USE WHAT YOU'VE GOT: And Other Business Lessons I Learned from My Mom

A well-known figure in the world of New York real estate as founder of the Corcoran Group, Corcoran has fashioned a funny handbook for professional sales savvy—targeted at women—that works. Equal parts business primer, Oprah-spirited coming-of-age memoir and sneaky PR brochure for herself, the book, which proceeds chronologically along the life of Corcoran's real estate agency, from its birth to its sale, is organized around 25 life lessons (e.g., "If you don't have big breasts, put ribbons on your pigtails"; "You've got to bully a bully"; "Never be ashamed of who you are"). She explains these snappily worded lessons by drawing on various crises from her company's history and bits from her childhood. Corcoran grew up with her parents and nine brothers and sisters on one floor of a house in Edgewater, N.J., and had a vision all along ("When I started my business," she writes, "I saw myself as the 'Queen of New York Real Estate' "). She opened the first Corcoran Group office in 1978, and ever since then has perfected the art of marketing herself, hiring the right people and motivating her staff; the organization now brings in over $2 billion in annual revenue. With the noticeably skilled help of career technical writer Littlefield, Corcoran has produced a likable and worthwhile book, an honorable contribution with heart. (Feb. 10)

Forecast:Corcoran is a big name in New York real estate, and with her recognizable face on the cover and Financial Times advertising, the book could sell strongly in Gotham.