The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives

What was the tipping point for Malcolm Gladwell? What unscripted event made Meryl Streep who she is? How did Mario Batali cook up his recipe for success? In this inspiration-packed book, Katie Couric reports from the front lines of the worlds of politics, entertainment, sports, philanthropy, the arts, and businessdistilling the ingenious, hard-won insights of leaders and visionaries, who tell us all how to take chances, follow our passions, cope with criticism, and, perhaps most important, commit to something greater than ourselves.

Among the many voices to be heard here are financial guru Suze Orman on the benefits of doing whats right, not whats easy; director Steven Spielberg on listening rather than being listened to; quarterback Drew Brees on how his (literal) big break changed his life; and novelist Curtis Sittenfeld on the secrets of a great long-term relationship (she suggests marrying someone less neurotic than you); not to mention:

Michael Bloomberg: Eighty percent of success is showing up . . . early.
Eric Stonestreet: Remember that the old lady whos taking forever in line is someones grandma.
Joyce Carol Oates: Read widelywhat you want to read, and not what someone suggests that you should read.
Jimmy Kimmel: When in doubt, order the hamburger.
Apolo Ohno: Its not about the forty seconds; its about the four years, the time it took to get there.
Madeleine K. Albright: Never play hide-and-seek with the truth.

Along the way, Couric reflects on the good adviceand the misstepsthat have guided her from her early days as a desk assistant at ABC to her groundbreaking role as the first female anchor of the CBS Evening News. She reveals how the words of Thomas Jefferson helped her deal with her husbands tragic death from cancer, and what encouraged her to leave the security of NBCs Today show for a new adventure at CBS.

Delightful, empowering, and moving, The Best Advice I Ever Got is the perfect book for anyone who is thinking about the future, contemplating taking a risk, or daring to make a leap into the great unknown. This book is for all of us, young or old, who want to see how todays best and brightest got it right, got it wrong, and came out on top.