Referenced Resources

Here are the resources mentioned in the interview, categorized by type:

People

• Nora O’Donnell - Interviewer and host of “Person to Person”
• Oprah - Guest on the interview
• Oprah Winfrey - Guest on the interview, discussed as a media icon, host of “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, author, and co-author of “Build the Life You Want”
• Arthur Brooks - Harvard professor and co-author of “Build the Life You Want”, discussed for his columns in The Atlantic and his insights on happiness
• Aristotle - Philosopher, mentioned in the context of the power of reflection
• Tony Kushner - Playwright, mentioned as having sent Oprah a play for Broadway
• Beyoncé - Musician, mentioned as having taught Oprah to twerk and as someone Oprah might now attend concerts for
• Obama - Mentioned in the context of someone asking “Is it good?” at the end of an interview
• Barbara Walters - Pioneer in broadcast journalism, mentioned in the context of her early struggles in broadcast and Oprah’s happiness for Nora’s success
• Harry Reasoner - Broadcast journalist, mentioned as Barbara Walters’ co-anchor

Organizations

• Harvard University - Affiliation of Arthur Brooks, mentioned as “Harvard professor”
• The Atlantic - Publication where Arthur Brooks has a column

Documents

• Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier - The new book co-authored by Oprah Winfrey and Arthur Brooks, discussed extensively throughout the interview
• Invictus - Poem that Oprah teaches to girls in South Africa, mentioned for its lines “I’m the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul”
• Declaration of Independence - Mentioned in the context of the phrase “the pursuit of happiness”

Tools

• Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) - Oprah’s media empire, mentioned as part of her ventures after retiring from her daily show
• O Magazine - Oprah’s magazine, mentioned as part of her media empire
• Oprah’s Book Club - Oprah’s book club, mentioned as part of her media empire
• Oprah Daily - Oprah’s lifestyle website, mentioned as part of her media empire
• Social Media - Mentioned as a source of envy and a destroyer of happiness

Technologies

• Daily TV show - Refers to “The Oprah Winfrey Show”
• Podcast - Mentioned as a potential future medium for spreading the message of the book

Concepts/Ideas

• Happiness - The central theme of the interview, discussed in various contexts including definition, pursuit, and attainment
• Happier-ness - A term coined by Oprah and Arthur Brooks to describe a state of enjoyment, contentment, satisfaction, and purpose, acknowledging that constant happiness is not achievable
• Reflection - Mentioned in relation to Aristotle and learning from past experiences
• Therapy - Oprah mentions getting her “therapy” from the guests on her show
• Focus group - How Oprah describes the audience of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” after 10 years
• Broadway - Mentioned as a potential career path Oprah considered but ultimately didn’t pursue
• Envy - Identified as a “great destroyer” and “happiness killer”
• Agency - The idea of taking control over one’s own life and happiness
• Faith - Discussed as a component of happiness, meaning a belief in something transcendent, not necessarily religion
• Spiritual practice - Mentioned as important for survival and acknowledging something bigger than oneself
• Life 101 - A class taught by Oprah in South Africa