, never claims credit for those events in the way that so many self-serving memoirs are inclined to do. It is a balanced treatment of a complex subject . . . What I think distinguishes the book most of all, though, is its emotional honesty, the generosity of spirit with which Jerry seeks to emulate his friend and mentor.”
—Peter Guralnick, author of Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love

Customer Reviews:

Thanks, Jerry! Best Elvis book ever written!!!!.......2007-09-19

I couldn't put the book down. After reading this book, I feel as if I know Elvis, the man, not just the entertainer. Jerry, you had quite an exciting life being there with Elvis through the good times and the bad. Elvis was lucky to have a loyal friend such as you. I recently was on the first ever "Elvis Cruise" to the Bahamas and was honored to have met you and have you autograph the book for me. I recommend this book to all Elvis fans. You won't be disappointed.

One of the Best I've read.......2007-09-17

Me and a Guy Names Elvis is a wonderful read. It was nice to read a book about a true friend by a true friend. This 30 year mark hit home big time. With my age being 42 I felt so heart sick to think of Elvis dying so young. His talented life in front of him and a future with a daughter he never saw grow up. Jerry Schilling did a wonderful job writing this book. I hope Elvis fans stop reading the rest of the crap that's out there and sit to read this. He lost a good friend indeed.

Outstanding.......2007-09-13

This is a poignant biography of Elvis Presley written by a true friend who never betrayed him.

Review of book.......2007-09-05

I received the book in a timely manner and the condition of book was as stated which was in very good condition. I am very pleased the this transaction and would highly recommend seller.

Very entertaining and Good Book.......2007-09-04

I've read alot of Elvis book. Jerry Schilling seems to tell both sides, not all great things about Elvis because even Elvis was not perfect , but Jerry seems to tell the truth. I like that in the book. The book takes a few chapters to really get going but once it does, I was glued. I think I read the entire book in a weekend. getting ready to read it again.

This book is a must read for Elvis fans. Jerry Schilling is a great guy.
thanks
Adam

Average customer rating:

Elvis at 21 Book
THE Best Elvis Book
spectacular
Elvis at 21 book
Elvis at 21

Elvis at 21: New York to Memphis
Alfred Wertheimer
Manufacturer: Insight Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Portraits | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1933784016
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

In 1956, a twenty-one-year-old Elvis Presley was at the beginning of his remarkable and unparalleled career and photographer Alfred Wertheimer was asked by Presley’s new label, RCA Victor, to photograph the rising star. With unimpeded access to the young performer, Wertheimer was able to capture the unguarded and everyday moments in Elvis' life during that crucial year, a year that took him from Tupelo, Mississippi to the silver screen, and to the verge of international stardom and his crowning as "The King of Rock 'n' Roll.” As Alfred Wertheimer photographed Elvis during 1956, and again in 1958, he created classic images that are spontaneous, unrehearsed and completely without artifice.
Wertheimer’s photographs of Elvis are extraordinary and he appears almost ethereal, whether reading a newspaper while waiting for a cab, or washing his hands during one of his many train trips. After 1958 and Elvis’ induction into the army, the world seemingly forgot about Wertheimer’s magical photographs- for nineteen years- until Aug 16, 1977, the day Elvis died and Time Magazine called. “The phone hasn’t really stopped ringing in the last thirty years,” observes Wertheimer.
Many of the photographs in this visual treasury are previously unpublished and some have become almost as famous as the man himself.

Customer Reviews:

Elvis at 21 Book.......2007-06-30

i Love this Book it has very good quality photos of the king in his prime!

THE Best Elvis Book.......2007-04-11

If you only have one Elvis book in your library, or one photography book, let it be "Elvis at 21"...you will never buy a more sumptuous volume. The printing of the images is phenomenal, with wonderful use of gatefolds. It is one of the very few art books I've bought that I didn't balk at the retail price.

Wertheimer's photographs are collectively an artifact of our cultural history. It's amazing to see so many of them gathered together and in sequence. A much smaller selection of this body of work was published about 20 years ago as "Elvis '56"--this was my one-book-in-the-library, even back when I only had a photocopied edition. With this expansion, a whole new king is crowned.

2007 is of course the 30th anniversary of the King's passing. The world should expect a vast onslaught of new and revised offerings on the man. "Elvis at 21" throws down an early gauntlet so firmly, the other publishers might just as well crawl back into their niches.

Buy it, and wear a bib so you don't ruin the pages with your drool.

spectacular.......2007-02-14

the photographs are spectacular, but where is the non-limited edition that i've seen retail in the bookstore for $65?

Elvis at 21 book.......2007-01-20

This book is beautiful. The pictures are excellent and it is nice to have as a collectors item for any Elvis fan or give as a gift to any Elvis fan.

Elvis at 21.......2007-01-17

Alfred Wertheimer's photos is this book are FANTASTIC! It is a rare treat to be able to see Elvis at this stage in his life... when he was doing what he loved while still able to go in to restaurants, walk the streets, etc. and be recognized and appreciated by people around him, without being mobbed. What a wonderful time to cherish in these photographs.

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