Jack Canfield
Encyclopedia
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 nearly 200 titles and 112 million copies in print in over 40 languages. According to USA Today
, Chicken Soup for the Soul and several of the series titles by Canfield and his writing partner, Mark Victor Hansen
, were among the top 150 best-selling books of the last 15 years (October 28, 1993 through October 23, 2008).
In July 2004, Jack Canfield founded the Transformational Leadership Council, a group of thought leaders, speakers, authors, coaches, trainers, researchers, consultants, and other leaders in the fields of personal and professional development. The members of TLC meet semi-annually to network, connect, and learn from each other, to enhance members' effectiveness and contribution in the world. So far, semi-annual meetings have been held in USA, Canada and Mexico. As of January 2009, membership numbered 99.
, and a psychotherapist
. He is a Democrat
and a follower of "the secret" and the Law of Attraction, and his hobbies include tennis, travel, skiing, running, billiards, reading, and guitar. In 1962, he graduated from high school at Linsly Military Institute in Wheeling, West Virginia
and he received a BA in Chinese History in 1966 from Harvard University
and an MEd at University of Massachusetts Amherst
in 1973. In 1978 he was named Outstanding Young Man of America by the U.S. Jaycees. On September 9, 1978, he married Georgia Lee Noble, with whom he had a son (Christopher N. Canfield). They divorced in December 1999. On July 4, 2001, Canfield married Inga Marie Mahoney. In the recently released Long Past Stopping, Canfield's first son, Oran, from a previous marriage, details a troubled childhood with a distant father, as well as his skepticism of the entire self-help
genre in which his father became famous.
the idea for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and 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 is the founder of "Self Esteem Seminars" in Santa Barbara
, and "The Foundation for Self Esteem" in Culver City, California
. One of Canfield's most recent books, The Success Principles
(2005), shares 64 principles that he claims can make people more successful. In 2008, he wrote The Success Principles for Teens with Kent Healy, as a result of the success of his original book. 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. In the summer of 2004 Canfield founded The Transformational Leadership Council (TLC), a closed membership, invitation only members' club.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He is best known as the co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul is a series of books, usually featuring a collection of short and dense inspirational stories and motivational essays. The 101 stories in the first book of the series were compiled by motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.There have been over 200 titles...
book series, which currently has nearly 200 titles and 112 million copies in print in over 40 languages. According to USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, Chicken Soup for the Soul and several of the series titles by Canfield and his writing partner, Mark Victor Hansen
Mark Victor Hansen
Mark Victor Hansen is an American inspirational and motivational speaker, trainer and author. He is best known as the founder and co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series....
, were among the top 150 best-selling books of the last 15 years (October 28, 1993 through October 23, 2008).
In July 2004, Jack Canfield founded the Transformational Leadership Council, a group of thought leaders, speakers, authors, coaches, trainers, researchers, consultants, and other leaders in the fields of personal and professional development. The members of TLC meet semi-annually to network, connect, and learn from each other, to enhance members' effectiveness and contribution in the world. So far, semi-annual meetings have been held in USA, Canada and Mexico. As of January 2009, membership numbered 99.
Biography
Canfield has worked as a teacher, a workshop facilitatorFacilitator
A facilitator is someone who helps a group of people understand their common objectives and assists them to plan to achieve them without taking a particular position in the discussion...
, and a psychotherapist
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
. He is a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and a follower of "the secret" and the Law of Attraction, and his hobbies include tennis, travel, skiing, running, billiards, reading, and guitar. In 1962, he graduated from high school at Linsly Military Institute in Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and he received a BA in Chinese History in 1966 from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and an MEd at University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
in 1973. In 1978 he was named Outstanding Young Man of America by the U.S. Jaycees. On September 9, 1978, he married Georgia Lee Noble, with whom he had a son (Christopher N. Canfield). They divorced in December 1999. On July 4, 2001, Canfield married Inga Marie Mahoney. In the recently released Long Past Stopping, Canfield's first son, Oran, from a previous marriage, details a troubled childhood with a distant father, as well as his skepticism of the entire self-help
Self-help
Self-help, or self-improvement, is a self-guided improvement—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. There are many different self-help movements and each has its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders...
genre in which his father became famous.
Career
In 1990, Canfield shared with Mark Victor HansenMark Victor Hansen
Mark Victor Hansen is an American inspirational and motivational speaker, trainer and author. He is best known as the founder and co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series....
the idea for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and after three years, the two had compiled sixty-eight stories. Canfield has appeared on numerous television shows, including Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, 20/20, Eye to Eye
Eye to Eye
-Literature:*Eye to Eye , a 1997 young-adult novel by Catherine Jinks-Music:*Eye to Eye *"Eye to Eye" , a song by Chaka Khan*"Eye to Eye" *Eye II Eye, 14th album of Scorpions-Television:...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Talk Back Live
Talk Back Live
Talk Back Live was a talk show on CNN that lasted from 1994 until 2003. It aired from 3 to 4 pm Eastern Time and was hosted at various times by Susan Rook, Bobbie Battista, Karyn Bryant and Arthel Neville. The audience participation show originated from a specially constructed stage in the atrium...
, PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, The Montel Williams Show
The Montel Williams Show
The Montel Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Montel Williams. On January 30, 2008 it was announced that The Montel Williams Show would stop production on new episodes at the end of the 2007-2008 television season after seventeen years...
, Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Canfield is the founder of "Self Esteem Seminars" in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, and "The Foundation for Self Esteem" in Culver City, California
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
. One of Canfield's most recent books, The Success Principles
The Success Principles
The Success Principles is a book authored by Jack Canfield and released in 2005. In it, Canfield reveals 64 principles that he and others have utilized to achieve great levels of success. He is also the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books which have sold millions of copies...
(2005), shares 64 principles that he claims can make people more successful. In 2008, he wrote The Success Principles for Teens with Kent Healy, as a result of the success of his original book. 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. In the summer of 2004 Canfield founded The Transformational Leadership Council (TLC), a closed membership, invitation only members' club.
Honors awards
- Named Outstanding Young Man of America, U.S. Jaycees, 1978
- honorary Ph.D., University of Santa Monica, 1981
- For Chicken Soup for the Soul: One Hundred and One Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit:
- American Booksellers Book of the Year (ABBY) award 1995
- Storytelling World award for tellable adult stories, 1995
- Body, Mind, and Soul Book award, 1996
- American Family Institute Nonfiction Literary award,
- Named Southern California Book Publicist of the Year, 1995
- Storytelling World award for tellable adult stories, 1996, for A Second Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul
- Distinguished Author award, Radio and Television Interview Report, 1996
- Motivator of the Year award, Business Digest, 1999
- Chancellor's Medal, University of Massachusetts, 1998
- Promise of the Earth Award, National Arbor Day Foundation, 1998
- Oprah's Angel Network Award, 1999.
External links
- Official website
- Jack Canfield at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...