‘WHAT I Know For Sure’ is the name of Oprah Winfrey’s monthly column published in her magazine, O. The column’s idea came to Oprah in 1998, when she was giving an interview to Gene Siskel, Chicago Sun-Times’ film critic, during the promotion of the film Beloved. Siskel asked Oprah “what she knew for sure?” Stumped, Oprah found herself at a complete loss for words:

“‘Uhhhhh, about the movie?’ I stammered, knowing full well that he was after something bigger, deeper, more complex, but trying to stall until I could come up with a semi-coherent response.

‘No,’ he said. ‘You know what I mean — about you, your life, anything, everything …’

‘Uhhhhh, I know for sure … uhhh …. I know for sure, I need time to think about that some more, Gene.’”

The conversation left such an impression on Oprah that she began to explore the question in her columns. A compilation of some of those columns, written over a span of 14 years, the book What I Know for Sure is a combination of self-help lessons, spiritual quotes and motivational stories, inspired by Oprah’s life. It is divided into eight chapters titled ‘Joy’, ‘Resilience’, ‘Connection’, ‘Gratitude’, ‘Possibility’, ‘Awe’, ‘Clarity’ and ‘Power’.

Weight, for instance, is one of the issues addressed in the book. Anyone who is even slightly familiar with Oprah is probably aware that weight has been one of the most discussed topics in her talk shows, magazine, website and interviews, and now, in What I Know For Sure.

Thinking about her next meal, what to eat, what she just ate, how many calories or grammes of fat it contains, how much exercise she will need to burn it off — in short, food is always on Oprah’s mind. Having tried all kinds of diets from Atkins to the cabbage soup and egg diets, Oprah’s story will resonate with anyone who is battling with body image and obesity issues. She now claims to have made “loving and grateful peace” with her body, which is a wise message to impart when one’s senses are assailed by images of skinny models in a culture obsessed with being thin.

Spirituality is also a constant theme in What I Know For Sure. Oprah often quotes Biblical passages and invokes the spiritual teachings of Eckhart Tolle, Gary Zukav and Jesse Jackson, especially when confronted with difficult situations.

Then there are columns on subjects such as betrayal by friends and lovers, work-life balance, relationship with neighbours, ageing, the pursuit of one’s passions, handling debts and the value of voting. Throughout the book, Oprah seems to be constantly saying, “I have been through it, I know how it feels and you can overcome it because I have managed to.” Such a message can be comforting in difficult and tenuous times. Coming from Oprah, someone who had her share of struggles, rose above them, and created a hugely successful career to become a globally influential person, the words should be taken seriously.

Gayle King and Maya Angelou are the two people most frequently mentioned in the book. King, Oprah’s close friend, has helped her through sexual harassment and bad relationships. She is the one Oprah goes with on road trips and is basically the kind of friend everyone wishes they had. Oprah says that Gayle has been her “biggest cheerleader” and “is one of the nicest person to know”. Her bond with Gayle comes across as a heartening instance of resilient friendship.

On the other hand, poet and writer Maya Angelou was more of a spiritual mother to Oprah, sometimes calling her to read something out and talking her through difficult times. It is clear that Oprah had deep affection for the recently-deceased writer and was highly inspired by her.

What I Know For Sure is interspersed with the television guru’s catchy phrases such as “stand down moment,” “Mr Man,” “marvelism” and her absolute favourite, “the a-ha moment” (not to be confused with “the ahhh moment”) that made it to the 2012 edition of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. The dictionary defines it as “a moment of sudden realisation, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension.” Oprah, however, described the phrase in her characteristic simplistic style in an interview: “I always love those moments when I sit down to talk to somebody and they say something that makes me look at life or a situation in a completely different way. And I say, ‘Aha! I get it!’ Light bulb . . . and the little hairs on your arm stand up. That is an aha moment.”

However, the book at times becomes tedious to read with its earnest preachiness and gratitude: “My entire life is a miracle”; “I live in a state of exhilarated contentment”; “Imagine, me decide. What a gift that is”; and so on. It’s best to not read it in one go but to peruse it in small doses depending on the situation one is going through.

The reviewer is Dawn staffer.

What I Know For Sure

(SELF-HELP)

By Oprah Winfrey

Flatiron Books, USA

ISBN 978-1250054050

241pp.