Dr. Laura: The Unauthorized Biography

by Vickie L. Bane

Dr. Laura Schlessinger is the hottest thing to hit national radio since Rush Limbaugh. Sixty thousand people call in to The Dr. Laura Show every day to get abused and berated for admitting their flaws and imperfections. Nearly twenty million people tune in across the country to listen to the humiliation, and more than 2.5 million have bought one of her bestsellers-with the latest book hitting bookstores this September. Dr. Laura has been the subject of countless articles, including features in Vanity Fair and New York magazine. And she recently announced that she has signed an exclusive deal for an hour-long, daily, innovative daytime TV program showcasing her unique insights into today's issues and problems, which will begin airing in the fall of 2000.

Catering to a nearly spellbound cult following, Dr. Laura has built a veritable media empire by spreading moral wisdom and commonsense advice. But what the enchanted public doesn't know is that Schlessingers' own life is a labyrinth of contradictions-from her own divorce (she openly and adamantly chastises divorcees on the air) to her estrangement for her sister and mother (she is known for her supposedly emphatic adherence to family). And is the doctor really a licensed physician? Find out what classmates, colleagues, patients, and pals have to say about the real Dr. Laura! This book turns the tables on America's number-one moral drill sergeant and professional perfectionist, revealing the personal inconsistencies that define the guru himself.

Genres: Biography

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 21, 1999

Reviews

[xTx xTx · Rating 4 out of 5]

im an avid hate-listener of DL so when i found out about this book i had to read it! lol.

i was expecting more of a hit piece but it seemed pretty fair and unbiased. more factual. it really resonates with the b*tch you hear on the air. she has so many skeletons in her closet she never addresses or admits to on air even though she chastises people who have done exactly what she has done in her past. hypocrite much?

quick easy read.

[Tracy G · Rating 4 out of 5]

im an avid hate-listener of "Dr" Laura so when I found out about this unauthorized biography i had to dive in! It seemed more fair and balanced than i expected. Overall, it really resonates with the person you hear on the air. Someone who has many demons in her past but preaches to everyone else not to do the same things (She won't admit to) in her past. smh.

[Gary Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent writing, IMO, & interesting coverage. However, if you're a Dr Laura fan, you probably wouldn't like it.

[David Ward · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dr. Laura: The Unauthorized Biography by Vickie L. Bane (St. Martin’s Press 1999)(Biography). Dr. Laura Schlessinger was a catty and abusive talk radio advice show host who made a living for years berating callers for the way they run their lives and relationships. This book is the revenge of the insulted: once the nude photos of a young Dr. Laua emerged, once the fact that she has no counseling degree became public, and when the news that she does not even communicate with her own mother(!) became public knowledge, Dr. Laura became a laughingstock as well as a target for the author and her ilk. My rating: 1/10, finished 2003.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just started. Weirdly interested in her b/c she is such a hypocrit and kind of psycho on the radio. And not very bright...trys too hard to sound smart and makes basic errors in grammar, history, culture, military, etc.
Good book but not as objective as it might have been. It would be good to see a fair view with both the good and the bad stuff all out there.

[Rhoda D'Ettore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed hearing all of the "gossip" about this woman. Reading how she demanded too much, how hypocritical she is. There were parts I thought were slow. I did not need to know every detail of the woman's childhood, or religious past, however, it IS a biography, so I guess it is to be expected.

[Lisa Spicer · Rating 2 out of 5]

don't know what I was expecting but this wasnt it