Elvis' Search for God [Hardcover]

Jess Stearn (Author), Larry Geller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1998

Elvis’ Search for God presents the deeply spiritual side of Elvis Presley, who devoted enormous amounts of effort pursuing metaphysical teachings in his search to find the true meaning of life. Among the insights this biography provides are the reasons behind Elvis’ many legendary gifts and devotional songs. Contains never-before-published facts and photographs.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jess Stearn is a former editor of Newsweek and the New York Daily News. He is the author of more than thirty books that are revered throughout the world, including #1 bestsellers.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 246 pages
• Publisher: Greenleaf Pubns; 1 edition (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883729076
• ISBN-13: 978-1883729073
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( P ) > Presley, Elvis

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book describes the real Elvis, March 19, 1999

By 

John Elvin - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elvis' Search for God (Hardcover)

All that time that we were enjoying Elvis' music, films, and personality, we never had an inkling that the spiritual life was important to him. Maybe this fact was deliberately withheld for the sake of his career. In any case, it is too bad that we did not really know him while he was alive. This book describes the real Elvis.

At the time he was born, a blue light surrounded his home. This was a sign that the spiritual would be important to him. It began in blood and thunder churches that he quickly rejected. Then he found gospel churches, where he learned to naturally move his body to exciting music. Then, after his career began, Larrry Geller entered his life. Of course, you never heard of Larry Geller, but he was Elvis' best friend and spiritual confidante for many years. Larry was a student of what is called metaphysics, a very broad field that Shirley MacLaine helped popularize. The author of the book, Jess Stearn, has also popularized it. The book describes Elvis' long interest in this field, from numerology to astrology to pre-Christian spirituality to Christ himself. For Elvis, it was a lonely path, as his friends and wife were not interested.

The book, like Out on a Limb, is a good introduction to metaphysics, and describes what a typical (if Elvis could be called typical) student experiences. His study helped him to face death with no qualms, and the book explains the real cause of his death (not drugs)

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but not fulfilling my expectations., March 9, 1999

By 

Frank M. Rega (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Elvis' Search for God (Hardcover)

This is a curious book. It gives an overview of Elvis' spiritual search as seen through the eyes of Larry Geller, his personal hairdresser and self-proclaimed Guru. Geller got Elvis to explore his spiritual side mainly through New Age readings and meditation, and his own conversations with him. But the book seems to be a series of anecdotes, and bits and pieces of information thrown together. It was interesting, but did not give the kind of insight into Elvis' spirituality that I was expecting from Mr. Stearn. Perhaps I am expecting too much - Elvis the mystic?

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Geller's the real deal--however..., April 15, 2006

By 

Andrew Tonkin (Burbank, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Elvis' Search for God (Hardcover)

this book is rather clumsily ghostwritten by Stearn, based on the input of Larry Geller, Elvis' hairstylist and spiritual guru for 13 years.

This book was written in about 1980, and has been published under two other titles, The Truth About Elvis and Elvis' Spiritual Journey. The contents and anecdotes are OK, but the book is written in a sort of rambling, non-narrative style. Should be called "Elvis the Nice Guy Anecdote Grab-Bag."

Anyway, Larry Geller got it right five years later when he joined with two better ghost-writers and put out the riveting and excellent If I Can Dream - now out of print, but available used here on Amazon. Do yourself a favor and read that instead of this.