Oprah Gives Books to Stanford Grads

Posted on June 21, 2008

Oprah Winfrey recently was the speaker at Stanford University's commencement. Oprah gave each of the graduates two books that she thought they would benefit from.

It's no surprise that Oprah Winfrey gave copies of Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth to the 4,666 graduates of Stanford University when she gave the commencement address on Sunday. Now No. 8, A New Earth was No. 1 for 11 consecutive weeks on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list after Winfrey chose it as her book club pick in January. She also gave copies of Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future (Riverhead, $15), published in 2005. The book argues that professional and personal success in the 21st century will require traits such as empathy in addition to left-brain qualities like logic.
Though Pink has never spoken with Winfrey, he says his publisher had given him "an inkling that something was going to happen." "I was amazed, grateful and humbled," the writer from Washington, D.C., says.

What a lovely gift for Daniel Pink, as well. We don't think we've ever heard of a commencement speaker handing out presents to graduates. It was a lovely gesture.