Absolutely Now!: A Futurist's Journey to Her Inner Truth

The London-based author was managing her own PR firm--clients included Swatch, Tommy Hilfiger, Spice Girls--when the death of two friends inspired her to sell her business in 1991 and pursue a life of spiritual discovery. Her dynamism and irreverence made her the model for Edina Monsoon on the British TV series Absolutely Fabulous! Similarities between the two are easy to spot. Franks travels the globe, becoming a gadfly to the socially conscientious set, compiling a laundry list of New Age nostrums as she experiments with Buddhism, feng shui, acupuncture, crystal healing, meditation, aromatherapy, macrobiotics, lymph drainage, reflexology, tantric sex, celibacy, Celtic mysticism, Native American sweat lodges and whatever else might get her closer to her ""inner self."" The result is a narrative peppered with platitudes: sexual attitudes need ""freeing up""; our ""sense of community"" needs to be rediscovered. Seemingly unfazed by contradiction, Franks deflects blame for problems with London's women's VIVA! radio station, saying she had ""no real influence,"" then claiming credit for ""launching VIVA!"" in 1995. Most outrageous may be her environmentally motivated call to ""redesign the American dream""--this from a well-to-do Briton squeamish about sharing a bathroom on a retreat in Napa Valley and so beyond the mainstream that she proposes ""a big education program"" to teach people how to work AM radios. Readers will find Franks's ruminations either fabulous or ridiculous. (June)