The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World | Eric Weiner | Wonderful fun

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The Geography of B...

	The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World Eric Weiner Twelve, 2008 - 352 pages average customer review:based on 82 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Terrific Book

I checked The Geography of Bliss out from the library and after a few pages, decided I needed to own it. I bought the book and savored every page.

Eric Weiner is hilarious and an excellant writer and thinker. Weiner spends a year trying to figure out how cultural differences affect the happiness of people in a variety of countries.

Weiner tells a great story while revealing the human condition.

For example: "Several studies...have found that trust--more than income or even health--is the biggest factor in determining out happiness."

"The God Ambition is a false God and always has been."

In Iceland, people are happy becuase they don't envy others and there is no stigma associated with failure.

"People are not likely to be happy if they don't have control over their lives--not in some abstract, geopolitcal sense, but in a real, everyday sense. Moldovans are caught in a misery loop. Their unhappiness breeds mistrust, which breeds more happiness, which leads to more mistrust."

In Thailand,people are happy because they don't think too much. Weiner writes: "Thais are deeply suspicious of thinking."

Weiner's voice was what made the book so endearing. He manages to be funny, insightful and always real.

By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet

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Wonderful fun

I am enjoying this CD set SO much. It is funny, witty and thought-provoking, and just perfect for my long car trips. I can't wait to get the next CD on - thoroughly recommended.

The Geography of Bliss: Highly Recommended

Despite extraordinary technology and modern convenience true happiness is a rare commodity. In The Geography of Bliss Eric Weiner travels the world in a quest to find which country is happiest. From Iceland to Bhutan, Mr. Weiner interacts with the people, consumes the local fare, and probes seemingly every aspect of his host nation. Needless to say, the results are sometimes surprising and in other instances confirm our own preconceptions of a country's happiness.

While some reviews have panned the book for its lack of instruction on how to be happy, I argue that this is not a self-help book and certainly is not aimed at increasing one's own bliss. However, some valuable information on what or what not brings happiness is gleaned. Mr. Weiner has a terrific writing style and the book is an excellent light read. I often laughed and in general found this to be a very pleasurable book to read that throws in a lot of travel and a bit of behavioral science.

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There's no place like home?

This is my book club's current selection, and I wasn't disappointed. If you're looking for a purely scientific treatise on where the happiest place is on earth, this book ain't it. What it is is an an eye-opening geographical/sociological journey to places I knew little to nothing about, written in a low-key humorous and thoroughly readable way. I don't know whether it answers the question, "What is happiness?" but it sure gave me a lot to think about in terms of what my perimeters for happiness are. After reading it, I'm not sure that the American way - as much as I love my country - is very conducive to the pursuit of happiness. Maybe Iceland is on to something!

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Fun Study on Happiness

I really enjoyed "The Geography of Bliss" by Eric Weiner. In the book Weiner, an NPR correspondent, travels across the world to understand why people are happy or unhappy. In the process he ponders on his own happiness or lack thereof. You will do the same when you read it.

Far from a dry, scholarly sociology study, the book is totally readable and at times very, very funny. In addition to the "happiness studies" we learn a little history and a lot of culture about the various countries. We also get to know some of the people Weiner meets as he investigates his topic, and in some cases you start to care about them.

The happiest countries may not be the ones you expect and the reasons for their happiness may also come as a surprise.

This is one of those books that I highlighted and wrote on the margins - there's a lot of good information and common-sense wisdom.

I definitely recommend the book.

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