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Own It: Oprah Winfrey In Her Own Words

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The public's appetite for all things Oprah Winfrey has waned little since her Chicago TV debut in 1983. Known as a self-help guru and the "Queen of All Media," Oprah (it's almost impossible not to refer to her by her globally recognized first name) has been shining light on social issues and encouraging fans to "live your best life" for more than 30 years, revolutionizing her corner of the entertainment industry in the process. Winfrey's unprecedented influence and celebrity often overshadow her indisputable entrepreneurial prowess and business acumen. Even though Oprah has stated that she wouldn't consider herself a businesswoman, her ever-expanding media empire and record-breaking multibillion-dollar fortune say otherwise.

Own Oprah Winfrey In Her Own Words provides a unique look into the wisdom and thought processes of one of the most adored, respected, and powerful women in the world. This book collects her most insightful quotations, centered around her media career, life lessons, entrepreneurship, and remarkable personal story.

Fortune has called The Oprah Magazine , now in its 16th year of publication, "the most successful startup ever in the industry." In its infancy, the magazine became a highly profitable addition to the Hearst portfolio, amassing ever-increasing ad sales and a paid circulation larger than industry giants such as Vogue and Martha Stewart Living . Over the last several years, her media holdings and interests have also included an award-winning movie production studio, a satellite radio channel, the cable-TV company Oxygen Media, and the burgeoning The Oprah Winfrey Network.

Few entrepreneurs have been savvy enough to leverage their resources with the foresight Oprah has demonstrated in her decades-long career. Oprah's key asset, developed over the course of decades, is a brand she controls by shrewdly choosing partnerships and endorsement deals and not kowtowing to convention. At the outset of her career, Oprah decided to start a company rather than take the conventional talent-for-hire path. She, along with a few close executives, took her initial TV success and grew it into a multibillion-dollar media conglomerate, with one woman at the helm. Her influence in the marketplace is unprecedented. Just look at the long-term impact her recommendations and endorsements have had in the fields of consumer products and book publishing, among others.

Oprah's next venture is unknown, but its success, like her other triumphs, depends on Oprah—and the self-reliance, values, and vision on which she has built her empire.

144 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2016

18 people are currently reading
85 people want to read

About the author

Anjali Becker

4 books2 followers

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5 stars
18 (24%)
4 stars
16 (21%)
3 stars
30 (40%)
2 stars
7 (9%)
1 star
4 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
211 reviews
May 4, 2021
Oprah a class act, love her. This was another co-read with my mom and available from my local library. It passed the time, gave me more insight to things. But didn't give me that total wowzer feeling at the end. Onto the next one
Profile Image for Gayatri Pattnaik.
113 reviews8 followers
November 17, 2020
Own It : Oprah Winfrey in her own words is a collection of Oprah Winfrey's memorable speeches and interviews; originally published by Harper Collins Publishers in India in 2018 and by B2 (Agate Publishing) in USA in 2017.

The book is all about Oprah Winfrey and you will love it for that. I mean who isn't awestruck with Oprah and isn't inspired by her. Her persona is just out of this world.

She is among a few public figures who doesn't need any introduction. For her 25 year running talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, she was dubbed as the "Queen of All Media". She is loved and respected by not only her African American followers but by the world media.

And the book is able to do justice to her throught-provoking and often philosophical point of views. If I were to give a mere example of what the book offers to its readers, I would tell you that it hands out life lessons in the most honest way.

The back of the book gives an insight to what the book holds for its readers and I must say this one time that you must judge the book by its cover..well.. backcover. For my bookworm followers/viewers, here is a sneak peek into the backcover.

"I don't believe in luck. For me, luck is preparation meeting the moment of opportunity. There is no luck without you being prepared to handle that moment of opportunity."

"Here's what I have learned: If you don't ask for it, you are not likely to get it."

And the exerpt goes on. Go and buy this book, where Oprah talks about life, work, challenges, achievements and whatnot and get inspired to become what you always wished to.
Profile Image for Diksha Dwivedi.
5 reviews1 follower
June 12, 2020
It's just a collection of everything Oprah has said in her life but all of those quotes are supremely inspiring. Save this book for a rainy day to find motivation! I read it during the lockdown and it made me buy her book "What I know for sure".
Profile Image for بلقيس اليوسفي.
126 reviews3 followers
June 27, 2021
من ضمن مختاراتي لتحدي 24 ساعة لحملة أصدقاء الكتاب ،من منا لا يعرف أوبرا وينفري!؟ إعلامية منذ بزوغ طفولتنا ونسمع عن اعمالها، مساهماتها ، هداياتها ، تعاملها مع الاخرين، و روح إيجابيتها و العديد من المواقف،الكتاب عبارة عن مقتطفات بلاغية تحمل كل معاني الحكمة و الخبرة الحياتية و الدروس من البرامج التي شاركت بها أوبرا و المقابلات ، لقاءات سواء لمجلات او محطات التلفزيونية ( كونها مثلت في عدة افلام)، مقالات ، كتابها ما أعرفه على وجه اليقين وخطاباتها للأكاديمية التي افتتحتها ( أكاديمية أوبرا للقيادة للفتيات في جنوب إفريقيا). قسمت هالمقتطفات لسبع محطات( الاستعداد، المخاطرة، اتخاذ القرار،التحديات ،التوازن بين العمل و الحياة، القيادة وإنجازات أوبرا) واختتمت بمحطاتها الفارقة منذ ولادتها ، استمتعت بالكتاب والعبارات الموجودة فيه وبساطته.
54 reviews
January 21, 2025
“Listen to your inner voice and be yourself”
“Don’t chase after success and you will be successful”
“Find stillness throughout the day”
“If I ever lack enthusiasm for something, I stop”
“Say no if it’s not aligned with my heart”
“True courage is when you feel most scared”

Oprah was sexually abused between the ages of 6-9, leaving her with an incredible ability to empathise with the pain of others. She experienced such a darkness, that the only way to cope was to follow her inner light- and now her mission is to really listen to others and make them feel heard.


4 stars, because I would like some more stories from her. This book is just quotes from interviews.

Small book, read this in a couple hours
Profile Image for Jill Temple.
75 reviews
January 11, 2018
I enjoyed this book of quotes, but as I've been on a real Oprah kick lately, have heard most of them already.
Profile Image for CharityJ.
893 reviews14 followers
August 21, 2018
Quotes from Oprah on different topics related to success, business and improvement. If you love Oprah or need a quick shot in the arm of inspiration, worth a look.
Profile Image for Deepu George.
265 reviews30 followers
November 17, 2018
Didn't bring her personality to the fore. Was really not very satisfactory
Profile Image for Aditi Gupta.
179 reviews12 followers
January 8, 2020
Everything I needed to get out of my reading slump, to get a push in life, to re-establish faith in myself and to keep going. Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Anish Kumar.
188 reviews
May 30, 2020
Nothing much except quotations from Oprah. Most of them doesn't make sense.
Profile Image for Mustafa Nouman.
18 reviews
August 27, 2021
I'm disappointed, this book didn't change anything, the way I think , how I manage my life , I don’t recommend buying it
Profile Image for Amy.
294 reviews
October 10, 2023
I thought this would be more of a story, but it was a great collection of organized quotes given by Oprah over the years.
127 reviews
March 11, 2017
This is a book of Oprah quotes from her early years to present compiled and edited by Becker and Englemann. Each quote is thoughtful and interesting. There is a timeline of Oprah's life at the end of the book which was interesting, too.
Profile Image for Sara Pritzl.
109 reviews2 followers
February 2, 2017
I always enjoy reading motivational quotes no matter who says it. This was good.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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