Tommy Lee isn’t the only thing that Pamela Anderson and Jenna Jameson have in common. Both these much implanted ladies have just published fascinating books about their lives – professional and otherwise.

Ms. Anderson, who rose to fame via Playboy and “Baywatch,” has written “Star” (Atria, 304 pages, $24), a roman a clef that tells her story in often purple prose. Ms. Jameson took a much more straightforward approach, drawing on former New York Times pop music critic Neil Strauss for help writing “How to Make Love Like a Porn Star” (Regan Books, 592 pages, $27.95). In it, she combines first-person narrative, exerpts from an old diary, and transcripts of interviews with her family. She provides readers a behind-the-scenes look at the pornography industry – and throws in some (very) practical advice.

Ms. Jameson’s book is the more engaging of the two because it is a tale of raw ambition (and positively packed with photos). Ms. Jameson set out to be come the biggest name in the porn industry, going from stripper to model to adult video star. Her book tells how she made it happen. It wasn’t without a few snags (such as her meth habit and no-good boyfriends). But, for the most part, this girl set her goals and worked hard.

Parts of this book are impossible to stop reading. But they are not the expected parts (and certainly not the graphic descriptions of sex, both boy-girl and girl-girl).The must-read portions are the behind-the-scenes looks at the porn industry and strip clubs.

In the guise of giving readers advice on how to make it as a female (and male) porn star, Ms. Jameson provides a tell-all of the industry. The inner workings of strip clubs, with their rigid hierarchies of girls, are fascinating, and absolute boatloads of cash seem to be exchanged inside them.

Ms. Jameson’s long road to success gives her a sense of power that may seem warped by the standards of most Ann Taylor-wearing corporate women. But she has a sanguine tone about it all.

“The job of porn star is not a calling – or even an option – for most women. However, if you make the right decisions and set the right boundaries for yourself, it can be a great living because you’ll make a lot of money while doing very little work …Though watching porn may seem degrading to some women, the fact is that it’s one of the few jobs for women where you can get to a certain level, look around, and feel so powerful, not just in the work environment but as a sexual being. So, … Gloria Steinem.”

In contrast to this story of a climb to the top, Ms. Anderson’s “Star” is something of a bodice ripper with thinly veiled biographical points along the way. The main character’s name is Star (formerly Esther), and she’s a hard-working, sweet girly-girl from a tiny town in Florida. Which makes the story read like schlock Hiaasen.

If you know Ms. Anderson’s story, you know the plot, which goes something like this. While attending a football game, Star – in a tight T-shirt – winds up on a giant television screen. The local beer company makes her their new face, and after that, she scores a cover on the fictional adult magazine “Mann.” She flies off to Hollywood to shoot the cover and stays, where she lands television work and many boyfriends.

This story comes complete with some lines that come straight out of the romance-novel genre: “When at last he let her body slide down between him and the sign, lowering her onto the seat of his passion, she gave herself gladly and gratefully at last.”

But within the broadly defined genre of chick-lit, “Star” is actually a decent read: Here is a main character who is not, at age 30, fretting without a husband. Instead, she’s a lively, kind girl who works hard and earns her place in Hollywood. She’s got a killer set of boobs, a great dye-job, and a friendly personality, so she gets laid a lot. Who wants a husband?

That’s the real problem with these books. While they may give real women an extra dash of confidence and sexual energy, we’re not all Pamelas and Jennas. We don’t all have double-D cups and perfect blond highlights. We’re too annoyed with everyday life to be friendly all the time. And sex is emotionally tricky.

Strippers, Playboy bunnies, and porn stars make money because men want to think that sex can be attained without emotions. That attitude may work on stage and screen, but it rarely works so neatly in real life. Both Ms. Anderson and Ms. Jameson have been married. In the end, even though money talks and tell-all books sell – cuddles matter.