Success and Savoir Faire

Mireille Guiliano, who wrote French Women Don't Get Fat, is one of those women who just do things with more grace and style than most. Lucky for us, her newest book divulges more than a few of her secrets.

The author of the bestselling French Women Don’t Get Fat and French Women for all Seasons, Mireille spent more than 20 years as the CEO of Clicquot Inc., the American division of the celebrated French Champagne company. Under her leadership, the brand grew from less than 1% of the US market to more than 25%. She's a champion of women in business and a tireless mentor.

Mireille retired from Clicquot a few years ago to write, consult, lecture, travel and explore new opportunities. And just as she made headlines with her pleasure-oriented, common sense approach to weight control, her new book emphasizes the joie d'vivre of finding joy, balance and success in the working world. It's called Women, Work & The Art of Savoir Faire (Atria Books; $24.95; October , 2009).

Mireille is a friend of mine and I'm a huge fan. At a time when she could kick back and just coast, she's working harder than ever, always on multiple projects at once. Much of what she earns--or all of it, for all I know--goes to charity. Mireille has a complicated busy life, dashing between homes in New York, Paris and Provence, and yet I've never once heard her complain: about a delayed flight, a missing suitcase, bad meal, bad day. She maintains a huge network of interesting, artistic friends and hosts a large pack of them in Provence each summer, pampering everyone with great food and drink, delicious excursions and elegant evening parties. Plus, she has what looks like a supremely happy marriage to a man she obviously adores: Edward Guiliano, a university president. And she always looks great, of course.

Mireille's newest book has received wide publicity for its warm, no-nonsense approach...and has already been picked up by a dozen foreign publishers. It provides strategies, examples, anecdotes and valuable lessons in an easygoing, chatty style. It's an easy, fun read...a couple nights is all it will take. In it, you'll find solid tips on everything from acing a job interview to surviving the indignities of a long business trip to hosting a dinner in a restaurant...from someone who views herself not as a management consultant or career guru but rather an accomplished professional with a uniquely female perspective on business in both America and abroad.

Depending on where you live, order the book from amazon.com, amazon.co.uk or amazon.fr. For more info on Mireille: mireilleguiliano.com