Book Review-The King and Dr. Nick, by George Nichopoulos, M.D. with Rose Clayton Phillips

This book spans the years Dr. Nick spent as Elvis’s personal doctor and the years after Elvis’s death. It shows the depth of Elvis’s personality, more than just his public persona, the man behind the King of Rock ‘N Roll. It depicts how Dr. Nick fought to clear his own name and Elvis’s from the cloud of “drug overdose”.

I found this book to be quite interesting. I am not a huge Elvis fan and I don’t know all that much about him. Before I read this book I just “knew” Elvis had died in the bathroom at Graceland from a heart attack believed to be caused by a drug overdose and years of drug abuse. True die hard Elvis fans would probably really enjoy this book (and the photos). The man portrayed by Dr. Nick was devoted to his daughter, loved to make people happy, and hated for anyone to be mad at him.

Dr. Nick discusses the struggles of treating a patient such as Elvis, because people with that kind of celebrity don’t want to hear “no”. And if they do hear “no” they have the resources to find someone who will say “yes”. Public figures have erratic schedules and demands on their time and energy that seriously impact their overall health and well being. It is obvious from this book that Dr. Nick truly cared for Elvis and his other patients.

But in the end, Dr. Nick made a nice scapegoat when people wanted someone to blame for Elvis’s death. There had to be someone to point the finger at when people wanted answers. And unfortunately that person was Dr. Nick. This book also highlights the power of public opinion versus facts presented.

If you are an Elvis fan, I highly recommend this book. And even if you aren’t, but want to know a little bit more about him, this is an excellent read.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”