Books by Laura Lee

For more information on the books, click on covers or headlines.  Most have links to pages specifically for these titles with excerpts, trivia, games and extra features.  *If you have a pop-up blocker... The pop-up on this page is a feature allowing you to browse inside the book Blame it On the Rain.

Broke is Beautiful The economic downturn has forced nearly everyone into a life of limited means, but author Laura Lee was broke before it was cool. She won’t tell anyone to clip coupons or forego their morning latte—in fact, she won’t give any guidance on how to be saved from a dark financial destiny. Instead she provides readers with a psychological how-to full of fun tidbits. Broke is Beautiful is an insightful compendium of history, inspiration, facts, and humor that all celebrate the lack of money as a gateway to more serenity, self-awareness, and yes, even security. In the tradition of Alain de Botton’s How Proust Can Change Your Life and Eric Wilson’s Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy, here is an unconventional take on a subject that is relevant to us all. It is quirky comfort for the (literally) poor soul: offering historical and geographic perspective, ponderings on consumerism and credit scores, and even recipes for ramen noodles. Read more on the Broke is Beautiful Blog. $12.95

A Child's Introduction to Ballet Written in cooperation with Valery Lantratov, People's Artist of Russia and director of the Russian National Ballet Foundation, Laura Lee's first children's book features ballet stories, history and fun facts with a CD featuring musical selections from such ballets as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Firebird and more. "If the child in your life longs to command center stage, this interactive book is a must... Perfect for the little dancer in your life!"-Cricket Magazine $19.95

Elvis Impersonation Kit 2006/Black Dog and Leventhal "... a well-researched, interesting little... book, which... manages somehow to both be slightly mocking of the Elvis Impersonator Phenomenon as well as respectful of it... I have no hesitation in recommending this book to Elvis Impersonators."-Paul Hyu ("Chinese Elvis") $19.95	Blame it on the Rain 2006/Harper Collins "Lee presents intriguing browsing items for history buffs."-Publishers Weekly "Students will enjoy Lee's concise, conversational style and the quirky relationship she identifies between humans and the forces of nature."-School Library Journal $13.95 Also available as an ebook
The 100 Most Dangerous Things in Everyday Life 2004/Broadway Books Featured on Good Morning America, CNN’s and Glamour Magazine. “...it is worth risking the perils to peruse Ms. Lee’s pages.  Her droll A (art supplies) through W (weekend) guide to the hazards of existence is both entertaining and edifying.  It is also, in this age of color-coded alerts, oddly comforting.” - The Wall Street Journal $12.95	Dictionaire des Contrairetes 2004/Stanké (French language edition) Available through the Canadian Amazon page by clicking on the cover above.
The Pocket Encyclopedia of Aggravations 2001/Black Dog and Leventhal “These are the maddening moments in life and they’re cataloged hilariously in Lee’s book… Her specialty is simplifying academic jargon and turning it into amusing information.” - St Petersburg Times   $12.95	Bad Predictions 2000/Elsewhere Press “A funny collection of serious statements that did not come true... I laughed at nearly every page...  In short, there’s something in this book for almost everyone. Highly recommended.” - Book Browser $15.95 Now only $5.00!!
Arlo, Alice and Anglicans 2000/Berkshire House/W.W. Norton “... mines a fascinating topic.” - Publisher’s Weekly $16.95	The Name’s Familiar II 2001/Pelican Publishing Sold Out! Visit Amazon.Com to Purchase
The Name’s Familiar 1999/Pelican Publishing “After reading this book, if you had to perform a Heimlich maneuver because of a Rubik’s Cube, you might not be prepared to save a life, but you could thoroughly educate the victim.” - The American Way Magazine Sold Out! Visit Amazon.com to Purchase	Invited to Sound 1996/Elsewhere Press $5.95

Schadenfreude, Baby! $14.95 Schadenfreude has taken hold in the American vernacular. This German word translates, roughly, as “pleasure taken at someone else’s misfortune,” and it has been mentioned more than once on The Daily Show The Simpsons, Boston Legal, The Colbert Report, and Two and a Half Men, and was the theme of a song in the musical Avenue Q.  This little book compiles scores of Schadenfreude moments, and takes a laughing look at our tendency to find humor in people's falls from grace.  The sometimes we find humor in the tumble itself, but it is just as often our own reactions that are the focus of my humor.  If you're a fan of the dark humor of books like The Darwin Awards you'll find much to love in this book.  If, on the other hand, you enjoy the way the Daily Show and Colbert Report skewer the 24 hour news media for following Paris Hilton with bated breath, you'll find a healthy dose of that as well.  The rich and powerful hoisted by their own petards, and the people who can't get enough of them are both treated in this little book.

Laura Lee is one of the few people in America who has worked as both a professional mime and a corporate speech writer for such companies as General Motors and The Ford Motor Company.  One of the founding members of the Vorpmi Improvisational Comedy Troupe, a radio announcer for many years and the former public relations director for the Moscow Ballet and current producer of ballet productions and educational projects with the Russian National Ballet Foundation, she is the author of numerous books.   Her writing has also appeared in such publications as The Futurist (cover story), Reader’s Digest, Seattle Magazine, Preservation, Smithsonian and Private Pilot.  Of her writing, The San Francisco Chronicle said, "Lee's dry, humorous tone makes her a charming companion… She has a penchant for wordplay that is irresistible."

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