The glamorous star of Bravo's hit show The Real Housewives of New York City makes it easy to be elegant, with contemporary etiquette tips and a complete course in the art of sophisticated living

Countess LuAnn de Lesseps knows firsthand that class is a state of mind, not a birthright. Raised in small-town Connecticut-half French Canadian, half Native American-she worked as a registered nurse before she started modeling. On her first trip to Europe, she was awed by the lifestyle of the Italians and stayed, eventually becoming a TV personality. Before long, she began a fairy-tale romance with Alexandre Count de Lesseps, of the Suez Canal dynasty, and married into a world of aristocrats.

She learned during her time in Europe that panache comes from within- not from an antiquated manual. Now she shares her savvy advice and her inspiring story in Class with the Countess, including:

?Elegance can most certainly be acquired.

?All of life is a seduction.

?You don't have to be rich and famous to have an unforgettable presence.

?Being interested is what makes you interesting.

?An alluring woman makes everyone want to be near her.

The twenty-first century's answer to Emily Post, the Countess gives a new generation of women an exuberant and incomparable guide to modern social graces.