The Tao of Elvis

by David H. Rosen, MD
art by Diane Katz

“Magnificent … truly a work of art.
It brings to mind the inspired illuminated manuscripts
of the Middle Ages.” Sue Monk Kidd

— author of The Secret Life of Bees

Now Also in Paperback!

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The Inner Man vs The Mythical King

With a scholar’s mind and an Elvis-fan’s heart, eminent psychiatrist and Jungian analyst, Dr David H. Rosen, illuminates both the inner Elvis and the myth of Elvis.

Forty-two chapters representing the forty-two years of Elvis’s life contain interesting and inspiring quotations from the world’s most perceptive thinkers, as well as from the people who knew Elvis best.
In a most readable fashion, Rosen unites the varied voices into each chapter’s theme, such as:
“Innocence and Play,” “Darkness, Sorrow, and Sadness,” and “Love.”
view Table of Contents

Enjoy more Tao of Elvis artwork on our Featured page!

Including Essays by Two New York Times Best-Selling Authors

Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life,
has joined us with a foreword in which he asks pivotal questions about the destinies of Elvis and of America.
Read selections from Thomas Moore’s foreword.

Clarissa Pinkola Estés, author of Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype, has contributed a free-wheeling afterword passionately expressing how Elvis’s
“beautiful flame of life” rocked the post-war world, and rocks her still.
Read selections from the Clarissa Pinkola Estés afterword.

The Spiritual World of Elvis

While investigating Elvis’s jumpsuit beading and embroidery designs, artist Diane Katz discovered
that some designs seemed more than decorative: the Asian inspired Phoenix and Dragon suits,
the Egyptian Suit, the Aztec Calendar suit.… Then, she was surprised to discover a hidden world:
the spiritual world of Elvis!

Artist’s Notes, written by Katz, accompany each chapter. They include the reader in the artist’s creative process and share an array of interesting tidbits, many of which were collected with the assistance of:

• Larry Geller, Elvis’s confidant, hair stylist and spiritual guide, and they became friends.
  Geller is the author of Leaves of Elvis’ Garden: The Song of His Soul.
• Butch Polston. Polston, of B&K Enterprises, was bequeathed the original patterns for Elvis’s jumpsuits by late designer Bill Belew, and still works with the original designer/embroiderer, Gene Doucette, to recreate Elvis’s elaborate jumpsuits.

About the Author

Dr David H. Rosen is a physician, psychiatrist, and Jungian analyst. The vast array of his interests include finding meaning in suffering; spirituality as it relates to healing; dreams; all kinds of creativity, especially visual art and haiku; “egocide” as a meaningful alternative to killing oneself; and practicing what he preaches.

Rosen is the author of eight books, including The Tao of Jung: The Way of Integrity; The Healing Spirit of Haiku with co-author Joel Weishaus; Transforming Depression: Healing the Soul through Creativity (now in its third edition) written after interviewing survivors of jumps off the Golden Gate Bridge, and treating many suicidally depressed patients; Medicine as Human Experience with co-author Dr David Reiser, a classic in the field. Rosen’s books have been translated into many languages.

The initial holder of the McMillan Professorship in Analytical Psychology at Texas A&M University, Rosen hosts the Fay Lectures and edits the Fay Books in Analytical (Jungian) Psychology. Though retired, he is Affiliate Professor in Psychiatry at the Oregon Health & Science University.

Rosen’s penetrating stand-up comedy humor can be experienced in these wonderfully-quirky video renditions of “Dr Nada Live at Tiny Tavern.” and
“Dr Nada at Tiny Tavern, part II”

Rosen is also the lyricist of the blues song Where Elvis Lives — Hear it! and See it!

NEW! Creation story and vision quest, Lost in the Long White Cloud: Finding my Way Home is a memoir turned cinematic adventure story by the astonishingly honest, good-hearted and erudite David H. Rosen, MD.
(a Rosenberry Books designed, Wipf & Stock paperback edition)

Also of Interest

Tao of Elvis Cards & Prints

a healing coloring storybook David H. Rosen, MD