THE LAST PUFF <i> by John W. Farquhar and Gene A. Spiller (W. W. Norton: $18.95; 252 pp.) </i>

Despite the myriad groups advertising miracle stop-smoking cures on television, note the authors of this book, most people who have kicked the habit have done so on their own. And most have found the strength and inspiration from others who stopped. “The Last Puff” records the stories of 32 ex-smokers and offers by example as many ways to quit: the tricks, the ploys, the ingenious outsmartings of one’s own habits of mind. And there are the rewards of the smoke-free life, as Leslie M. writes: “Last night I could smell each person I talked to. I could smell the fabric of their clothes and the soap they’d used to shower. . . . There’s something very sensuous about not smoking. I want to touch everyone, get close, smell skin.” (In fairness, she adds: “Of course, bad smells now are exaggerated, too. . . .”)

At the end of the book, the authors offer some practical tips on developing self-discipline that are not particularly revelatory. The support-group quality of this book far outweighs any scientific advice it contains. “The Last Puff” is sort of a Smokers Anonymous book of Psalms, a volume to carry around and dip into when the urge to light up strikes.