Florence Henderson, Television star (The Brady Bunch, Later Today); national honorary chairwoman, Speaking of Women's Health:

        Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (Vintage; $14).

        “It was so romantic. I fell in love with the character. I thought it was a wonderful book.”

        Power of Decision by Raymond Barker (DeVorss and Company; $10.95).

        “It's a wonderful book for women. We're pulled in so many directions. It's difficult to make decisions, but it's important. I'm reading it again.”

        Dr. Abdul-Rahmon Jazieh, Associate professor of medicine and environmental health and co-director, Thoracic Oncology program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine:

        Ottoman Centuries: The Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire by Lord Kinross (Morrow, William & Co.; $15.95).

        “I like history and this book is fascinating in many ways. History can be dry, but the author has a way of telling it so that it reads like fiction, like the Arabian Nights. He writes about the Sultan Murad cqwho was cruel in battle but became skilled in the art of peace. In the conquered territories, he did not force conversion to Islam. His tolerance and respect for others paid off. (When later rulers) lost that tolerance and respect for others, it caused the demise of the civilization.”

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