Following my tradition of quoting speeches from commencements this spring, I offer you an outake from Oprah Winfrey’s recent address to Stanford University’s class of 2008 (follow this link for my post on David McCullough’s address at Boston College; click here to read what I had to say about J. K. Rowling’s speech to the graduates at Harvard).
I wasn’t overwhelmed with Ms. Winfrey’s commencement speech, there were too many personal references for my taste (full text here or view it here), but she did give each member of the class a wonderful gift, the gift of books:
You know, I’ve always believed that everything is better when you share it, so before I go, I wanted to share a graduation gift with you. Underneath your seats you’ll find two of my favorite books. Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth is my current book club selection. Our New Earth webcast has been downloaded 30 million times with that book. And Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future has reassured me I’m in the right direction.
I haven’t (yet) read either book, but I am curious; Daniel Pink’s book especially intrigues me. Any recommendations out there?
Oprah is so Oprah, even in her address of the graduates. Books (gifts) underneath the chairs–that’s like another one of her show that takes place at the university! Pink sounds more interesting.
Yes, like the “Manny being Manny” with the Red Sox, this was definitely Oprah being Oprah! I felt she did a dis-service to the rest of the graduating class by spending so much time singling out her God-daughter among them.