  We present expressions for shape variables of B decay distributions in
several different mass schemes, to order $\alpha_s^2\beta_0$ and
(Lambda_{QCD}/mb)^3. Such observables are sensitive to the b quark mass and
matrix elements in the heavy quark effective theory, and recent measurements
allow precision determinations of some of these parameters. We perform a
combined fit to recent experimental results from CLEO, BABAR, and DELPHI, and
discuss the theoretical uncertainties due to nonperturbative and perturbative
effects. We discuss the possible discrepancy between the OPE prediction, recent
BABAR results and the measured branching fraction to D and D* states. We find
|Vcb| = (40.8 +- 0.9) x 10^{-3} and mb^{1S} = 4.74 +- 0.10 GeV, where the
errors are dominated by experimental uncertainties.
