Chicken Soup for the Poultry Soul

These books became a phenomenon in the mid-1990s when Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen compiled 101 inspirational stories and essays into Chicken Soup for the Soul. There's a good chance that you have at least 7 incarnations of this thing around your house in book, calendar, cookbook, soft drink, DVD, or crystal methamphetamine form.

I decided to check in on this curiosity of the publishing world to assess the current state of affairs. What I found surprised me:

Chicken Soup for the Canadian Soul

Canadians experience life in ways Americans can hardly fathom.

Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul II

You were redeemed by the first one, NOW finish the job! I would love to see Chicken Soup for the Apocalyptic Soul.

Chicken Soup for the Golden Soul

This one has the distinction of being a "bestseller" (unlike the Canadian one, curiously). When I first saw the title I assumed this was basically Chicken Soup for the Millionaire's Soul until I went "ohhhh yeah, Golden Girls!"

Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul II

It wasn't as good as the first one.

Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul

Inspiration in the pit! "We don't know how he won that race and saved his family from poverty, but we think it had something to do with that really fast car of his..."

Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul

See: Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)
Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.

And of course, everybody's favorite:

Chicken Soup for the Soul NASCAR Xtreme Race Journal for Kids

Plus, throughout the book you’ll find inspiring quotes from kids, just like you, about what NASCAR means to them and their family and space for you to write your own thoughts and inspirations, too.

I think my work here is done.