The Monitor's Guide to BESTSELLERS

= Favorable review

= Unfavorable review

= Mixed review

= No review noted

The Christian Science Monitor; The New York Times; Kirkus Review od Books; Los Angeles Times; Selected review*

1) 1

6

Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot AND OTHER OBSERVATIONS, by Al Franken, Delacort, $21.95

Uncivil discourse in the public square continues. This time it is the left's turn to accuse, insult, ridicule and poke fun at political opponents. Rush Limbaugh and an assortment of conservative politicians and policies are the targets. At its best, this book reads like a stand-up comedy act in a nightclub. (Franken won an Emmy for the TV program ''Saturday Night Live.'') At its worst, it is payback, a collection of leftist bombast as strident and partisan as the polemics broadcast daily on talk-radio. By Jim Bencivenga

n

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n

CT

2) 1

151

MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS, by John Gray, HarperCollins, $23

Written more for the female audience, this easy-to-read guide helps men and women better understand how the other sex communicates. Although redundant and sometimes stereotypical, it goes beyond psychobabble. Gray, who has written an assortment of books on this topic, explores such issues as the difference between a man's silence and a woman's, why men and women resist the other sex's solutions, and how a man reacts when a woman needs to talk. By Shelley Donald Coolidge

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TT

3) 3

7

IT TAKES A VILLAGE, by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Simon & Schuster, $20

''It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us,'' conveys the personal views and experiences of the first lady about what matters in the rearing of children. Relatively free from jargon, it concerns the complex social issues of child rearing. Comprehensive and topical, if not original; breezy and conversational in a didactic way; autobiographical, yet clearly the work of a policy wonk shaping national policy; this book concerns a subject that should have no rival for our attention. By Jim Bencivenga

M

b

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b

n

HC

4) 5

22

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, by Daniel Goleman, Bantam, $23.95

Goleman asserts that IQ is not destiny; emotional intelligence, the ability to be cool in a bind and make clear decisions, is equally important in a good life. The theories about brain architecture are less interesting than examples of emotional control that establishes solid relationships and cooperation among people. He says those lacking self-control are morally deficient and the conclusions of scientists do not limit one's prospects for success, no matter how troubled one's childhood. By David Holmstrom

b

b

b

M

M

DP

5) 4

53

THE SEVEN SPIRITUAL LAWS OF SUCCESS, by Deepak Chopra, New World Library, $12.95

Chopra draws points from Eastern philosophies and practices such as Taoism, Vedic Science, meditation, and karma and distills them into a new-age seven-step program. The logic is at times circular and simplistic, and Chopra's attempts to incorporate The Bible and Christian tradition into his text are uneven at best. Nonetheless, while not original, many of the espoused ideas - prayer, generosity, and a nonjudgmental and positive outlook - certainly have merit. By Yvonne Zipp

M

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6) 9

5

How Could You Do That?!, by Laura Schlessinger, HarperCollins, $22

Radio host Laura Schlessinger follows-up her bestseller ''Ten Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives,'' with this look at morality. Her message: Living happily means making choices - often between short-term pleasure and long-term consequences. She doesn't mince words when explaining that people's actions should more frequently be based on character, courage, and conscience. This quick read is full of strong opinions, religious undertones, and advice she's given callers. By Kim Campbell

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