Top shelf. - Rock My Soul: Black People And Self-Esteem - Acting Out - Menu For Life: African Americans Get Healthy, Eat Well, Lose Weight, And Live Beautifully - This Far By Faith: Stories From The African-American Religious Experience - Loving Donovan - HAVING IT ALL? Black Women and Success - The End Is Just The Beginning: Lessons In Grieving For African Americans - book review

ROCK MY SOUL: BLACK PEOPLE AND SELF-ESTEEM (Atria Books Hardcover, $23.00) by bell hooks is ah in-depth analysis of low self-esteem and its impact on the lives of African-Americans. Scholar and author of more than 20 books, hooks cites examples from literature, history and the work of leading intellectuals and writers as evidence that crippling low self-esteem has reached epidemic proportions. "Our continued survival as African-American people demands that we care for our souls so that we can be whole and complete," hooks writes. "If we begin with self-esteem, our success is assured. Well-being will be our destiny."

ACTING OUT (Simon & Schuster, $23.00) by Benilde Little is a new novel of love, loss and rediscovery from the author of Good Hair and The Itch. In Acting Out, she tells the story of a woman caught between the life she thought she was supposed to live and the life she really wants. Once again she has created characters that are real and memorable, despite their flaws.

MENU FOR LIFE: AFRICAN AMERICANS GET HEALTHY, EAT WELL, LOSE WEIGHT, AND LIVE BEAUTIFULLY (Broadway Books, $22.95) by Dr. Otelio S. Randall, M.D., and Donna Randall explores the social, psychological and cultural reasons behind the obesity epidemic in the African-American community. Today 7 in 10 African-American women are overweight and 1 in 10 is morbidly obese (more than 100 pounds overweight). Six in 10 African-American men are overweight and 2 in 10 are obese. Dr. Randall, a cardiologist and expert in the field of obesity, is also the founder of the Obesity Project at Howard University Hospital in Washington D.C. His wife, Donna, is a nutrition expert and weight-loss coach. The book combines cutting-edge research on obesity with down-to-earth insights on why we eat and concludes with tips on grocery shopping and healthful recipes.

THIS FAR BY FAITH: STORIES FROM THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE (William Morrow/An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, $29.95) by authors Juan Williams and Dr. Quinton Dixie examines the impact of Black Americans' deep, burning religious faith in their struggle and rise from slavery to equal rights. The authors write, "Black Americans recognize that it is unyielding faith that makes sense out of the absurdity of having been bought and sold like chattel ... Only faith can fight back the tears when purses are clenched and car doors locked as Black men approach Whites on city streets. Faith fills the void left by deferred dreams of a better tomorrow."

LOVING DONOVAN (Dutton, $23.95) by Bernice L. McFadden is a novel told in three parts, Her, Him, and Them. The novel explores the role of fate and destiny in the lives of her characters. McFadden is the best-selling and award-winning author of Sugar, The Warmest December and This Bitter Earth.

HAVING IT ALL? Black Women and Success (Doubleday, $23.95) by Veronica Chambers profiles a number of successful Black women who examine the questions of women and careers and families. The book's subjects also discuss some of the creative answers they have discovered to the juggling act that all women face in handling career and home.

THE END IS JUST THE BEGINNING: LESSONS IN GRIEVING FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS (Harlem Moon, $12.95) by the Rev. Dr. Arlene Churn is perhaps the first book on death and grieving tailored to the needs of African-Americans. She recognizes that not all death is alike and not all grief follows the same path. The book is organized to reflect different kinds of grieving rather than its different stages. With chapters such as "Grieving Violent Death," "Unspeakable Deaths" and "Good Grief," Rev. Dr. Churcn uses various sources including songs, poetry, testimonials and her own personal experiences to address a range of end-of-life circumstances.