The Monitor Guide to The Bestsellers

1. TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, by Mitch Albom, Doubleday, $19.95 A beloved college professor who is dying agrees to meet each Tuesday with a former student and discuss life and death. Mitch Albom, a well-known sportswriter, recorded 14 classes with his former teacher Morrie Schwartz. Religion, family, friends, and work are carefully considered. Schwartz (now deceased) was interviewed at home by Ted Koppel and appeared on Nightline. What keeps this uplifting book from being maudlin is Alboms crisp writing and Schwartzs generous heart. (192 pp.) By Jim Bencivenga

2. CHILDREN ARE FROM HEAVEN, by John Gray, HarperCollins, $25.95 John Gray, the author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, shares a method of child raising that moves away from a punishment-based theory to one rooted in love and support. He argues that our role as parents is not to control bad children, but to help children discover their own goodness. Gray provides many helpful examples of how his method can be applied. Parents interested in a psychological approach to childrearing will appreciate this books advice. (357 pp.) By Christy Ellington

3. LIFE STRATEGIES, by Phillip C. McGraw, Disney Press, $21.95 Life rewards action, says Phillip McGraw. If youre an idler, wake up and smell the bushes burn. Life is a game of choices, and you choose to win or lose. Outlining 10 laws of life maxims like You either get it or you dont and You create your own experience he argues that learning and applying these strategies are essential to becoming an effective manager of your life. The books essence is simple: The choice is yours, so make a positive change today. (304 pp.) By Letitia Adu-Danso

4. THE ART OF HAPPINESS, by the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler, Riverhead Books, $22.95 The purpose of life, says the Dalai Lama, is to seek happiness. This seemingly elementary statement requires strict adherence and mental discipline toward a benevolent, rather than self-centered, happiness. There is great value in reading about the basic spiritual principles of this unique world figure and Tibetan spiritual leader: human qualities of goodness, compassion, and caring. This book is based on a series of conversations with Howard Cutler, a Phoenix- based psychiatrist. (315 pp.) By Leigh Montgomery

5. BODY FOR LIFE, by Bill Phillips, HarperCollins Publishers, $25 Phillips, founder and editor in chief of Muscle Media magazine, furthers the spread of his dietary expertise in his new book Body for Life. Phillipss 12- week program treats physical wellness as one of many aspects of our lives. His theory is that the success of our physical goals will help us acheive other life goals, too. Arranged with a variety of success stories, charts, and examples, this plan provides an easy to follow program, with tasty food and a simple exercise program. (203 pp.) By Christy Ellington

6. FAITH OF MY FATHERS, by John McCain, Random House, $25 This US senator from Arizona and Republican presidential candidate has had unusual opportunities to learn about character. His family memoir details a life marked by privilege and excess as well as the kind of challenges that most of us can barely imagine. This book will be best known for its break-your-heart account of McCains five-plus years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, at one point spending two years in isolation. Its a fascinating history of a remarkable military family. (349 pp.) (Full review Sept. 16) By Brad Knickerbocker

7. YESTERDAY I CRIED, by Iyanla Vanzant, Simon & Schuster, $22 Iyanla Vanzant, a Yoruba priestess and popular radio talk-show host, tells how she rose and continues to rise from a history of abuse. She speaks out with great openness and honesty about how physical, sexual, and verbal abuse tried to take over her life and her mind. This hard story never holds back any of the unpleasant details, but it benefits from a sense of grace that proves this woman has truly risen above the hardship she was told to endure. (304 pp.) By Christy Ellington

8. DIANA IN SEARCH OF HERSELF, by Sally Bedell Smith, Times Books, $25 Claiming to be less sensational than previous Diana biographies, this portrait sets out to psychoanalyze the true Diana beneath the mythic personality constructed by the tabloids. It characterizes Diana as a borderline personality and then uses this diagnosis to explain every aspect of her behavior. The approach sometimes works, but at other times its a stretch: Dianas constantly changing hairstyles were only the most visible evidence of her shifting identities. Whatever happened to bad hair days? (368 pp.) By Liz Marlantes

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