Hansen is like a beneficial terrifyingly peppy windup toy, the kind of indefatigable salesperson you could end up buying some thing away from only to generate your disappear. "However are in for example a good cyclone," recalls Kamalski, Chicken Soup's previous chief working administrator, while you are Canfield create will still be also-keeled: "They truly are yin and you will yang." Canfield is far more "logical," Hansen more "creative." Canfield is suspicious out-of structured religion, preferring occult way of living particularly Kabbalah, while Hansen methods good nondenominational, prosperity-gospel-adjoining Christianity. Despite their temperamental differences, the two dudes turned into buddies and you can began that have supper most of the Tuesday at Beverly Hills Resort.

As soon as we chat into mobile, Hansen bombards me personally with factoids and you will anecdotes, most of which - for instance the lady which aided 12 mil pupils "get out of discipline" - have a look overstated at best. Today 76, Hansen identifies themselves once the a good "visionary" who's got "learnt what you" that is coping with "most of the ideal AI guys all over the world." At the one-point he states a recently available correspondence that have "the new queen out-of Mali" and you can states, "Consider, there aren't any bookstores in the Mali." (There is not currently an effective monarchy for the Mali, together with country has plenty regarding bookstores.)

Canfield informs me he considers Hansen's hyperbole the merchandise out of a beneficial bad memories and you can continuously warmth: "Outline wasn't his fuel, why don't we place it like that." Once i discuss Canfield's review so you're able to Hansen, the guy compares themselves so you're able to Draw Twain. "I'm a beneficial provocateur," he says. "Some people go, 'He's packed with shit.'"