Review of Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless
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Vidhi Adhikari
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- Latest Review: Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless by Mitzi Perdue
Review of Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless
[Following is a volunteer review of "Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless" by Mitzi Perdue.]
Relentless by Mitzi Perdue is an aptly titled biography of the man behind the bestselling book series, ‘Chicken Soup For The Soul’. Mark Victor Hansen is a successful author, financial advisor, motivational speaker, and philanthropist. His biography is a behind-the-scenes of his trajectory from a middle-class teenage boy to one of the most influential public figures.
Mark’s greatness is evident from the number of people who agreed to be interviewed and make his biography successful. It was surprising to learn how many public figures Mark has worked with, including Mother Theresa. A big part of the book is set in the 1960s, giving a view of life back then, including the existence of some dangerously explosive fireworks that Mark and his brothers played with. While the man has been lucky to have a supportive family, he was occasionally dealt the worst hand, personally and professionally. The author covers every challenge Mark faced, from bankruptcy to divorce. However, it was inspiring to read how he overcame them and became the best possible version of himself. His struggles make him more relatable and allow the readers to believe in themselves. The book mentions how ‘Chicken Soup For The Soul’ was initially a failure. Mark's story shows how one can move mountains with relentless hard work and faith. Mark’s story will make you laugh, cry, and inspire you to achieve greatness.
I appreciate the author keeping a neutral tone while addressing the good, the bad, and the ugly from Mark’s life. She gave an unbiased story of Mark Hansen, from a naughty teenager to one of the most influential authors and public speakers. It was nice to occasionally look at some old pictures of Mark, as they added a layer of richness to the entire reading experience. The book also had some thought-provoking quotes like ‘Pride of ownership follows pride of earnership’. Along with the motivational stories, the author has mixed in some chilling anecdotes from Mark’s past, including his near-death experience as a young man. The book also covers Mark’s corporate experience, his stay in India, along with the people he met during his career as a public speaker. There is a ton of financial and personal advice from the man himself weaved into the book.
Despite the fast-paced biography of the versatile author, there were some glaring grammatical errors throughout the book. Unfortunately, this hampered my reading experience from time to time. Furthermore, the book talks about Mark’s beliefs, and how he attributes much of his success to his faith. While I respect his beliefs, they did not align with my own and caused a slight disconnect while reading. Otherwise, I have no complaints about the effortless writing style of the author, as it made the memoir quite a page-turner.
The depth of research conducted before publishing Mark Hansen’s story compels me to rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I have deducted a star because of the grammatical errors. That said, with another round of editing, I see no reason why this book can’t be turned into a docu-series.
Avid readers of biographies and autobiographies would surely enjoy reading this impartial account of Mark Hansen’s life. The book has no profanity or sexual content, making it perfect for all age groups, including teenagers who might not have a sense of purpose yet.
******
Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Relentless by Mitzi Perdue is an aptly titled biography of the man behind the bestselling book series, ‘Chicken Soup For The Soul’. Mark Victor Hansen is a successful author, financial advisor, motivational speaker, and philanthropist. His biography is a behind-the-scenes of his trajectory from a middle-class teenage boy to one of the most influential public figures.
Mark’s greatness is evident from the number of people who agreed to be interviewed and make his biography successful. It was surprising to learn how many public figures Mark has worked with, including Mother Theresa. A big part of the book is set in the 1960s, giving a view of life back then, including the existence of some dangerously explosive fireworks that Mark and his brothers played with. While the man has been lucky to have a supportive family, he was occasionally dealt the worst hand, personally and professionally. The author covers every challenge Mark faced, from bankruptcy to divorce. However, it was inspiring to read how he overcame them and became the best possible version of himself. His struggles make him more relatable and allow the readers to believe in themselves. The book mentions how ‘Chicken Soup For The Soul’ was initially a failure. Mark's story shows how one can move mountains with relentless hard work and faith. Mark’s story will make you laugh, cry, and inspire you to achieve greatness.
I appreciate the author keeping a neutral tone while addressing the good, the bad, and the ugly from Mark’s life. She gave an unbiased story of Mark Hansen, from a naughty teenager to one of the most influential authors and public speakers. It was nice to occasionally look at some old pictures of Mark, as they added a layer of richness to the entire reading experience. The book also had some thought-provoking quotes like ‘Pride of ownership follows pride of earnership’. Along with the motivational stories, the author has mixed in some chilling anecdotes from Mark’s past, including his near-death experience as a young man. The book also covers Mark’s corporate experience, his stay in India, along with the people he met during his career as a public speaker. There is a ton of financial and personal advice from the man himself weaved into the book.
Despite the fast-paced biography of the versatile author, there were some glaring grammatical errors throughout the book. Unfortunately, this hampered my reading experience from time to time. Furthermore, the book talks about Mark’s beliefs, and how he attributes much of his success to his faith. While I respect his beliefs, they did not align with my own and caused a slight disconnect while reading. Otherwise, I have no complaints about the effortless writing style of the author, as it made the memoir quite a page-turner.
The depth of research conducted before publishing Mark Hansen’s story compels me to rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I have deducted a star because of the grammatical errors. That said, with another round of editing, I see no reason why this book can’t be turned into a docu-series.
Avid readers of biographies and autobiographies would surely enjoy reading this impartial account of Mark Hansen’s life. The book has no profanity or sexual content, making it perfect for all age groups, including teenagers who might not have a sense of purpose yet.
******
Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless by Mitzi Perdue
