What happens when a thirty-five-year-old average American woman spends one year following every piece of Oprah Winfrey's advice on how to "live your best life"? Robyn Okrant devoted 2008 to adhering to all of Oprah's suggestions and guidance delivered via her television show, her Web site, and her magazine. LIVING OPRAH is a month-by-month account of that year.
Some of the challenges included enrollment in Oprah's Best Life Challenge for physical fitness and weight control, living vegan, and participating in Oprah's Book Club. After 365 days of LIVING OPRAH, Okrant reflects on the rewards won and lessons learned as well as the tolls exacted by the experiment.
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"This book has an interesting premise - a Chicago woman decided to spend 2008 following Oprah's advice from her show and magazine, and blogging about it. I don't think she came to any profound conclusions, but I enjoyed reading about her experience. It was a quick read."
— Lucie (4 out of 5 stars)
“Okrant has written a thoughtful, honest examination of her journey.”
— Publishers Weekly" Interesting and a little crazy. It just reaffirms what I think about people like Oprah, Martha Stewart, Fly Lady! They offer so much info, ideas, everything because they are reaching out to EVERYBody. We can't take it all as gospel. But we can just discover nuggets that peak our interest or inspire us and try those out. My viewpoint on this also helps me not feel overwhelmed that I am not keeping up with ALL the "ideas" out there. That would just be too hard. Hence, why Pinterest scares me a bit! "
— Cjpeffer, 2/20/2014" Good, but I would have liked it if she had included more analysis of Oprah by scholars, etc. "
— Amy, 2/15/2014" Ok, I admit, I couldn't get past the 3rd chapter. It all seemed the same to me, and I just skimmed to the end of each chapter only to find that she was doing more shopping than soul searching? I get that Oprah is phenomenal, and I do love her messages and ways to live by, but I also think Oprah would want you to live within your means as you aspire spiritual growth. I felt that she made this journey as a way to justify a year long shopping spree. "
— Yoli, 2/13/2014" Really loved this book. Robyn has a friendly breezy writing style which makes you feel like a girlfriend. Made me think about the impact Oprah has on me. "
— Denise, 1/27/2014" I really enjoyed this book. I've often thought that some of Oprah's shows contradict each other--"Live your best life and eat super healthy," and then the next show they're making some ridiculous dessert. "Get rid of all of your old clothes," and the next show they're talking about the ten "must-have" clothing items we all need. I wondered what it would be like to live all of Oprah's suggestions for a year, and I thought Okrant did a great job of describing her year. Good read for Oprah friends or foes. "
— Gina, 1/22/2014" Well, it hasn't exactly gotten stellar reviews but I really liked this quick read. The author has a quirky and extremely entertaining voice and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I am not a fan of Oprah anymore. "
— Lanette, 1/11/2014" Interesting idea to follow all of Oprah's advice for a year, but I wonder how much of it Oprah follows herself. Long on description but short on evaluation. "
— Elisabeth, 1/10/2014" Entertaining, fun, fast-paced read. I'd like to have coffee with Robyn - probably more than I'd like to have coffee with Oprah herself! "
— Laila, 1/9/2014" Just downloaded the sample on my kindle and am enjoying it so far. Definitely a light read. I may download the rest - not sure yet. "
— Vanessa, 12/26/2013" Got kind of tedious -- for me and for the author. "
— Cindie, 12/15/2013" A great idea to write this book and live the life but I really didn't like it. Maybe because I don't watch Oprah. "
— TeriC, 12/26/2012Robyn Okrant is a writer, director, performer, and yoga teacher. She graduated from Bennington College in Vermont, majoring in drama, and she holds an MFA in performance from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Robyn has produced, written, and directed many original pieces, including traditional stage plays, solo performances, sketch comedy and, most recently, short films. Okrant has appeared on the Today show, the Oprah Effect, and NPR. She has been featured in such publications as the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Entertainment Weekly, among others. She currently writes for the Huffington Post and lives in Chicago with her husband, Jim.
Joshua Ferris is the author of three previous novels, Then We Came to the End, The Unnamed, and To Rise Again at a Decent Hour and a collection of stories, The Dinner Party. He was a finalist for the National Book Award, winner of the Barnes and Noble Discover Award and the PEN/Hemingway Award, and was named one of the New Yorker's “20 Under 40” writers in 2010. To Rise Again at a Decent Hour won the Dylan Thomas Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. His short stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Granta, and Best American Short Stories. He lives in New York.