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Who is the Swell girl? She s the one who can throw an emergency dinner party, then clear the table at her neighborhood pool hall after dessert. She can take the dress the tailor ruined & turn it into a conversation piece. She makes it all look easy, which isn t as easy as it looks! That s why she needs Swell, the ultimate guide to navigating life s curves. This is a style manual filled with smooth moves, & plenty of joie de vivre. Rowley & Rosenzweig share their flair in swinging prose. They offer ways to: duke the frowning maitre d to score the bistro s best table; look slimmer in photos without dropping a pound; turn a corny souvenir into a cheap but charming hostess gift; live like a pathological optimist; chase down a bus in skyscraper heels; & much more. Illus.

Sure, a swell girl can bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan, but that's just the beginning. She can also turn a last-minute dinner party into a cabaret, create a push-up bra out of electrical tape, and fix a flat in pumps and a pencil skirt. Move over, Miss Manners, this is advice for the girl on the go.

Billed as a "Girl's Guide to the Good Life," Swell is a lively reference that is both practical and a gas to read. Entries range from hangover cures to transforming junk mail into party invitations to snagging a prime table in a packed restaurant. Need tips on tipping? This book will help you score points with everyone from the shampoo girl to the valet. It will also outline how to hail a cab with a four-finger whistle and gracefully take a seat--in a micromini, no less--without showing more than gams. If that's not enough, the authors even detail how to pack your entire life (or at least the important stuff) into a four-inch lipstick tote.

Cynthia Rowley, a fashion designer, and Ilene Rosenzweig, a style editor for The New York Times, blend imaginative advice with humor and grace without sounding like self-conscious hipsters or society snobs. They couldn't care less where a soup spoon should be placed, but they share exactly what you need to know about wine, gifts, clothing, gambling, and even cigars. They also devote an entire hilarious chapter to the topic of love and its various side effects. Ideal for those on a tight schedule and a shoestring budget, Swell offers proof that living the good life depends more on creativity and attitude than a hefty bankroll. After all, "there are two words that a swell should never utter: 'I'm bored.'" --Shawn Carkonen

CYNTHIA ROWLEY is an acclaimed fashion designer with clothing in stores around the world, and ILENE ROSENZWEIG is the deputy style editor for the New York Times Sunday Style section.