Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

First I need to clarify two things. One-I am not an Oprah fan at all. I've tried because so many of my closest friends and family member love her, but for some reason she grates on my nerves. Two-I am not religious. In the slightest. I would say that I am spiritual and I do believe in God but I am not religious. So with that being said I was shocked when flipping through the channels I saw Oprah's life class and Reverend Jakes and something he said hit home with me. I didn't know who he was but even when he made reference to religion that didn't stop me because what he had to say was powerful. When the show was over I came to Amazon to order the book and had it the next day when it was released. I read it in one sitting and while a lot of what he said on the show is the same in the book there is also more. He tells you directly that he cannot tell you how to solve your problems or fix your life what he can tell you is what he believes and what he sees in his work. While I loved the book I didn't love his constant reference to all the celebrity dropping that he did (not by name but rather by things like, "A famous Hollywood actress") but even with that being said I still gave it five stars. The main idea of the book is simple-step back and take a look at your life. What things do you do, what things do you believe, simply because you've been told to? We are all brainwashed (in my line of work we call it enculturation) and it's how we're raised. It's what tells us to look both ways before we cross the street, it's what tells us that we're supposed to grow up, go to college, get married, have kids, retire and move to Florida. It's what society and our families do to help us fit into the place where we are born. But here is the question-how much of that has made you who you are? Or changed who you really are? If you stopped listening to society and the people around you and learned to listen to yourself again, who would you be? What would you want your life to look like? If you peeled away all the messages that you've been receiving for your entire life what would YOU want? Jakes tries to give you tips on how to find the answers to those questions, how to learn to listen to your instinct again. Well done and a great place to start the path to a true you.