Yeah, this idea that it feels to me is like really baked into this book of like everything's going to be okay.

This book is comforting.

It's chicken soup for the soul.

You must drink it all or you won't get better.

You must drink it all or you won't get better.

Yeah. Many of you will likely remember the 1993 best-selling book of allegedly true inspirational stories, chicken soup for the soul, and perhaps you once even shed a tear reading these bite-sized, sappy triumphs of the human spirit.

But that was a long time ago. And shining a modern light on this collection today well it hits a little bit

differently for part one of this two-part series i will tell podcaster sarah marshall of your wrong

about the history of this iconic text and read her some of the most

bat-shit stories it contained. We will also discuss some of the confusing and downright

damaging messages imparted to millions of readers, contained in what was once considered

the most feel-good book money could buy. In part two, I'll tell Sarah about the motivational

wealth coaches behind chicken soup for the soul and the shocking spot the company finds itself in today,

facing bankruptcy and lawsuits from employees they screwed over profoundly, allegedly.

We'll talk throughout about neoliberal mysticism and the prosperity gospel manifestation mindset that is animated not only chicken

soup for the soul, but also our long-term American culture and politics at large.

I'm your host, Chelsea Weber Smith, and this is American Hysteria.

I am here with the soupiest gal I know, Sarah Marshall, and I couldn't think of a better person to talk about chicken soup for the soul with it's going to be a wild ride thank you for

joining me sarah as always thank you for having me chelsea as always to talk about a book that i

truly loved as a child oh i'm very excited for that perspective because of my absolute neutrality to it as a child. So I'm glad to have. Which is remarkable. I know. I'm glad to have the heart I need to really open up this text. Yeah, a heart full of sodium. Okay. So today we are talking about the 1993 bestseller, motivational book for young and old chicken soup for the soul.

And I would love Sarah to start us off if you could give us your best kind of explanation of what this book was for any listeners who could be unfamiliar somehow.

Yeah.

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