50
Used, New, and Out of Print Books - We Buy and Sell - Powell's Books
Cart |
|  my account  |  wish list  |  help   |  800-878-7323
Hello, | Login
MENU
  • Browse
    • New Arrivals
    • Bestsellers
    • Featured Preorders
    • Award Winners
    • Audio Books
    • See All Subjects
  • Used
  • Staff Picks
    • Staff Picks
    • Picks of the Month
    • Bookseller Displays
    • 50 Books for 50 Years
    • 25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    • 25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books From the 21st Century
    • 25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Women to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books to Read Before You Die
  • Gifts
    • Gift Cards & eGift Cards
    • Powell's Souvenirs
    • Journals and Notebooks
    • socks
    • Games
  • Sell Books
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Find A Store

PowellsBooks.Blog
Authors, readers, critics, media − and booksellers.

Guests

Don't Kill the Messenger

by Robyn Okrant, January 7, 2010 3:16 PM
As a result of studying Oprah Winfrey for a year and writing my book, I have given a lot of thought about what qualifies certain "gurus" and powerful public figures to give anyone advice. Especially if their area of expertise can't be quantified by certifications and degrees. At first, I was bugged by this. There were several experts brought on Oprah's stage to teach us style, party planning, and positive thinking. Even Suzanne Somers (yes, Chrissy Snow from Three's Company) visited Oprah's stage to give women advice about hormone replacement therapy. Sometimes I would grumble and wonder, "Who made you a guru and why should I trust you?" If an expert's specialty is organization, let's say, perhaps they've come by their skills through trial and error and not by earning a Master's Degree in Orderliness and a Bachelor's in Efficiency. As my yearlong experiment wore on, I became less resistant. Here's why — I don't think we should follow anyone's advice without asking lots of questions and doing our own research. We need to take responsibility for our choices and hold ourselves accountable. Oprah's stamp of approval isn't enough.

So, as long as these self-proclaimed experts aren't hurting anyone, does it really matter if they aren't authorized in some concrete or academically approved manner? And if there are people who believe their lives to be improved by Oprah's advice, who am I to judge? I believe the message and its result are more important than the messenger.




{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##

Most Read

  1. Best Books of 2022: Fiction by Powell's Staff
  2. The Big List of Backlist: Books That Got Us Through 2022 by Powell's Staff
  3. 25 Books to Read Before You Die: 21st Century by Powell's Staff
  4. Powell's 2023 Book Preview: The First Quarter by Powell's Staff
  5. 7 Essential Authors Recommend Their 7 Essential Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books by Powell's Staff

Blog Categories

  • Interviews
  • Original Essays
  • Lists
  • Q&As
  • Playlists
  • Portrait of a Bookseller
  • City of Readers
  • Required Reading
  • Powell's Picks Spotlight

Post a comment:

*Required Fields
Name*
Email*
  1. Please note:
  2. All comments require moderation by Powells.com staff.
  3. Comments submitted on weekends might take until Monday to appear.
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

  • Help
  • Guarantee
  • My Account
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Security
  • Wish List
  • Partners
  • Contact Us
  • Shipping
  • Transparency ACT MRF
  • Sitemap
  • © 2023 POWELLS.COM Terms