A deeper interior decorating

Almost anyone can claim to be an expert on almost anything these days.

Karim Rashid, 46, an industrial designer of great talent and fame, has apparently taken it to the max. He’s gone from designing iconic furniture and other familiar household stuff to designing lives.

In this sleek and brilliantly designed little book, he talks plainly about how to furnish a home (bright colors, everything sensuous and curved), how to organize (get rid of everything you don’t absolutely need), what to eat, how to stay fit, and how to make love work (he says he’s never had an argument with his wife). He discusses sex (try it with “toys,” and in public) and death (vertical polyurethane coffins, anyone?). He offers tips on fashion, friendship and travel.

If he’s overstepped the bounds of his expertise, he’s done it with honesty and class. Rashid explains who he is, how he developed his theories, and why you might want to try them yourself.

He writes like he designs: simply, with verve, and with no unnecessary flourishes.

In the growing pantheon of smug self-help books, this at least has a sometimes outrageous personality you can love. Or leave.

--Bettijane Levine