Oprah Winfrey

A few years back movie critic Gene Siskel asked Ms. Winfrey a question that really had her stumped. When asked "What do you know for sure?" she stumbled to find an answer. Later, she contemplated of what, in fact, she did know for sure. What came out of those musings is this book.
Oprah shares with her reader the past 60 plus years of her life and what she has come to realize are aspects of that life that she knows to be certain.
As I was reading, I thought, Wow, Oprah's just like me! She has show more interstate anxiety, crossing a bridge anxiety, passing another vehicle anxiety...blah blah blah but then she goes on to reminisce about a New Year's Day sitting on her porch watching the sunrise in Maui then later that day hiking with another famous author and I thought, Ok, Welllll, she's not just like me, afterall. But the thing is with Oprah, despite being one of the world's wealthiest women, she is very relatable, and likable. I find there is more that unites us than separates us.
There are so many good Oprahisms in this recollection you'll want to stop reading to jot them down.
Definitely a worthy read. show less

I don't know how many middle-aged men will readily admit to reading one of Oprah's book (that's their issue, not mine), but man, am I grateful I selected this audiobook at this juncture in my life.

I've always admired Oprah and find her inspiring, but what drew me to the book was the cast of fellow readers, including such luminaries as President Jimmy Carter, VP Joe Biden, Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, Eckhart Tolle, Jay-Z, Congressman John Lewis, Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, Sue Monk show more Kidd, Elizabeth Gilbert, TD Jakes, Cheryl Strayed, Rob Bell, Jack Canfield, Cicely Tyson, Sidney Poitier, Ellen Degeneres, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Lin Manuel Miranda, Jordan Peele, Brene Brown, Bryan Stephenson, Father Richard Rohr, and a couple dozen more.

These segments are largely from interviews Oprah has done with these leaders of the mind, heart, or state over the years. She breaks the book up into ten chapters that serve as guideposts on the journey to self-discovery. (The Seeds, The Map, The Road, The Climb, The Reward, etc), laid out in a manner that would serve my teenage kids, who are figuring out who they are and hope to be, as well as a 51-year-old like myself, who in many ways is doing the same thing, for a third, fourth, or even fifth time - I've lost count.

This is easy-to-digest advice from people who have lived through challenges and obstacles that give them the street cred necessary to speak on topics such as adversity, resilience, philanthropy, self-awareness, self-discovery, loss, and hope.

I highly recommend the audiobook, as you get the benefit of hearing these remarkable artists, authors, and leaders speak from the heart, rather than merely reading their quotes on the page. Oprah is, of course, Oprah - guiding you along the journey with a narrative that is reassuring and authentic.

Maybe your life journey is going smoothly right now. Maybe you just can't see yourself reading Oprah. Maybe you don't subscribe to listening to "famous people" tell you how they've navigated their path. I encourage you to move past any resistance and give the audiobook a shot. There are so many diverse viewpoints, so many perspectives, some are bound to resonate. These are leaders of the heart and mind, for the most part, and those who have earned celebrity status outside of those roles all have reasons for being included in these pages.

Thanks, Oprah and friends, for making the path a little clearer. show less

i'm not a spiritual person, but Oprah might be what grounds me. the best way to read this book is to listen to the audiobook. if you have ever enjoyed her talk show, this book will be a safe listen. it's full of inspiration.. Oprah showcases multiple stories and pieces of advice from a lot of popular figures who explore the topic of discovering your life's direction and purpose. she reminds us that we teach one another just by living with honesty. to share your truth. and allow yourself to show more listen and learn in return. however, i do think this book would've been more effective if she prefaced what all the individuals were talking about or included longer excerpts from their interviews show less

This fascinating book produced many “lightbulb moments” for me. Some reviewers have stated that “What Happened to You” contained very few new ideas. I’ve read quite a few self-help books over the decades. Perry and Winfrey covered a lot of territory I had yet to explore. What’s more, they explained complex issues involving brain science in an understandable and interesting way, vividly demonstrating how stress and trauma change us. Oprah boldly shares her personal struggles. I show more never realized that the first couple months of our lives have a disproportionate impact on our emotional well-being for the rest of our lives. Infants with high stress or trauma in their first two months typically will experience more problems than others who had very little stress in their infancy but endured years of stress later in childhood. I do wish the book had spent a bit more time examining the impacts of stress and trauma on teens and even adults. But I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in PTSD, brain science or psychology. show less