The Path Made Clear — A Book Review

By Michael P Coleman

Oprah Winfrey’s new tome, The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life’s Direction and Purpose, is classic Oprah.  Beautifully bound and illustrated, I decided to leaf through a copy at the local bookstore.  I opened it randomly to page 118, which begins with a quote from Winfrey referencing her 2012 interview with legendary songwriter, producer, and performer Valerie Simpson. 

Just an hour or so before, I had spoken with Simpson. 

Coincidence?  I don’t believe in them.  I bought the damned book!

The Path Made Clear is a worthy follow-up to the mogul’s best-selling 2017 book, The Wisdom Of Sundays.  This new one is a compilation of some of the lessons Winfrey has learned from her award-winning television programs (The Oprah Winfrey Show, Super Soul Sundays, Next Chapter, etc.) from a diverse set of thought leaders, including Dr. Maya Angelou, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Deepak Chopra, and Gloria Steinem.  It also includes life-altering nuggets from innovators like Simpson, Robin Roberts, Trevor Noah, and Cicely Tyson.

The book is lovingly organized into ten chapters — The Seeds, The Roots, the Whispers, The Clouds, The Map, The Road, The Climb, The Give, The Reward, and Home — each introduced with an essay from The Queen Of All Media.  If you’re a fan of Winfrey’s, you’ll love the book. 

If you’re not a fan of Oprah’s (and you’re still reading this!), you’ll see the same self-righteous pap in this book that you’ve always seen in her.

I’m blissfully in the former group, having been a fan of Winfrey’s for decades and having just started my second read of The Path Made Clear.  It’s that good, and it’s a lot to take in.  I’ve already purchased additional copies for my two daughters, and I’ll be buying more in the coming weeks for graduates, other loved ones, and possibly my mother for Mother’s Day!  It’s a wonderful roadmap to finding one’s true purpose, and ultimately true happiness. 

I, like Winfrey and everyone else, am a work in progress. The Path Made Clear is helping me get there. 

Thanks again, O! 

Click here to listen to Oprah talk about the new book!  

The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life’s Direction and Purpose is available at retail and all major digital outlets.