You Have to Stand for Something, or You'll Fall for Anything

The flamboyant and outspoken Jones is well known to TV viewers for her past work as a legal commentator on Court TV and Today and for her current membership on the resident panel on The View. In this collection of autobiographical essays, Jones reveals her gifts as a storyteller, describing the strong influence of family and church on her childhood, ethical dilemmas she faced as an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn, a brush with death at the age of 22 and the responsibilities of the news media. Willing to share stories of her own mistakes and lessons she's learned the hard way, Jones is as much herself on these pages as she is on TV, her language articulate, bright, conversational and always direct (""these good people with their hearts in the right place were being threatened by these others with their heads up their butts""). A self-proclaimed ""diva,"" Jones writes about clothes, glamour, friendship and romance, while managing to inject her opinions on abortion, affirmative action, racism and child-rearing. Crediting her family, especially her mother, Shirley, for her refreshing strength of character and self-confidence, Jones provides a powerful role model along with a very enjoyable read. (Sept.)