Males, Nails, Sample Sales: Everything a Woman Must Know to Be Smarter, Savvier, Saner Sooner

While her take on life is simple and pragmatic-occasionally to the point of being overly obvious (""The best chance you have of having your kids eat healthy foods is if you eat them yourself"")-author Pierson (You Have to Say I'm Pretty, You're My Mother) has a snappy style that could make folding napkins sound interesting. Pierson is upbeat and confident, but understands and confronts the neuroses involved in the everyday (""they're like snowflakes-no two are alike""). Her text is fast-paced and well-organized, the majority given over to eyeball-friendly lists and quotes, covering children (raising them and dating them), cooking, fashion, beauty, exercise, home buying and upkeep, work, hiring pros (""Your Shrink, Your Car Mechanic, Your Gynecologist, Your Lawyer..."") and traveling. Though everyone will find something of use, not all recommendations are for everybody, and occasionally Pierson can be a bit of a snob (""McMansions are so aesthetically awful, ecologically offensive, and ostentatious. Do you really need eight bedrooms?""). Still, this is the kind of reference book readers will want to keep dog-eared and close at hand.