Mark Victor Hansen

I thought the first book was already preachy enough in how many of the stories centered around God, faith, Jesus loves you, and all that shit, but it was still an ok enough book.

I guess with the success of the first book, the editors of this book decided they'd ramp up all that, and it just comes off as insulting to people who are not Christians, and not only that, but people with mental illnesses and physical disabilities.

You can't just say "stop thinking negative thoughts" and expect that show more to work, and disabled people are not here to "inspire" you. Fuck off with that shit. show less

The stories in here can be enjoyable and educational, but are to be taken with a grain of salt because I, and others, are certain that at least some of these stories are fiction, or at the very least cobbled together from various things the editors have heard or seen through their work as inspirational speakers and etc. Also, many of the stories have very religious/christian overtones about finding happiness only when they finally let God/Jesus into their lives, etc.

These were a big deal show more when i was a kid and it seemed almost like there was always someone I knew who was reading one of the Chicken Soup books.

The Chicken Soup books also have some stories and parables that one can easily find online or have heard from other sources. I.e. the story of two seeds, one wantd to grow, one doesn't. Or the story of the woman who liked to gossip until she really hurt a friend with some gossip, and wanted to undo the damage, and was told to spread some feathers and then gather them back the next day to understand the effect of gossip.

2.5/5 stars. This series could have been better if it wasn't so fucking saccharine/religious. show less

“The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.”
– Charles De Gaulle.

This book is an ode to all dogs and a treasure for all dog lovers. What a fabulous set of anecdotes it contains! You meet not just pet dogs but also army dogs, rescue dogs, stray dogs, and guide dogs. Their stories will make you laugh and cry and sigh. Some will shock you while others will generate anger. A few tales will leave you with a strange curiosity to know what happened next. The "Doggone show more Wonderful" section was my favourite, though I did love almost every story in this book equally.

As with every Chicken Soup collection, there are precious quotes at the start of every anecdote and a few cartoons peppered in between the sections.

The only thing I missed in this book was photos of the pooches in the stories. How I would have loved to put a face to the myriad canines who stole my heart with their behaviour!

If you are a dog lover, you will enjoy these stories of companionship and love. If you aren't a dog lover, you must read this book to know why you must become one!

Relish this in small proportions in between your usual books. It will add the right dash of happiness to your day.

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Theese books were big when I was a kid. And I do mean fucking big. Just about all of the adults I knew were passing these books among themselves, going on about how awesome and inspiring these books were. And I was able to read these because hey, such Godly and inspirational books are soooo kid-appropriate/friendly!

And... yes, as far as "clean" and "appropriate" went, sure, the Chicken Soup books were fine for kids (older kids, at least, given the reading level) Now, some 20+ years later, I show more agree with that, at least from a neutral perspective. The stories are meant to be inspiring and uplifting.

However, the Chicken Soup books have a heavy religious/Christian bent, which isn't surprising given the two people responsible for the books, so many of the stories are about people finding God, or being inspired by God, or some shit. So while these books may be more appealing to Christians, there's less appeal to non-religious folks.

I see some reviewers questioning the validity of the stories, and now, thinking back, I can't help but wonder if some of these stories WERE indeed fabricated, to push the whole "you need Jesus to feel good" message. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me. show less