Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen can add "author" to their already lengthy resumes. Influence is a coffee-table book that features interviews with style icons, fashion designers, photographers and artists conducted by the famous twins. It's a far cry from their Full House and It Takes Two days and yet another building block in the Olsen twins' ever-growing fashion empire.

The book is actually quite insightful and surprisingly well-done. Famous interviewees include Diane von Furstenburg, Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Louboutin, Lauren Hutton and John Galliano. The interviews are lengthy and revealing, giving readers a glimpse into some of fashion's greatest minds. There are also lots of photos, many of which feature items from Mary-Kate and Ashley's personal (and enviable) closets. And for you die-hard Olsen addicts, the twins answer questionnaires about themselves. Who would have guessed that Ashley is a fan of Dickens, Freud and Christopher Guest, or that Mary-Kate enjoys both Neil Young and Walt Whitman?

I have to say that Mary-Kate and Ashley are winning me over. I never understood their empire of straight-to-video movies, perfume for girls or anything else they slapped their names on, but as adults they are making some credible design decisions. Their two fashion lines, The Row and Elizabeth and James, feature beautiful (if overpriced) designs, and their attempt to educate a generation on style and high fashion is admirable. At this rate, the Olsen twins will be considered influences in 10 years, if not for fashion design, then by all means, for their groundbreaking work on Full House.

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