Mark Victor Hansen (born January 1948) 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.
Along with business partner, Jack Canfield, Hansen is best known for creating what Time magazine called “the publishing phenomenon of the decade”. Chicken Soup for the Soul books are one of the most successful publishing franchises in the world today, with more than 140 million books sold internationally and more than 100 licensed products. The name “Chicken Soup” was chosen because of the use of chicken soup as a home remedy for the sick. The first Chicken Soup book, published by Health Communications, Inc., sold more than 2 million copies. There are now over 140 million copies in print and in 54 languages world-wide.
Hansen has appeared on Oprah, CNN and The Today Show and was featured in Time, US News and World Report, USA Today, The New York Times and Entrepreneur Magazine.
Hansen's most recent book, co-authored with Art Linkletter, is "How to Make the Rest of your Life The Best of your Life."
In 2005 he co-wrote, along with Robert Allen, the book "Cracking the Millionaire Code" in which he highlights several self-made millionaires such as Bob Circosta, Michael Dell, Bill Gates, Alexander Graham Bell, Oprah Winfrey, and others, using them as examples of how to build wealth.
