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  • Joan Rivers was a prolific writer. She penned a dozen books and earned an English degree from Barnard College.

    Joan Rivers was a prolific writer. She penned a dozen books and earned an English degree from Barnard College.

    Joan Rivers prided herself on being a writer. She was a prolific author mostly of self-help books and other works based on her life. But what a life. Although her books were always popular, sales are soaring in death, according to reports.

    The 81-year-old comedian died Sept. 4, one week after suffering cardiac and respiratory arrest during an outpatient medical procedure at a New York clinic.

    Although she is best known as a stand-up comedienne, she was also a graduate of prestigious Barnard College, an adjunct of Columbia University. She graduated in the 1950s with a degree in English.

    She penned 12 books in her long career starting with “Having a Baby Can be a Scream” in 1974. Her most recent, “Diary of a Mad Diva,” is currently No. 2 on Amazon’s bestsellers’ list.

    The book was released in July and reached No. 1 on Amazon’s list last Friday, two days after she was stricken.

    Sales of the hardcover edition soar by a stunning 64,200 percent, according to The New York Times.

    Rivers’ 2012 book “I Hate Everyone…Starting With Me,” also saw a steep rise in sales on Amazon.

    The paperback edition soared by 16,952 percent, hitting No. 50 on the best seller list, trailed by the hardback version, which hit No. 321, a 7,897 percent increase.

    The 2010 documentary, “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” also hit No. 1 in DVD sales on Friday.

    Check out the list below. Click on the titles to purchase a book and be sure to follow IM on Twitter.


    Books by Joan Rivers: Click Titles to Purchase
    Diary of a Mad Diva
    Joan Rivers at her best… complaining.

    I Hate Everyone…Starting with Me
    Joan Rivers speaks out on everything she hates. Like people who think giving birth is a unique achievement.

    Murder at the Academy Awards (R): A Red Carpet Murder Mystery
    It’s Hollywood’s biggest night, and there’s no star better equipped than the tart-tongued Max Taylor to hold court on the glamorous Red Carpet.

    Bouncing Back : I’ve Survived Everything…and I Mean Everything…and You Can Too!
    With inspirational thoughts with humor, Joan describes how she overcame a series of personal tragedies and setbacks, including her husband’s suicide, financial disaster, and estrangement from her daughter.

    Men Are Stupid . . . And They Like Big Boobs
    Joan is uniquely qualified to talk about plastic surgery — because she’s one of the few celebrities unafraid to admit to the world what she’s “had done.”

    Having a Baby Can Be a Scream
    Rare Joan Rivers from early in her career. Expect to pay a premium for this book.

    Don’t Count the Candles: Just Keep the Fire Lit!
    Joan Rivers tells the whole truth about how women feel when it comes to getting older. Filled with the latest information on anti-aging breakthroughs.

    From Mother to Daughter: Thoughts and Advice on Life, Love, and Marriage
    Based on a letter to her daughter Melissa, Joan Rivers writes about a series of highly personal but universal truths involving relationships.

    The Life and Hard Times of Heidi Abromowitz
    An “unauthorized biography” of the comedienne’s free-living childhood friend, this intimate profile discloses Heidi’s deepest, darkest secrets.

    Jewelry by Joan Rivers
    Joan Rivers’ love and knowledge of jewelry is reflected in the pieces she designs for her own collection, hundreds of which are reproduced here in specially commissioned full-color photos.