錯過的機會

一位經常見面的老同學，突然約某日見面。

見面後，先是一陣寒暄，交換一下彼此近況，聊聊時事，交換各自未來的計畫。當中，似乎同學似乎刻意的問我個問題：

「如果有機會，讓你能在未來2-3年內有200-300萬收入的機會，你會不會要？」

我立即回答說，「不要。」

「為什麼呢？」

「因為這不是我追求的目標。」

「喔！」

然後在此結束對話，繼續閒話家常。

事後才覺得，這才是同學約見面的真正用意啊。就這樣失掉一個賺錢的機會，實在可惜啊！

不過，我覺得這個問題挺有趣的，同樣的問題，問了兩位朋友，各自有不同的回答。

一位朋友聽完問題，回答的很乾脆，就馬上說：「要。」

另位朋友則說要看情形：「看是什麼樣的機會？要付出多大的代價？」

當然他們也會問我是怎麼回答的。

我照實說後，問為什麼那麼快說不要呢？

我事後想了想，原因：

1. 不喜歡這種問法。這種可以賺多少錢的問法，似乎在進行一個買賣，買賣的對象不是這個機會，而是這個被問的人，是否願意為200-300萬出賣自己？

2. 這種問法，暗示這個機會有很大的代價，這個代價是可以用200-300萬來彌補的。

3. 這個機會完全未提到成就感或自我實現的目標。200-300萬應該是隨著目標實現而來的報酬，而不是目的本身。

想來想去，既然吞不下那麼大的代價，還是作適合自己身份和能力的事吧。

近日生活點滴

整理一下近日生活想法：

1. 工作

原本主管想讓我到越南廠擔任管理部經理，之前因對這位主管管理風格很難適應，加上這是感覺就像是被騙到越南出差，於是當下提出辭職，預計做到3月31日止。但不知為何，這次離開不想前幾次離開一樣，帶著一種輕鬆解脫的感覺，這次好像有很多放不下事情一樣，這麼離開，好多事沒法給人交代。加上從越南回上海這半個月，主管態度軟化，談判過程中，也表明挽留之意。幾經思考，就在3月31日，也是今天，再次和主管商討工作去留問題。終於在交談過程中，雙方各讓一步，他另外找人到越南，而我也暫時先留下來。

主管雖然建議等找到下一個工作再離開不遲，而且一直說明現在社會工作不好找，尤其像我現在拿的這份薪水，也在水準以上，所以一直要我慎重考慮。但是我想最終我還是會離開，因為主管雖然是法律出身，但和法律也漸行漸遠，言談中也表示出對法律專業態度的輕視。我還是抱著，人一生要做自己開心的事，不是為錢做事。這種理念差距，還是我最終離職原因。

2. 同學

近日，兩位上海交大同學給我電話。一位辭職離開上海，一位準備年中到澳洲留學唸書。前面一位，過年時還見過一面，當時還很有信心慢慢成為事務所裡資深律師，沒想到這麼快就有變故，這兩天要約出來見面好好談談。後面一位，到澳洲準備念金融，不再念法律了，其實他在法律專業上也很有本事，改念金融，挺可惜的，不過人各有志，不能勉強。我也順道向他打聽到澳洲唸書費用多少，他說念碩士兩年約30萬人民幣。這價錢說實在不高，挺令人心動的，可以列入考慮。

3. 生活

帶了兩次主日學課程，為了帶讀聖經，光想要如何用具體實際例子說明，而不用太過抽象深奧難以理解的理論，就讓我傷透了腦筋。不過還好，蒙神保守，至少中規中矩的帶完兩次課程。也利用這兩次課程，重新思索以前唸過但沒深入思考的經文內容與意義，也有了深入認識。感謝神的恩典。

接下來，週一開始，連續三天假期，要好好計畫計畫了。

勵志短語（三）

"When you realize that prosperity is your divine heritage, you should persist in claiming it." - Catherine Ponder: Author of books in the prosperity field

"If one advances confidently in the direction of one's dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." - Henry David Thoreau

"Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny." - Mohandas K. Gandhi

"The road to success and the road to happiness are two lanes of the same highway. And the toll you must pay is simply being true to yourself." - Author Unknown

"Each indecision brings its own delays and days are lost lamenting over lost days. What you can do or think you can do, begin it. For boldness has magic, power, and genius in it." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - 1749-1832, Poet, Novelist, and Scientist

Every religion on the planet has told us to have FAITH. Faith is when you cannot see how, but you absolutely know that the moment you have the dream it is given to you, and all you have to do is relax and allow the Universe to magnetize you to your dream and your dream to you. (The Secret Daily Teachings)

"The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind" - William James

"One who fears failure limits his activities. Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again." - Henry Ford

"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success." - Napoleon Hill

You must believe that you have received. You must know that what you want is yours the moment you ask. You must have complete and utter faith. If you had placed an order from a catalogue you would relax, know you are going to receive what you ordered, and get on with your life. (The Secret, page 49)

"If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary." Jim Rohn

"We must take change by the hand or rest assuredly, change will take us by the throat." Winston Churchill

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn." Harriet Beecher Stowe

"My father instilled in me that if you don't see things happening the way you want them to, you get out there and make them happen." Susan Powter

"The value of achievement lies in the achieving." - Albert Einstein

"One of the greatest things in life is that no one has the authority to tell you what you want to be. You're the one who'll decide what you want to be." Jaime Escalante, 1930-2010, Educator

"You are the only problem you will ever have and you are the only solution." – Bob Proctor

"You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures." - Charles C. Noble

"The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible." - David Viscott

"When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it." - W. Clement Stone

The reason you have to love You is because it is impossible to feel good if you don’t love You. When you feel bad about yourself, you are blocking all the love and all the good that the Universe has for you. (The Secret, page 120)

"Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be." - George Sheehan

"You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don't have that kind of feeling for what it is you’re doing, you’ll stop at the first giant hurdle." — George Lucas

"I am personally convinced that one person can be a change catalyst, a "transformer" in any situation, any organization. Such an individual is yeast that can leaven an entire loaf. It requires vision, initiative, patience, respect, persistence, courage, and faith to be a transforming leader." - Stephen R. Covey

勵志短語（二）

“When you have a purpose in life, a vision for what you want to achieve, and know why you want to achieve it, work becomes fun, and the time you spend working seems to just whizz by.” - Clayton J. Moore

“It is your own convictions which compels you; that is, choice compels choice.” - Epictetus

"An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“It is wise to direct your anger towards problems -- not people; to focus your energies on answers -- not excuses.” - William Arthur Ward

"If you truly want to become a better you, it is imperative that you learn to feel good about yourself." - Joel Osteen

“To believe in yourself and to follow your dreams, to have goals in life and a drive to succeed, and to surround yourself with the things and the people that make you happy - this is success!” - Sasha Azevedo

“If you look at what you have in life, you'll always have more. If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough.” - Oprah Winfrey

"Your real purpose in life is to develop yourself. To successfully do this you must always be working toward a goal." - Bob Proctor

"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one." - Henry David Thoreau

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. - Bob Proctor

“We seem to gain wisdom more readily through our failures than through our successes. We always think of failure as the antithesis of success, but it isn't. Success often lies just the other side of failure.” - Leo F. Buscaglia

We are each creating our lives through our thoughts and feelings, and so you cannot hold yourself responsible for someone else’s happiness because you cannot jump inside someone else and think and feel for them. Focus on your joy, and be an inspiration to everyone around you. (The Secret Daily Teachings)

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

"Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure." — Napoleon Hill: Author, Think and Grow Rich.

“Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.” - Denis Waitley

“You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don't have that kind of feeling for what it is you’re doing, you’ll stop at the first giant hurdle.” — George Lucas

“Wealth, like happiness, is never attained when sought after directly. It comes as a by-product of providing a useful service.” - Henry Ford

“There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.” – Buddha

Your life right now is a reflection of your past thoughts. That includes all the great things, and all the things you consider not so great. Since you attract to you what you think about most, it is easy to see what your dominant thoughts have been on every subject of your life, because that is what you have experienced. Until now! (The Secret, page 9)

"The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had." - unknown

"Decide the outcome and the action step, put reminders of those somewhere your brain trusts you'll see them at the right time, and listen to your brain breathe easier." - David Allen: Author and lecturer on personal and organizational effectiveness

"When you develop yourself to the point where your belief in yourself is so strong that you know you can accomplish anything you put your mind to, your future will be unlimited." — Brian Tracy

"Don't waste your life in doubts and fears: spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours or ages that follow it." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Visualization is simply powerfully focused thoughts in pictures, and it causes equally powerful feelings. When you are visualizing, you are emitting that powerful frequency out into the Universe. The LOA will take hold of that signal and return those pictures back to you, just as you saw them in your mind (The Secret, page 81)

原諒別人就是善待自己

在公車上看到證嚴法師這句話：

原諒別人，就是善待自己。

心有所感，其實我們真正需要原諒的不是別人，在某些情境下，原諒別人反而會使自己陷於痛苦、不滿的心境情緒裡。

需要原諒的，正是自己。原諒自己，疼惜自己，不要將別人造成自己的痛苦和傷害繼續用來折磨自己。

原諒自己，才能原諒別人。

勵志短語（一）

整理一下近期收集的勵志短語。

Every word you speak has immense power, because it is a thought in action. There is an invincible power in every word you speak! You are a human being filled with unlimited possibilities, and the words you speak can either build a jail around you where you see only limitations, or they can set you free to live your life without any limits. Change your words and you will change your life! (The Secret Daily Teachings)

“Never, never, never, never give up.” - Winston Churchill

"In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life." - Mary Manin Morrissey

"When we take control of our mental state by deliberately choosing our thoughts and attitudes, we can alter the meaning we associate to the experiences we have and results we see in our life." - Clayton J. Moore Author

"Learn to become still. And to take your attention away from what you don't want, and all the emotional charge around it, and place your attention on what you wish to experience" - Michael Beckwith

"Don't concern yourself too much with how you are going to achieve your goal - leave that completely to a power greater than yourself. All you have to do is know where you're going. The answers will come to you of their own accord, and at the right time." - Earl Nightingale - 1921-1989, Syndicated Radio Announcer and Author

“If you think about disaster, you will get it. Brood about death and you hasten your demise. Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith, and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer in achievement and experience.” - Swami Vivekananda

What you are thinking now is creating your future… Because you are always thinking, you are always creating. What you think about the most or focus on the most, is what will appear as your life. Like all the laws of nature, there is utter perfection in this law… Whatever you sow, you reap! Your thoughts are seeds, and the harvest you reap will depend on the seeds you plant. (The Secret, page 17)

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." - Eric Hoffer

“Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself. You may be surprised at how easily this happens. Your doubts are not as powerful as your desires, unless you make them so.” - Marcia Wieder

"Before a person can achieve the kind of life he wants, he must think, act, walk, talk and conduct himself in all of his affairs as would the person he wishes to become." - Zig Ziglar

"A happy life is just a string of happy moments.But most people don't allow the happy moment, because they're so busy trying to get a happy life." - Abraham-Hicks

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” - Jim Rohn

"You don't HAVE to be GREAT to get STARTED, but you've GOT to get STARTED to be GREAT!" ~ Les Brown

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." - Albert Schweitzer

"Often we allow ourselves to be upset by small things we should despise and forget. We lose many irreplaceable hours brooding over grievances that, in a year's time, will be forgotten by us and by everybody. No, let us devote our life to worthwhile actions and feelings, to great thoughts, real affections and enduring undertakings." Andre Maurois 1885-1967, Writer

"Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it." - Fyodor Dostoevsky, 1821-1881, Writer

“Thinking will not overcome fear but action will.” - W. Clement Stone

The potential to attract money and create abundant wealth doesn't reside in your job, your circumstances, or even the economy. It resides within YOU.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you're ready or not, to put it into action." - Napoleon Hill

"Do not fear - only believe. All things are possible to him that believes." - Jesus Christ.

“The value of achievement lies in the achieving.” - Albert Einstein

“When you have a purpose in life, a vision for what you want to achieve, and know why you want to achieve it, work becomes fun, and the time you spend working seems to just whizz by.”
- Clayton J. Moore

蔡志忠 天才實踐之路

蔡志忠 天才實踐之路

讀者文摘 2010-01-11 第201001期
張青 撰

閉關十年又四十天後，知名漫畫家蔡志忠再度攜新作復出，這回他嘗試以漫畫刻畫深奧的物理和數學知識。在此之前，他先推出了兩部與天才有關的漫畫新作《漫畫天才學習法》與《漫畫天才巧克力》，蔡志忠根據自身的經驗強調：「每個小孩都是天才，只是媽媽不知道！每個人都是生而天才，只是自己不相信！」

已屆耳順之年的蔡志忠是華人漫畫界的傳奇人物，他的一系列成名作品《莊子說》、《老子說》，將中國傳統哲學與文學透過漫畫，做了史無前例的再創造。迄今創作出三百本漫畫，被翻譯成四十多種語言，是華人中極少數能成功打入漫畫大國日本和韓國的漫畫家。

蔡志忠成名甚早，他十五歲就輟學從家鄉彰化北上台北展開漫畫創作生涯，由於既會畫畫又會編故事，年紀輕輕，就常被人稱為「天才」。然而經過半生的歷練，他堅信天才並不是來自基因，而是來自後天的栽培。

天才都是被刻意培養的

「就像老虎伍茲，如果他的父親不是愛好高爾夫球，就沒有今天的老虎伍茲；就像莫扎特和貝多芬，如果父祖輩不是宮廷樂師，就沒有後來的音樂天才莫扎特和貝多芬。」蔡志忠認為天才是可以培養的，重點是啟蒙越早越好，「是不是天才，在於三歲半前，五歲習性已養成，恐難再有作為。」

蔡志忠出生前，家鄉田中有一位信仰天主教的裁縫名叫葉舉，想改行當傳道士，員林教堂的神父允諾他，如果能招募十戶人家改信天主教，就讓他當有給職的傳道士。由於葉舉是蔡父的朋友，基於義氣相挺，於是蔡家也成為十戶中的一戶。

蔡志忠記得從一、兩歲會走路開始，就每天早上和七、八個教友小孩到村中的道理廳聽傳道士講道。三歲半時，他就會背天主經、聖母經、玫瑰經等三部經，腦中更已有一百到一千個《聖經》故事。無形中他還是一張白紙，就有了編故事、說故事的能力。而大他五歲的二哥和其他村中小孩，似乎就沒受到這麼深的影響，使他更堅信，「天才總是行動得很早」。

蔡志忠三歲半就開始思考，九歲就立志成為漫畫家。他記得那時非常着急，因為自己什麼都不會，也不知道將來可以做什麼，「每個小孩都知道長大要做什麼：村中鐵匠的小孩在幫忙拉風鼓；農夫的小孩在幫忙種田；拉牛車的小孩在幫忙放牛，就我不知道自己將來要做什麼。」幼小的他於是躲入父親的大書桌底下思考；藏在鄰居後院的九重葛籬笆內思考。直到四歲半時，他發現自己很會畫畫；九歲那年遂立志成為漫畫家。

既然天才是被培養出來的，蔡志忠認為教育小孩，其實要從教育父母開始。他嘆道，「我們為人夫、為人妻，教導小孩，都是在摸索中前進，甚至沒人教我們應該如何追求人生的幸福。」

糾正父母的觀念

談及父母對自己的教育，他笑說：「他們最大的特色就是：go ahead。」他解釋：「我們家從來沒有『問句』。我要去彰化市看電影，不會說：『爸爸，我要坐車去彰化看電影，可以嗎？』沒有這種事，就去看電影了。」

他十五歲決心到台北發展，也不是詢問父母「可不可以」，而是「告知」。他回憶，隔天要走了，前天晚上才跟父親說：「我明天要去台北。」父親問：「去做什麼？」他答：「去畫畫。」父親又問：「找到工作了嗎？」他答：「找到了。」「我講了這三句話，就走了。」蔡志忠說，當時他甚至沒站在父親面前，而父親也沒回頭。父子倆僅僅幾句話，就決定了他的一生。

二十多年後，他獲頒十大傑出青年獎，上台致辭時，感慨萬千地表達了對父親由衷的謝意，他說：「……感謝我爸爸，他沒替我做什麼，讓我可以自由畫漫畫。」回憶起這段，蔡志忠說：「我們恨父母，都是因為他們硬要我們做什麼；我們感謝父母，都是因為他們沒替我們做什麼，讓我們自由。」

聊到自己和女兒的互動，他說女兒一歲半時，就讓她學習自己過馬路，理由是他認為女兒既已會走路，就應該學會對自己的安全負責，同時也是父母該學習放手的時候。女兒還不識字時，每當帶她上餐館，蔡志忠就會唸菜單給她聽，讓小傢伙自己選擇；週末帶女兒郊遊，想去哪兒也是讓女兒自己拿主意。女兒讀小三時，其他成績都很優秀，唯獨數學只考了四十一分，蔡志忠不以為意；上了國二，她數學拿零分，蔡志忠甚至還讚美她，「我要讓她知道，人並不需要全才，擁有專才才是最重要的事。」

思考才是王道

蔡志忠嘗言，一位優秀的漫畫家有三個條件：會畫漫畫；會改編故事；會用畫面講故事，其中最重要的就是用畫面說故事的能力。而懂得思考常是關鍵，「思考要有方法。」他說，「思考不是思考答案，而是要思考問題的『線頭』。」他認為一般人不是沒有答案，而是「看不到問題」。「其實所有解決問題的關鍵，都在問題本身。」他說。

蔡志忠習慣逆向思考，做任何事情都喜歡「倒過來」。他解釋，「如果我站在奧運一百公尺起跑線上，一定會想像自己最後奪標，不然就不會站在那裏。又好比我去參加橋牌比賽，第一件事就是摸摸獎杯告訴它：等下帶你回家；接着舉起它來拍照；最後才把心思放在比賽上。」

這種行事方式，蔡志忠說迄今沒有失敗過。一九八一年從沒拍過電影的他，推出第一部長篇動畫電影七彩卡通《老夫子》，台港兩地票房收逾一億新台幣，拿下卡通片的第一部金馬獎；一九八六年，生平出第一本書《莊子說》，也取得傲人成績。他強調，「人一定要了解自己的狀態，挑戰自我極限。」

為了保持頭腦清明，蔡志忠四十年不吃早餐。他習慣晚飯後睡覺，清晨兩點半前起床，然後煮滿一壺咖啡，邊啜飲邊憑窗眺望天際。從不戴錶也不用鬧鐘的他，「醒來後就視同第二天。」經過七年的記錄，他發現一天當中最適於思考的時間是凌晨兩點到三點的時候。他感性言道：「每天清晨醒來，就像上帝恩賜你一個禮物，讓你以一個新的角度看事物。」

漫畫詮釋物理、宇宙

十年前，蔡志忠突然對物理感興趣起來，於是閉關潛心研究，這期間他很少出門，很少說話，只為了融會貫通這些知識。他認為自己有一種使命感，「有能力的人應該替別人做一點事。」結果無數物理、數學理論、公式，都化作十幾張的漫畫原稿，且被陸續推出。

蔡志忠說，成功的定義就是：「天地要你做的事；你自己非常想做的事；所有眾生也都非常期待你做的事，三者合一，就一定會成功。」蔡志忠仍繼續朝這條路上大步邁進。

蔡志忠有五大愛好：畫漫畫、集佛像、打橋牌、園藝和裝潢。他在台北的工作室好像「萬佛城」，這裏收集了三千三百八十一座從五胡十六國到宋、元、明、清的銅佛像。（下圖）蔡志忠一向親手削尖打理畫筆，短到不能再短時就留下作紀念，彷彿他細緻完美性格的寫照。

歐普拉如何改變了美國人的閱讀方式

歐普拉如何改變了美國人的閱讀方式

2009/09/05/聯合報/葉景雯

歐普拉‧溫芙蕾（Oprah Winfrey）於1954年出生在美國種族歧視很嚴重的密西西比州，母親是一個黑人未婚少女。歐普拉的童年很艱難，六歲以前，由祖母在鄉下撫養。六歲起，跟母親一起生活在密爾瓦基（Milwaukee）。這期間，歐普拉受到不少虐待和性騷擾，十三歲離家出走，被送到少年收容所；收容所客滿，就被送到在田納西納許維爾（Nashville）的父親身邊。儘管有了父愛，她的生活依然很坎坷：吸毒、叛逆，以及自己早產嬰兒的死亡。父親很嚴格，對歐普拉期望也很高，要求她每周讀一本書，並寫一篇讀書報告。

歐普拉十七歲開始播音生涯，靠獎學金，進入田納西州立大學學習，並獲演說和表演藝術學士學位。

讓美國人重新開始讀書

如今，歐普拉是美國最紅的脫口秀主持人，有世界各地的觀眾幾百萬，被《時代》雜誌選為二十世紀最有影響的百人之一。按富比士（Forbes）雜誌的資料，歐普拉是第一黑人億萬富婆，有私有資產十二億美金。

從一個黑人窮學生到當紅的脫口秀女皇和億萬富婆，是一個很典型的成功了的美國夢。成功人士用自己的智慧和財富回饋社會是美國的傳統。當年卡內基捐出大筆錢，在美國各地建造公共圖書館，讓窮人、富人都有讀書的機會。歐普拉做過很多其他慈善事業，這裡要講的是她在自己的節目裡建立的讀書俱樂部，讓數以百萬計的人拿起書，閱讀、欣賞、思考。毫不誇張地說，歐普拉的讀書俱樂部改變了美國人的閱讀方式，並引起了美國的一場閱讀革命。

歐普拉的讀書俱樂部成立於1996年，當時美國有大大小小的讀書俱樂部二十五萬個。三年以後，美國有五十萬個讀書俱樂部。歐普拉讀書俱樂部推薦的圖書，無一例外地都在一夜之間成為全美暢銷書。成千上萬高中畢業後沒有再讀過小說的人，又開始閱讀了。

歐普拉成立讀書俱樂部的動機很簡單：她自己喜歡讀書，每個周末平均都要讀三本書。有這樣的讀書背景，歐普拉有見識、有能力，在觀眾面前表現出的非凡才能和回答問題時的自然風格，也就不足為奇了。但歐普拉並沒有停留在這裡，她想做的是把自己讀書的喜悅與觀眾分享。從1996年九月開始，她每個月選擇一本書向觀眾介紹，她和大家一同閱讀討論，並請作者親自來節目中與讀者交流。她提出的口號是「讓美國人重新開始讀書」（to get America reading again）。

沒有說讓美國人讀書，而是說「重新」讀書，因為從美國早期到上世紀初，美國人本來就有讀小說的傳統。每月讀書俱樂部（The Book-of-the-Mouth Club）成立於1926年，本來是面向受過良好教育的人的，剛開始只有4750個訂戶，到了第二年年底，訂戶達到六萬，1928年，訂戶接近十萬。通過讀小說，大量的民眾成為比較有教養的人，這也是美國二十世紀初出現大量中產階級的一大特徵。

歐普拉在印第安納家裡有大量書籍，童妮‧摩里森（Toni Morrison）說，「除了作家家裡，我很少看到有那麼多書的家。她是個真讀書人，書不是她的裝飾品。」歐普拉想用她的脫口秀節目談許多社會問題，以及幫助別人自我完善，「盡我所能改變人們的生活」，這些，自然就跟她喜歡的書聯繫起來了，因為書有同樣的功能。

男人自己悶著頭讀，女人喜歡討論

歐普拉的節目都是在白天播出的，大部分觀眾都是家庭婦女。研究顯示，婦女很愛讀小說，男人們喜歡自己悶著頭讀書，女人則喜歡跟別人討論。她的讀書俱樂部把眾多的人聯繫起來，一起談論她們讀的書。大概這也是歐普拉的讀書俱樂部如此成功的原因吧。

從一開始歐普拉讀書俱樂部就有兩個目標：娛樂與教育。歐普拉要求自己的觀眾不僅僅要讀書，而且要用評論家的眼光去讀、去欣賞。她認為，這樣讀書，可以提高讀者的水平，改善讀者的生活品質。

由於歐普拉的觀眾大都是女性，所以她選的大部分小說，作者都是女性。小說的主題，絕大多數是關於女性的，或者家庭的。她自己是黑人，沒有忘記自己的根，所以，黑人作家也占了很多。

歐普拉讀書俱樂部選的書都是她自己讀過並真正喜歡的。被她選中的書，無一沒上《紐約時報》的暢銷書榜。平均說來，歐普拉選的書在《紐約時報》暢銷書榜上十五周之久。童妮‧摩里森的《索羅門之歌》出版以來，每年賣掉五萬本左右，1996年十一月被歐普拉選為讀書俱樂部的閱讀小說，僅一個多月，《索羅門之歌》就賣出五十萬本，而且這本小說一直在暢銷書榜上十六周。人們稱這為「歐普拉效應」。這種效應，給出版業帶來巨大的商業價值，但歐普拉並沒有從出版商那裡要一分錢，她的唯一要求是，出版商捐一萬本被選中的書到各地公共圖書館。

說起「歐普拉效應」，有人曾開玩笑說，「她就是推薦電話號碼簿，人們也會去讀。」每本書，經過她的推薦，平均會賣出一百萬本，如果一半的買書人讀完了的話，也有五十萬人讀過。世界上沒有第二個人會有這麼大的影響力。

也推薦嚴肅文學作品

許多學究認為真正嚴肅的文學作品是不能被大多數人欣賞的，但歐普拉持相反觀點。她推薦的書，有比較通俗的，也有很嚴肅的文學作品，因為她希望觀眾會喜歡她自己喜歡的作品。喬納森‧弗倫岑（Jonathan Franzen）是美國著名的小說家和文學評論家，1996年發表評論，說美國如今越來越少的人讀嚴肅的文學作品了。這期間，他正在寫後來獲獎的小說《修正》（The Corrections）。小說2001年出版，馬上就被歐普拉選中。由於被歐普拉選中，他的這本小說多賣了近百萬冊。弗倫岑很吃驚，並覺得很受羞辱，因為他不能接受他的小說跟歐普拉讀書俱樂部的其他不是很嚴肅的小說放在一起相提並論這個事實。因此，他拒絕上歐普拉的節目去與一般讀者討論他的小說。正如其他嚴肅文化評論人一樣，他不相信中下階級的閱讀習慣有了根本性的改變。歐普拉比這些評論家高明之處，在於她了解多數美國人如何閱讀和評價文學作品。

歐普拉邀請作家、觀眾討論小說以前，往往先吃一頓高檔次的晚餐，然後進入專門為這個節目設計的書房，大家坐在很高級的皮沙發上討論。階級的概念消失了，歐普拉常對觀眾說，任何人都可以過這樣的生活，不需要等到有了很多錢。拿起書閱讀，就在這裡、在現在。閱讀摩里森的小說就像一次豐盛的晚餐，而不是麥當勞快餐。

2002年四月，歐普拉宣布將結束原有的讀書俱樂部，因為她認為讀書俱樂部成了她的一個負擔，她不能再專心享受讀書的樂趣。（有人說是前面提到的弗倫岑傷了她的心。）這讓讀上癮的讀者和賺足了錢的出版商都很驚慌。同年夏天，她又讀了不少書，有一些她想跟觀眾分享，於是決定把讀書俱樂部重新辦起來，一年推薦五本左右偉大的小說，不再局限於活著的作家。後來推薦過的有《百年孤寂》、《大地》等獲得過諾貝爾文學獎的小說。

美國有的，不僅是股票市場、麥當勞、咖啡連鎖店、脫衣舞廳、賭場等等。看得到摸得著的，還有令人嫉妒的公共圖書館系統、四通八達的高速公路、價值連城的博物館、藝術館、世界一流的大學研究院，以及出版世界上大部分書籍的出版業。難以看到的，是大大小小不計其數的讀書俱樂部。如果留點心，也會看到大多數美國人都在讀文學。

2008 總結之 3 - 我聽的音樂