His new book, "Turnaround," Mitt Romney says, is not his opening salvo for a presidential bid in 2008.

After several weeks of guiding the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah, Romney says he simply decided he should write a book about it. So he began speaking into a Dictaphone on his way to and from work — for three years.

"This really is an interesting story," he said Friday during a Utah visit.

Now the governor of Massachusetts, his is a familiar face to Utahns who remember his steady hand in rescuing the Salt Lake Olympics. He's in town to see one of his sons get married in the LDS Timpanogos Temple.

And to promote his book, "Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership and the Olympic Games," which has just been issued by conservative publishing house Regnery Press.

In the book, Romney says he was disillusioned when he met Tom Welch, long before he was approached to succeed Welch as the Olympics CEO. But Romney toned it down a bit in person: "Tom's style is not one I find disagreeable. I characterize him as a super salesman — a character. The book is not a Sunday school book, making everyone out to be a goody-two-shoes. My guess is I could enjoy hanging around Tom."

Romney was effusive in praise of his friend Kem Gardner, a Salt Lake developer and politician, whom he credits with getting him involved in the Olympics.

"Kem is the most outrageous guy I know — and I couldn't love him more. He's a character and the epitome of energy and passion, and has an 'aw shucks' style I find most endearing. If Kem had not pursued me the way he did, and sold me to the Olympic board the way he did, I wouldn't have come here.

"I didn't realize he was trying to sell me at the same he was trying to sell board members on me," Romney says. "He pulled off an extraordinary thing. He got me to believe I was badly wanted, and them to believe that I badly wanted the job. And, quite frankly, running the Olympics was the best experience of my professional life."

Romney also insists he had no intention of seeking a governorship — of either Massachusetts or Utah —when he took the Olympic job. Had he thought of running in Massachusetts, he says he would have stayed there and accepted the position he was offered as head of Massport, the airport and port authority.

He said it "made no sense" to him at all that he should ever run for Utah's governorship.

"A couple of people suggested it, and I said 'Why would I do that? I've lived in Massachusetts 30 years, and there are a lot of qualified Republicans in Utah ready for that job.' "