re SELF-HELP , MY STROKE OF LUCK OH, THE THINGS I K_IVOW LA GUIDE TO SUCCESS, OR, FAILING THAT HAPPINESS By Kirk Douglas (William Morrow; 196 pp.; $22.95) By Al Franken (E.P. Dutton; 128 pp.; $19.95) Kirk Douglas richly deserves his status as a Hollywood icon. Not content with his many achievements in the movies, Douglas turned to writing and, at the age of 72, he published his best- selling autobiogra- phy, The Ragman's Son. He has since written seven other books, including My Al Franken dedicated his new advice book, Oh, The Stroke of Luck. In one sense, this latest book is a con- tinuation of Douglas' autobiog- raphy. It tells the story of his life since 1996 when, suddenly, without warning, he "felt a peculiar sensation" KIRK DOLTGI, in his right cheek. He lost the power of speech and was rushed to the hospital, where he was told that he had had a stroke. What happened as he began the long process of rehabilitation is narrated in this forthright account. At first, Douglas was so depressed that he contem- plated suicide. But, supported by his family, espe- cially his wife, he began a course of physical and speech therapy. He made sufficient progress during the first year that he was able to walk on the stage and accept a special Oscar for his "50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community." He went on to play the lead in a new movie, Diamonds. And in 1999, at the age of 83, had a second bar mitzvah at Sinai Temple in Westwood, Calif Eight years earlier, after surviving a helicopter crash in which two people were killed, Douglas began to study Torah; he has become more and more immersed in the "spiritual side" of Judaism. Although, he says, "the rituals of Judaism don't interest me," he prays in his own way and urges everyone to "pray, it will help you." Toward the end of the book, Douglas tells of his recent trip to the Middle East where he dedicated playgrounds in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Finally, he presents his "Operator's Manual," a series of six precepts that were first designed to help people recover from strokes but which he now believes are applicable to the total way in which we lead our lives. This well-written, inspirational volume is filled with wit and humor. It is a surprisingly light-heart- ed guide for those striving to overcome any kind of handicap. - Morton I. Teicher Lelli's of Auburn Hills welcomes you to ,1,\ experience Detroit'sq Annual Rollback. \X, In celebration of this event, Lelli's will "Roll Back" it's prices to t. 1992... One Decade Ago! Things I Know! A Guide to Success, or, Failing That, Happiness, to Oprah Winfrey. Yes, it was a blatant attempt to curry favor, hoping beyond hope that she'd pick the book as a selection of the Oprah Book Club. But it didn't work. -Just about the time Franken's self-help tome was coming off the presses, Oprah decided to cancel the book club. Even in retrospect, though, Franken does not feel silly. "I'm just angry that she evidently stopped read- ing," he said in a telephone interview from his apart- ment in New York. Ironically, the book certainly merited a selection if only for its honesty. "I don't sugar-coat anything just to sell you -a book the way the Dali Llama does," he writes. Consider, for example, Franken's advice to new college graduates about marriage, taken from the - author's own experi- ence. Franken and his wife never go to Ph.D. (Hon.) bed angry. They just Oh, the Things I Know! stay up and fight. Moreover, the brief tome was writ- ten by the perfect self-help book author - at least according to this self-help book's author. "I'm right in the middle of success.', A GuuDE TO SUCCESS, There's no point in OR, FAILING THAT, HAPPINESS getting advice from hopeless failures," he notes. "I once wasted a day reading billionaire Paul Allen's book about whether the seats on his private jet should all face forward or face each other. The perfect person [to write self-help books] is me. I'm successful yet fly commercial - albeit first class." Franken's only regret is that this kind of book was not available to guide him when he got out college (Harvard '73). It would have changed his life. "I probably would have done Saturday Night Live," he said. "Wait. I did do Saturday Night Live." He paused briefly to reflect, and then adds: "I probably would not have fooled myself quite as much on things like thinking that failure was a good thing. 'All the advice books tell you that failure is a good teacher. So each failure you have, you say, 'Hey, this is good.' But it isn't. I would have understood my failures for what they were: failures." Still, Franken sees a relationship between the faith of his fathers and his chosen profession. "I do think that Jews value humor, or at least a lot of them do. Comedian is a respected position in Jewish culture." We specialize in Prime Steaks, Chops and Seafood. Try our Famous Filet Mignon Dinner served in the Trditional Italian Six Course Meal for $23" AL FRANKFN - Curt Schleier Your Choice of Veal Marsala, Picatta or Parmigiana for $ 1 8 5 ° Our Rollback Menu has many more Delicious meals you can choose. Roll Back Dates June 28, 30 July 1, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 26, 28, N August 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23, 25, 26, 29, 30,31 The Rollback Menu is not valid with any t\ other promotions or coupon. Family Owned Since 1939 Call reservations . 40 /74 ry 885 N. Opdyke (1/2 Mile North of Silverdome) Auburn Hills 617420 6/28 2002 75