Separated at Birth

Readers unfamiliar with the irreverent New York magazine Spy will nevertheless appreciate the wit in this collection devoted to its popular feature that pairs photos of celebrity look-alikes. Side by side, Donald Trump appears a twin of Elvis Presley, Geraldine Ferraro a sister of David Bowieespecially when unlikely couples are captured in the same pose, as they consistently are here. Even curmudgeons will be amused by such inspired matchups as George C. Scott and the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (in a chapter comparing faces from different centuries). Captions are often droll (``Novelist daughter of actors Carrie Fisher . . . and novelist daughter of actors Patti Davis''), helping to sustain reader interest in a concept that may otherwise wear thin quickly. This same goal, perhaps, motivates several egregiously mean-spirited twinnings (``Widow-comedienne Joan Rivers . . . and a baboon''), and others that seem calculated to shock (``Humorist Calvin Trillin . . . and nonhumorist Lee Harvey Oswald''). These flaws, however, do not detract significantly from the cleverness of the assiduously researched book. (Nov.)