Where Has Oprah Taken Us?

Book excerpt: “Reveals the Oprah story no other dares to tell—and with a two-edged sword that rightly divides the truth from the lies.” —Star Parker, nationally syndicated columnist and media commentator New York Times bestselling author Stephen Mansfield traces the fascinating and influential life of Oprah Winfrey, profiling her quest for spiritual enlightenment—a well-publicized journey featuring a caravan of experts, mystics, and gurus—all claiming to have a prescription for inner peace and personal well-being. Mansfield shows how Oprah’s story fits into our larger cultural experience and reveals why her spiritual discoveries have resonated so loudly in today’s popular culture. In so doing, he sheds needed light on the dangers of a spiritual journey fueled solely by a desire for self-actualization. In the end, we find that the story of Oprah is, in fact, the story of us—of a generation searching desperately for something meaningful to believe in. “Stephen Mansfield offers us an unvarnished account of Winfrey’s life (and our own spiritual wandering) told graciously and irresistibly. You will be thrilled, disturbed, and astounded, but ultimately inspired and uplifted.” —Rabbi Daniel Lapin, American Alliance of Jews and Christians