Dave's Way: A New Approach to Old-Fashioned Success Author: R. David Thomas. Pages: 256. Price: $19.95 (hardback); $4.99 (paperback). Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's restaurants, made his first million by selling fried chicken _ Kentucky Fried Chicken, with a recipe developed by Colonel Sanders.

In Dave's Way, Thomas shares the secrets of his success.

You might expect the book to start like this: "On November 15, 1969, I did a lot of praying. That was the day we opened the first Wendy's."

Actually, that doesn't come until Page 114, and the section on Wendy's ends on Page 182. That's what makes it so interesting; the rest of the book is the life history of Thomas and all of his sensible advice.

"In Dave's Way, I offer some advice," he writes. "Not all of it will work for everybody. I'm no psychologist, and I'm no economist or big deal politician either. My goal is to share with you what my life has taught me rather than pretend to tell you what everybody should think or do."

Grandmother inspired Dave

After his adoptive mother died, Thomas was raised by his adoptive grandmother, Minnie Sinclair. He owes much of his knowledge and inspiration to her.

Much of his early life was spent moving from town to town, a bad start for any child. After working for many other restaurants, he decided to found Wendy's. His life has gone uphill since then.

From "Grandma Minnie's Lessons for Living" to "Dave's Yardstick for Measuring People," Thomas explains what has inspired him. His advice can help anyone who is just curious or wants to make a major change in his or her life.

Nearly two pages is spent on telling you how to overcome shyness. There are four pages on "How to Win Without Jabbing People in the Eyeballs." This advice includes looking straight ahead, making the right impression and behaving yourself.

Thomas doesn't like to talk about his competition _ he doesn't mention McDonald's in his book. But he does tell you how to give criticism. Criticize constructively and with the right tone of voice, he suggests.

Family comes first

In reading the autobiography of this multimillionaire, you get the idea that Thomas is not a rich snob who just tries to make money. The book gives the impression that Thomas really cares about his family _ who come first in his life.

Wendy's comes second.

"I was 37 when I felt that I'd really made it," Thomas writes. "What I've learned over the past 20 years is how to live with success . . . and that's hard."

But Thomas has found how to live with success and you can, too, in his book.

"Throughout this book," he writes, "I have preached that a person can do anything he or she wants to do. Maybe I'll wake up someday and decide to take singing lessons. It sounds like something I'd do . . . and think of the commercials they could cast me in then!"

Thomas comes across as a person anyone could look up to as a father and friend. His down-to-earth talk and friendly nature are an endearing combination.

This is a book that all children should read before they are faced with the problems Thomas encountered in his full life. Adults will also enjoy reading about someone who has gone through what they are going through.

Dave's Way is the best book I have read in many years.