This is the 4158th most frequent Russian word.
сама
"Сама" means "herself" or "on her own."
The word 'сама' indicates that the subject (I) performed the action independently.
Я сама приготовила ужин.
I cooked dinner by myself.
Here, 'сама' emphasizes that the action was performed personally and independently by the subject (she).
Она сама решила этот вопрос.
She resolved this issue herself.
In this sentence, 'сама' combined with 'по себе' conveys that the object (book) exists independently or without external influence.