Review: What I Know For Sure (Audio)

Summary: After film critic Gene Siskel asked her, "What do you know for sure?" Oprah Winfrey began writing the "What I Know For Sure" column in O, The Oprah Magazine. Saying that the question offered her a way to take "stock of her life," Oprah has penned one column a month over the last fourteen years, years in which she retired The Oprah Winfrey Show (the highest-rated program of its kind in history), launched her own television network, became America’s only black billionaire, was awarded an honorary degree from Harvard University and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, watched friends and colleagues come and go, lost beloved pets and adopted new ones, and celebrated milestone birthdays. Throughout it all, she’s continued to offer her profound and inspiring words of wisdom in her "What I Know For Sure" column in O, The Oprah Magazine.Now, for the first time, these thoughtful gems have been revised, updated, and collected in What I Know For Sure, a beautiful audiobook packed with insight and revelation from Oprah Winfrey. Organized by theme—joy, resilience, connection, gratitude, possibility, awe, clarity, and power—these essays offer a rare and powerful glimpse into the mind of one of the world’s most extraordinary women. Candid, moving, exhilarating, uplifting, and dynamic, the words Oprah shares in What I Know For Sure shimmer with the sort of wisdom and truth that listeners will turn to again and again. -- Macmillan Audio

When I heard that Oprah Winfrey had a book out titled WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE, I knew I wanted to read it... or in this case, listen to it. I remember enjoying her popular column "What I Know For Sure" which appears monthly in O, The Oprah Magazine, and occasionally finding some useful insight or advice. I figured a collection of these essays would be interesting, to say the least -- especially if they were read by Oprah herself!

WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE contains about four hours worth of Oprah's most treasured recollections of what she's learned in her very successful life. She's taken the "best of the best" essays from the last 14 years, and she's updated and revised them for this book. Basically, this book is an ideal gift for the upcoming holiday season because it's full of interesting stories and helpful advice.

I have to say that I was worried that this book might be a little preachy and maybe even a bit condescending (doesn't that sound awful?); however, I actually thought this audio book was extremely well done. Of course, Oprah read the book and she did a fantastic job -- there is absolutely no one else who could have ever provided the emotion that she did. In addition, her presentation was almost soothing. That might sound crazy, but listening to Oprah telling me what she's learned in her life made me look at myself differently... and I'm pretty sure that Oprah would have been proud!

While I loved the audio version of the book (and there is no doubt that was the best way for me to read this book), I missed out on how the book looked and how the essays were organized. Looking back, I do remember the various themes being read at the beginning of each section; however, I certainly didn't absorb it. For those of you who are interested, the book is divided into the following themes: joy, resilience, connection, gratitude, possibility, awe, clarity, and power. I'm pretty sure the organization of these themes is much more important in the hard copy version of WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE because a reader can look back at the individual essays depending on what they are experiencing in their life at that time -- not so easy with an audio book!

WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE is a delightful book that's both interesting and insightful. It has many words of wisdom for women of all ages and all stages of life.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this audio book.