Former Utah County Commissioner Brent Morris is writing the book on Utah. Literally.
Morris, via his company American Heritage Publications, is putting together a coffee-table book that will be a who's who and what's what look at the state. The book is titled "Utah Profile" and will roll off the presses in September.Morris started out to publish a political yearbook, chronicling the state's political history and profiling elected officials. But he decided many books about Utah currently available left much unsaid. He added a chapter on economic development, then tourism and sports and so on.
The culmination 14 months later: a 420-page, 9-inch-by-12-inch, photo-packed giftbook/economic development tool/resource guide.
The 1991-92 "Utah Profile" - dedicated to the late Gov. Scott Matheson Sr. - features 11 chapters covering state government, education, arts, religion, economic development, sports, film commissions, travel regions, national forests, parks and monuments and counties and cities.
"I don't think we let anything slip through the cracks," Morris said.
Morris did all the research himself. Photographs used in the book - which total 1,510 - were supplied by some of the state's premiere photographers or historical associations.
What did he learn about the state that most surprised him? "The beauty of the small towns and the interest and character of the people in those towns," he said. "I don't think the majority of Utahns who live in the urban areas understand the beauty of the small towns."
Collecting the data contained in "Utah Profile," wasn't easy, Morris said. An example: The State Historical Society only had pictures of 16 of the 26 U.S. representatives who've served Utah in Washington, D.C. The State Archives had no pictures. The Library of Congress had only three.
Morris managed to come up with all but one of the missing photos. And he's confident he'll be able to find a photo of that representative, Jacob Johnson.
"This will be the first complete collection of the 26 representatives of the state," he said. He plans to donate a set of the photos to the State Historical Society.
The book will retail for between $60 and $80. The first printing will be marketed toward the people featured in the book - government and business leaders, economic development and tourism agencies.
Morris will go after the general public with later printings.
"This book is going to be an educational book for parents to teach their children about government and the state of Utah," Morris said.
The book will be updated every two years.
Morris plans to develop a computer version that, along with the book, could be used in 9th-grade history classes throughout the state. And he has other publishing ideas germinating, including a political magazine "of substance, not of gossip."
"That would be more fun that jumping back into the political arena," said Morris, an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Congress.