Bantam Dell's Philip Rappaport paid seven figures at auction to win a book called The Skin Type Solution by Miami University cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Leslie Baumann. It tells readers how to buy cosmetics and skin treatments according to their skin classification, and the North American and audio rights deal was signed with Catherine Drayton at Arthur Pine Associates.... Another big how-to deal was a two-book one for Barbara Kavovit, who as Barbara K has created her own brand of do-it-yourself tools and kits for women. The world rights book deal, of which the first will be a home improvement title, was signed between Rodale's Tami Booth and William Morris agent Mel Berger.... The bestselling author of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, Richard Carlson, has returned to his roots at Harper San Francisco with a two-book deal arranged between agentLinda Chester and publisher Stephen Hanselman. The editor will be Gideon Weil, and the first book, called Small Change, is scheduled for next spring.... A book described as an African-American Sex in the City, involving three successful women in the Hollywood entertainment business who vow to wed within a year, was bought by Dawn Davis and Kelli Martin for Amistad at HarperCollins. It's called The Vow, and the six-figure buy was made from agent Victoria Sanders, acting on behalf of authors Angela Burt-Murray, Denene Millner and Mitzi Miller, all of whom are journalists.... A novel called The Reading Group by British author Elizabeth Noble, a bestseller in Britain, was bought here by Kate Travers for Harper Perennial. The sale was made by Shana Kelly at William Morris; the author, incidentally, is married to David Young, who heads Time Warner Books in London.... David Rosenthal, S&S publisher, has signed for world rights in two books by veteran songwriter/performer Elvis Costello, neither of them a memoir, but both personal. The first is a series of narratives linked to Costello's songs, the second a tongue-in-cheek book about his work. The agent was Lisa Queen at IMG, and the first of the titles will be published in fall next year.... Morrow's Michael Morrison signed Bruce Feiler, author of bestselling biblical-themed books (Abraham, Walking the Bible) to another two-book deal; the first of them will be, like Walking, a mix of religion, history and travel adventure. This was a world rights deal with agent David Black.