Amazon.com (ISBN 0312267509, Paperback)

CNN's Lynne Russell is probably the only prime-time anchor with a second-degree black belt, and we're darn certain that she's the only one with multiple tattoos. Not to mention the only one who moonlights as a private investigator and bodyguard. In How to Win Friends, Kick Ass & Influence People, Russell--whose language gets awfully sassy and salty when the cameras aren't rolling--tells readers how she managed to overcome a disastrous first marriage and started a career in broadcast journalism that's now approaching its fourth decade. (The records show that Russell is in her early 50s, against all visible evidence suggesting otherwise.) She also has lots of advice for women, mostly encouraging her readers to "dare to be yourself" at work and play. But there are all sorts of interesting digressions, including tips on how to flirt in Paris (this section also reveals the usefulness of self-defense training; when a masher tried to get fresh at a movie theater, she silently took his hand in hers, then bent a finger back until she heard it snap). Edward R. Murrow might be spinning in his grave for all we care, but How to Win Friends, Kick Ass & Influence People is a fun, sexy read.