cover image Boobs, Boys and High Heels

Boobs, Boys and High Heels

Dianne Brill. Penguin Books, $10 (240pp) ISBN 978-0-14-013264-9

A self-described ``designer/actress/model/author businesswoman,'' Brill was as much a creation of 1980s excess as leveraged buy-outs. Piles of blond hair, a 39-inch bosom and a genius for self-promotion gave visibility, if not credence, to her claims to be ``Queen of the Night,'' ``a contemporary Sex Goddess'' and ``the babe who's everywhere.'' Now, in this how-to book, Brill wannabes can learn how to dress like her, flirt like her, push their breasts into shapes like hers, even self-promote like her. If there were a hint of the author's tongue being in her cheek, this book would be a laugh-out-loud satirical riot. Unfortunately, Brill is dead serious. For her, the only reality is what other people think of you; her shallow advice is a particularly revolting manifestation of the ``you look marvelous'' philosophy that formed the personal counterpart to Wall Street's ``greed is good'' business credo. Brill seems to have missed the fact that the 1980s are over and the junk bond market has collapsed--or maybe she's just hoping that no such calamity befalls the junk book market. Caveat emptor. Author tour. (Feb.)