The Woman Who Is Always Tan And Has a Flat Stomach: And Other Annoying People [Paperback]

Lauren Allison (Author), Lisa Perry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2008

You know that overprotective PTA mom who needs to be resuscitated after she finds out you fed her son a hotdog? Or that couple who sends out the annual holiday letter about how their little Timmy came up with an alternative to fossil fuels while you're proud of simply replacing the lint catcher in your dryer once a year? You'll meet them again in Lauren Allison and Lisa Perry's laugh-out-loud compendium. Allison and Perry take on soccer moms, video dads, rabid gardeners, and grating couples in this collection of short, punchy essays.
Less-than-perfect moms and dads everywhere will be sure to relate to the authors' portraits of the most annoying people around!
(2008)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Psychologist Perry and business owner Allison teamed up in 2003 to give non-motivational seminars to women's groups across the country. This book, which was originally self-published in 2005, collects 50 of their sketches, mostly variations on the theme of women-who-do-too-much. There's the Perfect Brownie Leader, who planned scores of sophisticated projects for her troop; the scrapbooking obsessive who converted her whole house into a scrapbooking factory; the woman who set up her Christmas tree in July to get good photos for her Christmas cards; and a woman tormented by Martha Stewart's thought for the day e-mails. Most essays follow a single format—an excessive woman going to ever-more ridiculous extremes, while the narrator dead-pans, leaving readers cheering for the slacker. This format can work, but becomes tedious on repetition. Perry and Allison are much better when they're less predictable. They do a funny story about packing a frozen turkey in the checked luggage that has nothing to do with overachieving women, a nicely nasty piece about a woman who says golly about everything, and an oddly perceptive rant on the subject of husbands who embark on major home repairs just when company's expected. For less-than-perfect women who've had enough of Martha's endless projects, Perry and Allison may be an entertaining antidote. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Plenty of gut-busting fun . . . sardonic, Sedaris-like essays." (Kirkus )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 191 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1st Grand Central Pub. Ed edition (March 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446699632
• ISBN-13: 978-0446699631
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,818,923 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You feel my pain!, August 10, 2005

By 

Kim (Denver) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Woman Who Is Always Tan and Has a Flat Stomach (And Other Annoying People) (Paperback)

I'm constantly surrounded by "perfect" women and I love the fact that each of them has been featured in this book! The authors feel my pain and I'm glad to see I'm not alone. The book was more than funny, it's real.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Laughing Out Loud!!!, August 9, 2005

By 

Kate (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Woman Who Is Always Tan and Has a Flat Stomach (And Other Annoying People) (Paperback)

This book was amazing! So hilarious. Not only was it a fun and easy read, but it has really helped me find humor in those annoyingly "perfect" people we all know. Allison and Perry use exceptional wit, charm and honest humor in this comic masterpiece. I find myself thinking of things I read in the book, and still laughing out loud!!! A must read! (and not just for women. My boyfriend LOVED it!!!)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I laughed until tears were rolling..., January 9, 2007

By 

Lisa Ciancio "VI" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Woman Who Is Always Tan and Has a Flat Stomach (And Other Annoying People) (Paperback)

What a great book to lift your spirits and make your day! Funny, insightful and a quick read. These authors are quite clever. I could relate to many of the chapters and it became a Christmas gift for everyone on my list. After all, laughter is the best medicine!