"Joan Rivers was more than a legendary comedian; she was an icon and a role model to millions, a fearless pioneer who left a legacy of expanded opportunity when she died in 2014. Her life was a dramatic roller-coaster of triumphant highs and devastating lows: the suicide of her husband, her feud with Johnny Carson, her estrangement from her daughter, her many plastic surgeries, her ferocious ambition and her massive insecurities. But Rivers' career was also hugely significant in American cultural history, breaking down barriers for her gender and pushing the boundaries of truth-telling for women in public life."--Amazon.com.

Includes index.

Nobody ever wanted it more : but she has no talent! -- Dying is easy. Comedy is hard -- Dicks and balls : breaking into the boys' club -- Stardom and wifedom : happily ever after? -- Westward ho : California dreamin' -- The first lady of comedy : nothing is sacred -- Victim as enforcer : terrorizing women into submission -- The temptation of Joan : poisoned apple -- A thankless child : how sharper than a serpent's tooth -- Debacle : the death of a show, a marriage, and a husband -- Recovery : the long road back -- Reinventing a career : I can rise again -- Art and commerce : all in a day's work -- Home sweet Versailles : Marie Antoinette meets Auntie Mame -- High society : putting on the Ritz -- But is it good for the Jews? : sex, politics, and religion -- Men are stupid : beauty and betrayal -- Back to the top : fighting like a rabid pit bull -- Fashion forward : triumph of the mean girls -- Daughter dearest : how to succeed in show business -- The time of her life : fame, friends, and fun -- The final mountain : gathering shadows -- Grand finale : sudden exit, pursued by bear -- Legacy : laughter and liberation -- Updates from the afterlife.