Beauty Fades, Dumb is Forever: The Making of a Happy Woman

Autobiography and self-help collide in Sheindlin's latest book (after Don't Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining). Known to millions because of her TV program, Judge Judy, Sheindlin writes with the same theatrical no-nonsense directness that animates her on-air persona. Her theme is stated best in the title, which is just the first of many declarative chestnuts. Aimed at women trying to make it in male-dominated workplaces and traditional marriages, the book is broken into chapters that expound on basic principles illustrated with one or two examples from Sheindlin's long career (Revlon, Manhattan Family Court, network television). There's a slew of surprisingly personal recollections about her own marriages, husbands and divorces. The forthright self-revelations reveal an unusual person with, apparently, no conception of being eccentric. Conventional statements (""I believe that one determined, skilled person can do just about anything"") have surprising conclusions: ""That's why I keep a Hoover File, as in J. Edgar."" Sheindlin unself-consciously goes on to describe how she used her Hoover File to ensure her reappointment to the bench. There are several such gems, all of which will be enjoyed by Judge Judy watchers. Sheindlin's voice comes through with amazing clarity: fans of her show will hear it as they read. (Feb.)