From 101 Uses for a Dead Cat to The Wit and Wisdom of The Nanny, fluff paperbacks are an easy way for publishers to turn a fast buck: It takes little more than an instantly recognizable concept and a built-in audience (cat-haters, fans of The Nanny) to get what you want out of them commercially. Jennifer Berman, the cartoonist behind the hard-hitting social commentary Why Dogs Are Better Than Men, just cranked out a sequel called Why Dogs Are Better Than Republicans, which would have benefited from a larger target audience than dog-loving, Democratic cartoon fans. But the bigger problem here is the staggering inanity of each and every joke presented. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that you're amused to no end by wacky cartoon dogs, and that you dislike Republicans a lot, and that you're willing to spend $10 on a book you'll read in under 15 minutes. Wouldn't you like stronger jokes than ''Dogs think the curriculum could use some expansion,'' or ''Dogs love kids—even if they happen to be poor''? Wow, it's lame, even considering the inherent disposability of the medium.