Book Review 6

Chicken Soup for the Soul
Jack Cranfield and Mark Victor Hansen

This is another of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. (See the separate review of Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work)

In keeping with the series this volume contains 101 short stories demonstrating compassion, generosity, kindness and belief. The stories are grouped under the seven headings of On Love, Learning to Love Yourself, On Parenting, On Learning, Live your Dream, Overcoming Obstacles and Eclectic Wisdom. The stories provide a mix of insight and inspiration and are able to make you feel humbled and empowered. Many of the stories create an emotional reaction and connect with our humanity. Many also provide solid guidance and support and ready access to experience that we can benefit from with relevance to our improvement efforts.

By way of example if you find the temptation to use failure as an excuse to give up trying, the story of Abraham Lincoln may prove very instructive. Before becoming US president in 1860, he overcame a long list of failure and setback including bankruptcy, mental breakdown, failure to get in to Law School, repeated failure when running for the state legislature, the senate and congress and received only 100 votes when running for vice presidency .

Most of the stories are not of the well known or famous but are guaranteed to be thought provoking. What I like is that you can carry the book with you and read it when you have little more than a spare minute. The stories are really good at giving a kick start to your emotions and your thinking, often in unexpected ways.

Steve Unwin January 20 2004

View or buy Chicken Soup for the Soul