The Book of Joan: Tales Mirth, Mischief, and Manipulation

Joan and Melissa had one of the most celebrated mother-daughter relationships of all time. Her love for her daughter knew no bounds—or boundaries, apparently. ("Melissa, I acknowledge that you have boundaries. I just choose to not respect them.") In , Melissa shares stories (like when she was nine months old and her parents delivered her to Johnny Carson as a birthday gift), bons mots ("Missy, is there anything better than seeing a really good-looking couple pushing a baby that looks like a Sasquatch who got caught in a house fire?"), and life lessons from growing up in the Rosenberg-Rivers household ("I can do tips and discounts and figure out the number of gay men in an audience to make it a good show. That's all the math you'll ever need."). These were just the tip of the iceberg when it came to life in the family that Melissa describes as more Addams than Cleaver. And at the center of it all was a tiny blond force of nature. In , Melissa Rivers relates funny, poignant, and irreverent observations, thoughts, and tales about the woman who raised her (and is the reason she considers Valium one of the four basic food groups).