Jack Canfield is the major contemporary self-help sage, and he has published several dozen books since the 1970's. He's created an enormous franchise entitled "Chicken Soup for the Soul," which has generated over $1.3 Billion in branded merchandise. Chicken soup, just like his grandmother used to make, but for the soul, not the body.
What better example of the Nietzschean priest could there possibly be? Like chicken soup, the priest's teachings are intended for invalids. And like chicken soup, the religion of the priest does not actually address the cause of the illness--rather, it assuages the symptom, allowing the invalids to accept and reaffirm their illnesses, but to go on living with the illusion of health.
Mr. Canfield's son, Oran, has written a tell-all memoir about his days of living in flophouses and rehab centers, strung out on heroin, finally pulling his life together after several years of living on the edge. Here's a nice excerpt:
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