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A 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Soul

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! The fourth installment in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series promises to be even more popular than its predecessors. The perfect gift for friends, family and business associates is now available in A 4th Course .

376 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1997

54 people are currently reading
727 people want to read

About the author

Jack Canfield

1,325 books1,741 followers
Jack Canfield is an American motivational speaker and author. He is best known as the co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series, which currently has over 124 titles and 100 million copies in print in over 47 languages. According to USA Today, Canfield and his writing partner, Mark Victor Hansen, were the top-selling authors in the United States in 1997.

Canfield received a BA in Chinese History from Harvard University and a Masters from University of Massachusetts. He has worked as a teacher, a workshop facilitator, and a psychotherapist.

Canfield is the founder of "Self Esteem Seminars" in Santa Barbara, and "The Foundation for Self Esteem" in Culver City, California. The stated mission of Self Esteem Seminars is to train entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders and employees to achieve their personal and professional goals. The focus of The Foundation for Self Esteem is to train social workers, welfare recipients and human resource professionals.

In 1990,he shared with author Mark Victor Hansen his idea for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. After three years, the two had compiled sixty-eight stories.

Canfield has appeared on numerous television shows, including Good Morning America, 20/20, Eye to Eye, CNN's Talk Back Live, PBS, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show, Larry King Live and the BBC.

Canfield's most recent book, The Success Principles (2005), shares 64 principles that he claims can make people more successful. In 2006, he appeared in the DVD, "The Secret," and shared his insights on the Law of Attraction and tips for achieving success in personal and professional life.

Jack Canfield was born on August 19, 1944, in Fort Worth, TX. He is the son of Elmer and Ellen (a homemaker; maiden name, Taylor). He attended high school at Linsly Military Institute, Wheeling, WV, 1962. He went to college at Harvard University, B.A., 1966; University of Massachusetts at Amherst, M.Ed., 1973. Canfield married Judith Ohlbaum in 1971 (divorced, November 1976); he married Georgia Lee Noble on September 9, 1978 (divorced, December 1999); he married Inga Marie Mahoney on July 4, 2001; children: (first marriage) Oran, David, Kyle, Dania; (second marriage) Christopher Noble. He is a Democrat and a Christian, and his hobbies include tennis, travel, skiing, running, billiards, reading, and guitar.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Eman.
23 reviews
January 4, 2015
well...this is a book that i call " rich book" there are some stories that can be read again and again and again :)) deserves to be a NYT bestseller..
definitely you will find yourself in 1 of its chapters as it almost covers every aspect of life as love, kindness, learning,dying..etc and the best part about it is that these are stories from real life .. Paulo Coelho once said that writing is sharing and he is right :))
Throughout reading the quote that says
" writing is a form of therapy " echoed in my mind :))
Definitely a recommendation..
Profile Image for Peter Harrington.
155 reviews
October 21, 2017
I enjoyed the 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul and felt it was a very good book to read. This is the second one of these I have read and find that simply reading the stories in these books will help you find peace in mankind or whatever you need peace with. I recommend this or any of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books for anyone who is struggling in life, no matter what that struggle may be. On second thought, I don't know a single person who is not struggling with something, so I recommend this book to everyone...and yes that means YOU!!
Profile Image for Samantha.
783 reviews9 followers
May 9, 2012
I love all of these books so, so much, and it was nice to be able to read one of the first ones. The stories shared uplift, make one cry, gives one a new perspective on life, and makes one want to be a better person.

There are a few stories I more of skimmed over, but there will always be some stories one doesn't like, in a book that has so many of them. I easily loved the majority of the pieces in this book.

I love this series so much, and this book did not disappoint.
Profile Image for Stephanie Ann.
38 reviews
March 14, 2020
Until a good friend had told me about them, I never knew a book like this existed. It is heartwarming to read a compilation of stories that reassure my trust. It is reassuring that somewhere in the world, there are people who are not concerned with materialistic happiness and just want to be kind, happy, or heartwarming for the sake of being a wonderful soul in this world of trying times.
Profile Image for Kari Mccrory.
267 reviews2 followers
December 20, 2013
This was my first Chicken Soup for the Soul book. I enjoyed reading a few stories before bed each night. I found them to be uplifting and motivating helping me arrive at a good place before I fell asleep each night.
Profile Image for BRENDA CRESPO.
23 reviews
May 31, 2017
Amazing

I love all the The Chicken Soup books. They remind me that with faith, hope and love you can get through anything.
Profile Image for MelMon Sanchez.
587 reviews8 followers
June 2, 2017
You can't go wrong with a helping of Chicken Soup. There are highs, and lows but mostly beauty in every individual story.
1 review
March 31, 2018
A brilliant inspiring Collection of extremely touching, interesting, thought-provoking stories that meant a great deal to me.
2 reviews
Currently reading
October 31, 2019
My mom and my sister brought this book home for me once after collecting some items that were leftover from the Carr fire donations. They said that they thought I needed it and when my sister was my age, they helped her get through a lot. This proved to be true. I dream of one day being in the position that I am able to help other people. One story that stuck out to me was a story about a police officer. It was almost step by step that I began to appreciate this story more and more. She was located in Anchorage, Alaska (where I am considering on attending college) and was in her early years of her career and one of the only female police officers. One night, she saved the life of a pregnant woman who had been found beaten to her worst in her home by her boyfriend. The police officer saw it as her duty to make sure she got help. Months later she found out how much she was able to help that woman. She got out of the relationship, had a beautiful baby, and was beginning to live her dreams. All because one woman knew to stay a few extra hours to make sure that she would be alright. I later tried to reach out to the police officer (there is contacts in the back of the book), but was unable to hear back. I hope she is doing well.
Profile Image for Karissa Harris.
10 reviews
August 21, 2024
These Chicken Soup books are delightful! They are practically irresistible. They are relatable no matter where you are in life. The stories of real life people experiencing unique and mundane is truly great. Many of the stories touched me to the point of tears. I loved the way the collection of short stories is compiled. Some nights I read two or 3 stories some nights only 1, but either way you feel like you are getting through the book rather quickly!
985 reviews3 followers
April 27, 2021
These are fabulous books. The stories just get better and better.
7 reviews
March 2, 2024
My favorite stories: pg 317,326,327.

Easy to read, great short stories.
Profile Image for Dan Stern.
952 reviews11 followers
February 16, 2017
Chicken Soup for the Soul is a fantastic, true book with hundreds of stories inside all about people's real live experiences. The sections covered in here are about love, kindness, parents and parenting, teaching and learning, death and dying, matter of perspective, overcoming obstacles, and elective wisdom. Everyone and anyone who reads this book can find stories that they can relate to, while enjoying them. Happiness and sorrow is merely a speck of all the emotions felt throughout this amazing book. When reading this you are able to learn the different kinds of situations there are and the everyday people who go through them. This book is extraordinary and unique; how it slams real life into your face and shows exactly how unpredictable life can be. It also shows us how we should value those around us, for we do not know when it is anyone's time to go.
All of the characters are real people who have gone through an event and have decided to share it with us. Each story has a beginning, middle, and end to it; just like life. Their stories are there to help others or to send a powerful message across that has once touched them. Each and every story is unique, interesting, and 100% true. So be prepared for any kind of emotions, because in real life you don't always know what the outcome will be.
The stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul are all directly from those who experienced the story. They are all easy to understand and follow. The voice in each story is so strong that it actually feels as though the person is right there telling you their story; it's unbelievable
Profile Image for Katt Hansen.
3,842 reviews107 followers
April 16, 2016
About what I'd expected - a lot of rather sweet and syrupy stories that tug at the heartstrings - and tug they did. This actually suited my mood quite well when I picked it up. I can't take the book in large doses, but when you really just want to do something that soothes the mind and spirit, this book was just the thing.
Profile Image for Samantha.
78 reviews
September 6, 2009
I finished reading this in the middle of the night. The stories are just as you'd expect, uplifting and inspirational. There was one story, though, that I teared up over. It was a story about good sportsmanship and I'm really glad I got to read that particular story.
Profile Image for Lyndsay-ann.
543 reviews3 followers
August 2, 2014
This book hard some really great stories in it, and were quite emotional. There was the odd few that I didn't really like, and some of them I ended up skipping. Overall though, this was a good read.

(haha, pun)
19 reviews11 followers
September 18, 2015
I personally thought that this book was so inspirational.It has alot of different categories for example on love,on kindness,on death and dying,eclectic wisdom,and many more.My favorite was on death and dying because it has a lot of strong words and
Profile Image for Kimberly.
43 reviews1 follower
February 3, 2009
The Chicken Soup for the Soul books really do rekindle the soul. The short stories remind you of what is important in life and make your problems appear so small.
Profile Image for Robin.
719 reviews5 followers
September 11, 2016
How can you not feel good reading feel good stories. I like it when i can be inspired and think on how I can be a better me.
Profile Image for Ann-maree.
64 reviews
August 29, 2009
Inspirational Gives you a new perpective to your own life, when you think things are bad or cannot see hope, Chicken for the Soul, adds clarity, love and depth.
Profile Image for Caren Nichols.
2 reviews1 follower
July 15, 2012


A wonderful book filled with uplifting stories to warm the heart and soul and to uplift. As you read each and every story and move on to the next to fill you heart even more.
Profile Image for Dana.
12 reviews1 follower
August 6, 2012
I call these my commercial reads. Each story can be read during a TV commercial. This, and all the Chicken Soup books are great "warm-fuzzy" reads.
Profile Image for Ashley.
181 reviews3 followers
January 5, 2014
Such a heart warming, inspiring book! I saw it for sale at the library and quickly snagged it. Amazing book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews

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