From Booklist Photographer Wohlmuth and journalist Saline complete their projected trilogy of prose and photo portraits of good， intimate relationships by turning to those of the nonconsanguineous kind. Well， not all these friends are unrelated: the musicians Ahn--Lucia， Maria， and Angella--are genuine sisters， and John and Terri are father and daughter but， separated before her birth because she was immediately put out for adoption， they didn't meet until she was past 30， and then they found that "we just clicked right away，" as Terri says， and that they could "cultivate an entirely different kind of closeness，" Saline writes. The other， nonfamilial pals--about all of whom we learn heartwarming and often moving details similar to those relayed about the Ahns and John and Terri--met in childhood， by happenstance， while working together， at events both casual and consequential， etc. As in its two best-selling predecessors， sometimes one or more persons in a set here is famous: singer Patti LaBelle appears with her hairdresser-companion Norma Gordon， and nonfiction authors Gay Talese and A. E. Hotchner happen to be best friends. As before， Wohlmuth's photos catch the subjects looking relaxed and appealingly vulnerable. But， as the presence of John and of Talese and Hotchner betokens， this time Wohlmuth and Saline's purview includes men. A fine conclusion to a justly popular project. Ray Olson Book Description Relatives are the family we are born with， but friends are the family we choose. Friendship brings extraordinary comfort and joy to our lives--and best friends go a step further. They are there not only to celebrate our happiness， but to cushion our pain. What is it that inspires everyday friends to forge a lasting connection and become best friends? Sharon J. Wohlmuth and Carol Saline， the bestselling authors of Sisters and Mothers and Daughters， capture the essence of the ties that bind these "chosen families" together. In this beautiful collection of essays and photographs， Saline and Wohlmuth survey friends from a broad range of American life. As the voices and perspectives of these men and women mingle， echo and occasionally differ with one another， we discover how friends meet， how they sometimes fight， how they reconcile， and what keeps them close. Jennifer Aniston， Kevin Bacon， Angela Bassett， Naomi Judd， Larry King， Patti LaBelle， Andrea Mitchell， Morrie Schwartz， Kerri Strug， and Gay Talese share their relationships with people who would love them even if they weren't famous. Many lesser-known but equally inspiring friendships are included as well: three gorgeous sisters who share everything from their apartment to their careers as classical chamber musicians， an affluent novelist whose best friend is a nun living under a vow of poverty， two Holocaust survivors who built their friendship in the Nazi death camps and rekindled it when they accidentally met on a street in Boston， and five octogenarians who grew up as best buddies and have never lost their intimate attachment. Best Friends illustrates more than just the good fortune of the people in its pages; it reveals the power， dignity and variety of the precious bonds we develop and maintain throughout our lives. Sharon J. Wohlmuth is a Pulitzer Prizewinning photojournalist and lecturer who has covered national and international assignments for the Philadelphia Inquirer since 1978. Her previous books are Mothers and Daughters and Sisters. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband， Lawrence Teacher. Carol Saline is a National Magazine Awardwinning journalist， broadcaster， and public speaker. A senior writer at Philadelphia magazine and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Syracuse University， she lives in Philadelphia. Her previous books include Straight Talk， Dr. Snow， Sisters， and Mothers and Daughters. See all Editorial Reviews