What I Know For Sure

I have read this book more than 10 times and gifted it to more than 20 people. I happened to get it when life was full of unwanted work stress. Looking busy was practiced inevitably by most at work; it still does! Things have taken a u-turn for me since then. The book is an earnest attempt by Oprah to convey we do not need to struggle with our lives so much. It's a brilliant articulation of responses we need on many of our silent 'whys'. It's said that on our last day on earth the person we become meets with the person we could have become! If you're curious to find ways to seek your full potential, this is a must read. Oprah took almost 17 years to answer a question "What do you know for sure?" asked by late Chicago Tribune film critic show more Gene Siskel. This book is the answer. It has good potential to save many wasteful years of one's life when he knows there's no shortcuts in life! show less

This is a book which I didn’t expect to get much from. But, surprisingly, I did. This book is a selection of her “essays” from her O magazine which she publishes. It’s very short, only 228 pages. The title comes from a movie critic who asked her this question which at the time she was unprepared to fully answer. These chapters are her focused answer to that earlier question. I found this book informative because it gives you the methodology for why she sees things the way she does. It’s also a clear roadmap for how people in Hollywood see things. People in Hollywood all use the same vocabulary and this fixed terminology is meant to cut down on discursive thinking. For this reason, What I Know For Sure is even more informative show more than for just what Oprah says. It gives you an insight into how Hollywood people become trapped into certain ways of thinking and become herd bound to a culture which admits no variation. These very short chapters (a plus) are organized into 8 subjects: Joy, Resilience, Connection, Gratitude, Possibility, Awe, Clarity, and Power. Oprah is not going to overpower you with vocabulary. Not because she’s not bright, but because she wants to reach the broadest audience possible. She kept my attention even though I don’t care about some of the people she interacts with. She started off working news in Baltimore and then moved to Chicago. From news she switched to her talk show. Things which I found noteworthy: She had a priest come bless her recording studio when strange things began to happen. I assume it was a Catholic priest. Her favorite books: The Four Agreements (Miguel Ruiz), The Seat of the Soul (Zukav), A New Earth (Tolle), Book of Awakening (Nepo), among others. These authors all strive for spiritual evolution and expanding consciousness with little to guide that journey except trial and error. This is an age-old predicament. Do we trust ourselves to reach self-knowledge and enlightenment or should we trust others to help us on the way forward? Oprah seems to say trial and error is the way to trust going forward because trusting a religion or any religion is rigid and stifles growth. Religion is essentially non-spiritually expansive. This is the Tinseltown doctrine of truth, sadly. Needless to say, the actual higher power which Oprah admires from here below is a construction of God who is not Christian at all. It is a theology of Averroes who was a medieval theologian and philosopher. God is removed from the whole world and the people on it, but God can use the people on it to gain in consciousness what God himself lacks. It's a strange vision of reality but one which Oprah’s favorite authors seem eager to embrace. Oprah says, “Our main job in life is to align with the energy that is the source of all energies, and to keep our frequency tuned to the energy of love. This I know for sure.” Oprah knows parts of scripture and quotes Jesus, “Ask, and it shall be given…seek and ye shall find”. But when she talks about God it is as the Creator God, the bringer of peace of heart. She also quotes Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” which she interprets as everything having a silver lining. She claims her favorite bible verse is Psalm 37: 4, “Delight thyself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Oprah claims she grew up Baptist but never really says if she still considers herself one. She seems to avoid the issue of religious participation on principle. Oprah’s greatest blind spot is her lack of self-criticism. It’s one thing to be harsh in self-judgement but another of being unaware of how we see ourselves in light of the Christian story of salvation which she sees apparently as a closed story. Oprah says she was the product of an illicit encounter, struggled life-long to be accepted, was abused as a youth by a relative, lost a child when she was age 14. I think many female readers would see this book as worthwhile, if read as a memoir, which technically it isn’t. Oprah owns large acreages of Hawaiian and California property. show less

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 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 show more 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

It came as no surprise that Oprah’s book was filled with wise and profound lessons; none of them new or earth-shattering, no offense Oprah, but we’ve heard them all before. But the way she tells these lessons - that’s were the money is; our girl O, she has a way of making us all sit up, listen, and take note. What I Know for Sure, was no exception.

A really good reminder on how to treat people, how to treat ourselves, and how to live our best life. We, and I speak from the collective perspective as woman and human, appreciate you, your work and your words.

I would definitely recommend this easy read to anyone - anyone. (Yes, I meant to repeat that to make sure it was heard.) Read the book, people.

This is a small very sensitively written book containing lot's of wisdom - written by a very strong character. I love the last paragraph "Today I try to do well and be well with everyone I encounter. I make sure to use my life for goodwill. Because I know for sure that what I think, what I say, what I do-everything will be returned to me. And the same is true for you."

I listened to this book on audio because I wanted Oprah's voice in my head to cement the lessons she imparts. It was one of my better ideas. I'll be returning to this wisdom often. Sure, it's everything you've heard before if you're a fan of Oprah, but the advice she offers can't be heard too many times for those of us working to lead a fulfilling life.

This was a profound read for me. While I started this somewhat with trepidation, as I'm not one to usually read something like this, it struck me from the very beginning. As someone who has had a scary and difficult year, I found a lot of truth and connection to the stories told in this that deeply struck a cord with me. Oprah recounts some of her biggest moments in life and the lessons she learned from them. I appreciated the accessibility of how she was retelling her advice and thoughts while she was recounting her life's journey so far. I thought this was a humble and thought provoking read.

Sarah M. / Marathon County Public Library
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