Resolution Reads: Bookshelf help for New Year’s promises
Resolution: to get your eating habits on track. It's not imperative that you subscribe to their vegan ideals, though foul-mouthed Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, authors of Skinny Bitch in the Kitch (Running Press, 2007; $14.95), do make a case for abandoning your carnivorous ways. But whether you decide to modify their recipes or not, we love their no-bullshit take on healthy eating, with female-friendly chapters like "Skinny-Ass Salads" and "PMS (Pissy Mood Snacks)."
Resolution: to stop dressing like a schlub. Transitioning from a uniform of untucked, wrinkled button-downs to a polished, grown-up look isn't always easy, but the Details Men's Style Manual (Gotham Books, 2007; $30) breaks it down in no-frills, guy-friendly terms. Written by Details editor-in-chief Daniel Peres and a group of his editors, the guide is divided into simple chapters: shirts, ties, jeans, sweaters, shoes, accessories, etc. The book's classic approach to good dressing includes tips on adapting basic pieces to different dress codes, finding the best fit, and shopping, while fashion gurus including Giorgio Armani and Sean Combs weigh in with their "Rules of Style."
Resolution: to break out of your relationship rut. Since strolling down a bookstore's self-help aisle can be pretty depressing, we suggest proactive, tough-love tome Dump That Chump! (Harper Paperbacks, 2007; $13.95). Psychologist Debra Mandel, who has more than 20 years' experience specializing in relationships (and dating a few chumps herself), guides readers through her nine-step program. Learn to spot a loser's red flags, walk away when it's not working, and recognize what a catch you are - all paving the way for meeting the Mr. Right you deserve.
Resolution: to streamline your wardrobe. If deciding what to wear each morning requires wading through piles of dirty laundry, outdated tops, and pants that haven't fit since seventh grade, you're probably in need of a wardrobe overhaul. LA-based writer, personal stylist, and "closet therapist" Barbara Horowitz lends a hand with Closet Control (Sterling Publishing, 2007; $22.95), providing closet-design basics, wardrobe-editing tips, and a host of simple ways to breathe new life into unworn duds. The package also includes a DVD featuring some real-life closet re-dos.
Resolution: to get ahead in your career. In need of a kick in the pants to propel you out of that dead-end job and into the successful career you deserve? We can't think of a better mentor than Donald Trump. Pick up his new book, Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life (Collins, 2007; $26.95), which he cowrote with Bill Zanker, founder/president of the Learning Annex. Trump's musings, followed at the end of each chapter with "Zanker's Take," cover everything from sustaining momentum ("Big Mo!") to prenups ("I Love You, Now Sign This").
Resolution: to get healthy. Every year, that early January rush on the gym peters out by Groundhog Day. Now sustain your healthy-living pledge with the help of nutritionist Kellie Collins and her 501 Easy Health Tips (New Holland Publishers, 2007; $9.95). There's no need to take them all on at once, but apply a few of Collins's simple, straightforward suggestions for good nutrition, weight loss, and overall well-being to your daily life and you'll see marked improvement in no time.
Resolution: to pack up and go! You've been promising yourself for years that you'd take time off and travel "someday," but you've yet to buy the tickets, make the plans, and pack the suitcase. Find inspiration in the lavish photos, well-kept secrets, and gotta-see-it-to-believe-it travel stories in Make the Most of Your Time on Earth (Rough Guides, 2007; $29.99). The book details 1000 must-have experiences from around the globe, including soaking in a Finnish sauna (#182), bunking with a Transylvanian count in Romania (#314), star-gazing in Chile (#740), and testing your tolerance against the natives at Germany's Oktoberfest (#66).
Resolution: to give your living space a makeover. When you're living in cramped urban quarters, it's all about your apartment's "flow." So we suggest paging through the lushly photographed Apartment Living (Ryland Peters & Small, 2007; $29.95), by Caroline Clifton-Mogg, for inspiration. Showcasing small spaces, duplexes, lofts, and large apartments from all over the world - think elegant New York pad overlooking Central Park, personality-plus London flat, and chic Parisian living space - the book is part design guide, part coffee-table display. @
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