Few people other than Oprah can count Bono, Alicia Keys, Sen. Barack Obama, and award-winning authors Amy Bloom and Ann Patchett among her buddies. Oprah's rightfully tapped these friendships over the years for contributions to O, The Oprah Magazine, for Q & A's and ruminations that cover such topics as love, friendship, the creative process, and how to cultivate joy. In Live Your Best Life, the past several years' worth of articles have been own pared down into a collection of the most "rip and save-worthy" ones. A bit surprisingly, some of the more stick-in-your-head essays and profiles are by and about people who are far from household names, but who are putting their souls into work that's bettering themselves and world. Like Susan Buckley, who lost 75 pounds and kept it off for 11 years; or "everyday hero" Saranne Rothberg, who founded the nonprofit Comedy Cures, to bring humor to people who, like herself, have faced a cancer diagnosis. While the majority of the book's topics are woman-focused ("Oprah Talks to a Mother of 9"; "Getting Married: The Strategic Approach"), a good chunk of it ought to appeal to men, such as the interviews with Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela. Speaking of chunky, the book's hefty enough to induce wrist strain--as if the editors of O and Oprah meant it to be read only while propped on your lap, as you take a well-deserved break, stretched out on a comfy sofa.--Erica Jorgensen