Hansen is like good terrifyingly peppy windup doll, the sort of indefatigable salesperson you could potentially decide to buy one thing regarding just to make your go-away. „However have such as for example a good cyclone,“ recalls Kamalski, Chicken Soup’s former master working manager, while Canfield create continue to be actually-keeled: „These are generally yin and you will yang.“ Canfield is far more „analytical,“ Hansen much more „innovative.“ Canfield try suspicious out of structured faith, preferring occult lifestyle including Kabbalah, when you find yourself Hansen means a great nondenominational, prosperity-gospel-adjoining Christianity. Even after their moody distinctions, both dudes turned buddies and you can began with lunch every Friday from the Beverly Mountains Resorts.
As soon as we chat on cellular phone, Hansen bombards me with factoids and you can anecdotes, most of which – like the woman exactly who aided several billion youngsters „step out of abuse“ – have a look overstated at the best. Today 76, Hansen relates to himself as a beneficial „visionary“ who’s „learnt everything“ that is handling „all top AI men in the world.“ Within some point he mentions a recently available communications which have „the newest queen from Mali“ and says, „Remember, there are no bookstores into the Mali.“ (There’s not currently a monarchy in Mali, and also the nation has a lot of bookstores.)
Canfield informs me he takes into account Hansen’s hyperbole the merchandise of a great bad memory and you can way too much passion: „Outline was not their stamina, let’s put it like that.“ Whenever i speak about Canfield’s analysis so you’re able to Hansen, the guy measures up themselves so you’re able to Mark Twain. „I am a good provocateur,“ he says. „Many people go, ‚He’s packed with crap.'“