BOUND FOR SUCCESS

In 1976, the Today show's Lifestyle correspondent was a Cincinnati homemaker with two sons, a jr.-executive husband, very little work experience, and a lot of subsurface ""frustration, anger, and discontent."" How Foreman made it big, in three hectic years, is the hook for a glossy reprise of everything you've ever heard about being a sucess. But the takeoff is impressive, even for a former Miss Nebraska (ordinary-looking, she says) who co-hosted a TV talk show in college. Foreman decided that a TV job was what she wanted--the all-important ""goal."" She targeted the network affiliate that had no women in local programming, and a license renewal coming up. Grudgingly offered a stiff audition (two original news reports, a newscast from wire copy, ""and an interview with a guest on a subject about which I knew nothing,"" in four days), she ""gave it my best""--and wound up host of a new prime-time interview show. The marriage broke up; the program, on which she'd counted for an income, folded; she moved to Princeton, with her younger son (the older stayed with his father), to work for a mentor/romantic interest (whom she'd later marry); and, unable to land a N.Y. job, grabbed at a Buffalo opening--the big ""risk"" (live, daily broadcasting in a totally unknown community) ""that turned my life around."" She recounts her terrors and gaffes, in relation to the requisite ""internal 'steel.'"" And there are personal references, as well, apropos of having a sense of humor (people regularly assume she's Jane Pauley), dealing with anger and resentment (as a housefrau, she took solace in owning Rosenthal china), and keeping healthy and fit. But there tends to be less of Foreman as the book goes on, and more of the standard gurus. Still, anyone who can speak of Dale Carnegie as a human benefactor, and sound sincere, will connect to a broad audience.