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Audiobook11 hours
The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World
Published by Hachette Audio
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
Part travel memoir, part humor, and part twisted self-help guide, The Geography of Bliss takes the reader across the globe to investigate not what happiness is, but WHERE it is.
Are people in Switzerland happier because it is the most democratic country in the world? Do citizens of Qatar, awash in petrodollars, find joy in all that cash? Is the King of Bhutan a visionary for his initiative to calculate Gross National Happiness? Why is Asheville, North Carolina so damn happy?
In a unique mix of travel, psychology, science and humor, Eric Weiner answers those questions and many others, offering travelers of all moods some interesting new ideas for sunnier destinations and dispositions.
Are people in Switzerland happier because it is the most democratic country in the world? Do citizens of Qatar, awash in petrodollars, find joy in all that cash? Is the King of Bhutan a visionary for his initiative to calculate Gross National Happiness? Why is Asheville, North Carolina so damn happy?
In a unique mix of travel, psychology, science and humor, Eric Weiner answers those questions and many others, offering travelers of all moods some interesting new ideas for sunnier destinations and dispositions.
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Reviews for The Geography of Bliss
Rating: 3.8163265562682214 out of 5 stars
4/5
686 ratings69 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Expected this to be mildly interesting but it was fascinating and highly entertaining to boot. Like a good travelogue with intriguing social science research built in.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5About: Weiner searches for the happiest places on the globe. Along the way he visits Bhutan, Qatar, Iceland, Moldova, Thailand, London, India and Asheville, NC.Pros: Very funny, interesting, I want to visit many of the places he did.Cons: No in-text cites, only selected bibliography.Grade: A-
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As befits a nebulous topic like happiness, there are no definitive conclusions in this book. In the end, the author even questions whether happiness is the ultimate goal at all. The book does, however, stimulate thought. As he charges around the world trying various country's version of happiness, he paints a unique picture of a number of countries. In many ways the book is a fascinating travelogue, entertaining and illuminating.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Iceland. I'm moving to the land where it's dark and cold half the year. Wait, I think it's cold there even in the summer. But, it's okay because THIS is the happiest place on Earth according to this book. The place where failure is celebrated and everyone is a poet. I read this book while traveling through Xingjiang Province, not a very happy place, especially after the recent riots in Urumqi. This is a quick read and most of it seems like common sense (choose to be happy), but it was actually well researched and a well rounded trip around the globe. The title is misleading. The author isn't really that much of a grump.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book sat on my shelf a shamefully long time before I decided to read it. I was afraid it was a self-help book, that all important promise on how to be happy. I hate self help books. Either they are painfully obvious or leave you racked with guilt. And apparently, it's a uniquely American trait to constantly analyze if we are happy or not, and constantly question what would make us happier. In either case, I put this one off. I wish I hadn't.This is most definitely NOT a self help book on how to be happy. It's a study of the world's happiest places, by country, and the author, a correspondent for NPR, explores the regions and tries to assess why these places are noted for their happiness (he also visits places that rank low on the happiness scale). He visits, in which must be the coolest job ever, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Qatar, Bhutan, India, Iceland, Moldova, Thailand, the UK, and finally the US. He goes out, meets people, explores their culture, and really gets into their real life. He doesn't stay in hotels, he tries to room with people he either knows or friends of friends. I have yet to find other books by this author, but I'm going to look. His style is breezy, sarcastic, and much of his research is backed by studies that he quotes extensively. Lots of insights on what makes people happy, and it's definitely not money. He surmises from his experiences that it is the culture of a locale, the history that the residents exist in, that make their lives happier and more meaningful. Being aware of their place in history, the significance of their architecture and geography, and a pride in their language contributes much towards personal satisfaction (which he explains by the example of Qatar that has money but no culture to speak of). Interaction with each other rather than isolation accounts for much of the happiness they experience (again, so much for my hermit-like theory of happiness!). This is really a must read book, if not for the insights on joy, at least for this man's entertaining writing and wit.One insight that he has is my favorite quote of the book, something he discovered in Switzerland: "Trusting your neighbors is especially important. Simply knowing them can make a real difference in your quality of life. One study found that, of all the factors that affect the crime rate for a given area, the one that made the biggest difference was not the number of police patrols or anything like that but, rather, how many people you know within a fifteen-minute walk of your house."
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I don't think anyone who is truly unhappy will locate any secrets to happiness in the pages of "The Geography of Bliss," however they may find comfort in knowing they are far from being alone in their search for this illusive emotion. I really enjoyed Weiner's writing, but it was more because of his hilarious accounts of the various people and places he visited than the 'happiness science' he shared. Overall, a very fun, entertaining read.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It is very interesting what countries are considered the happiest in the world and self-proclaimed grump Eric Weiner makes it his vision to visit them (as well as a few unhappiest for comparison's sake.) Not only does he go to many of the countries i want to go to but he also offers some very interesting and profound insights.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5So happy I read this book! Eric Weiner travels to the world's happiest and least happy places to figure out the secret to the good life. Witty, informative and totally reawakened my wanderlust.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Have you ever heard of the study of happiness? I know that I hadn't until I read this book, I understand now, how addictive it could be to try and find a happy place, if, of course, I wasn't already happy and had an expense account to fund it.This book gives statistics of happiness arrived at through vast research, for example:Extroverts are happier than introverts; optimists are happier than pessimists(who would have thunk?);married people are happier than singles, though people with children are no happier than childless couples; Republicans are happier than Democrats; wealthy people are happier than poor ones; (do the last two go together?)people with an active sex life are happier than those without; (Does that one go with the last two, too? busy people are happier than those with little to do; it just goes on and on.So the author sets out to explore the possibility that some places are happier than others. He starts out in Holland and after determining that part of the "happiness" allure to the Dutch nation is the legality of pot and prostitution, and their fondness for cycling, he moves on to Switzerland.After all, Switzerland makes great Chocolate, what would make you happier? The insights presented for Swiss happiness appear normal in some instances (nature, mountains) and bizarre in other ( strict laws - no toilet flushing after 10PM but euthanasia is legal). Philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote "A certain amount of boredom is essential to a happy life" and the author concludes the Swiss reason for happiness is that they are boring. He moves on.Next is Bhutan and Asian country in the Himalayas which actually has a national Happiness Policy and it is part of the national anthem. What would you expect being so close to the mythical Shangri-La.The author visits Qatar where Happiness is a winning lottery ticket, Iceland where happiness is failure (a unique concept), Moldova which is at the bottom of the happiness scale (possibly because of the economic and cultural conditions since the Soviet breakup), and Thailand where the people are too busy being happy to think about happiness because they take life as it comes.Starting his trip heading home, the author stops in India receiving the definition of Indian happiness being unpredictability, and Great Britain is happy with change. Finally arriving home the author determines that paradise is fleeting. If you find it, everyone else will too and then, it might not be paradise anymore. But, for most, Happiness is home.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Slogged through this book for 4 weeks. The premise of the book - examining the links between happiness and culture - is a good one. I disliked the author dropping quotes about happiness every other paragraph. On the plus side - who knew the people of Bhutan were so happy?
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It's good, but there is much j-school style balancing of ideas. That's great in reporting, but this is a subjective travel experience. Makes Bhutan and Thailand sound fascinating, but doesn't dig deep into the violence that sprouts up in Thailand.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5both educational and entertaining. the author travels to a handful of countries where the residents are considered to be the happiest to find out why and what factors contribute to a person's happiness. fantastic read.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wow. I'm very happy that I picked up this book. Any fans of travel and/or other cultures should read this one.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I'm still disappointed that he says NOTHING about North Carolina. Supposedly, he lives here in Winston-Salem, and teaches at WFU. If that's true, why can't I find him in any of the directories??
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The author traveled far and wide to see if he could discover the secret of happiness. His findings are surprising and he writes with an exceptionally wry sense of humor. He visited India, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Bhutan, Qatar, Iceland, Moldova, Thailand, Great Britian, and the United States.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is maybe a Bill Bryson-like in that it's intelligent, light and fun. And, there is just something inherently entertaining in the idea of going around the world to ask people if they are happy.Weiner travels to a variety of places and cultures trying to evaluate their "happiness." It's a silly enough idea that it should put the reader off guard, expecting nonsense, then pleasantly surprise the reader when Weiner gets intelligent and into interesting philosophies, and opens ours eyes a bit. Weiner keeps it entertaining, filling in space with clever lines and ideas, and asking (but not answering) some more difficult questions like is there more to life than happiness and should we be even asking about happiness. But, Weiner really only wants to know what makes some cultures happier than others and why. One mixed aspect: He keeps the point-of-view American by mixing in American references and relating back to an American mindset. But, when he finally gets to the US, in what could be a great conclusive chapter, he doesn't cover all that much ground.(originally written 04/22/08; edited 05/09/08)
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eric Weiner is a funny grump. His style reminds me of Bill Bryson, but instead of talking about funny minuteae details of how things are done differently than home, he ruminates about what can make people happy. His pieces are all backed up from current research on happiness, but his treatment on the subject is very light. For some readers, it can feel shallow, but for me personally it's refreshing and brings the research alive in Technicolor.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eric Weiner traveled abroad and in the U.S. to see what makes people happy, and found some surprises. It turns out that no matter where you live the things that we think will lead to happiness often don't, and some of the things we take for granted can be the source of most of our contentment. This book confirms a lot about what we may have suspected is really imporant in life, and is pretty funny to boot.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Well, I don't know if I would agree with the actual destinations Weiner annoints as "happy happy happy,", but he makes one helluva good traveling companion, because he is "funny funny funny".
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This mild-mannered meander through a few select destinations was Intriguing enough to have me listen to the whole book but fails to delve deep enough to inspire critical thought on the human condition. May suit those less travelled.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An awesome educational journey! Yes, a very good travel book.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5God, what an annoying voice this guy has even for an American
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One of the most beautiful books I ever read, very much enjoyed
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5loved the book. different perceptions from different cultures. very enjoyable and amusing read
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I maybe feel I learned more about people and places around the world rather than about bliss, but that's not all bad. =)
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Weiner was a decent narrator and though it seemed like he found a good way to go to countries he wanted to visit (except perhaps for Moldova) - he never did go to Denmark. It was an entertaining travelogue with no particularly unexpected insights into happiness.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Being a cynic myself, I loved the title of the book. The author, an NPR correspondent, provides a humorous and witty account of his travels around the world in search of the happiest places in which people live. His goal was not to find what makes people happy but rather locating the geographic area where there appears to be an abundance of happiness. The author's witty sarcasm is better appreciated listening to the audio version. I found it a laugh out loud informative book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Catapulted into action by his own depression, the author researched the happiest places in the world (circa 2007), or places that had distinct beliefs about happiness, and went. Starting with a happiness expert in The Netherlands, Weiner visited Switzerland, Bhutan, Quatar, Iceland, Thailand, Great Britain, India and came back to America. He also spent two weeks in Moldova, the country rated lowest in the happiness index. By meeting the average people, professionals in mental health, spirituality, a psychic, and some government officials, he was able to give the reader a general semblance of what life is like in that country and what makes that particular nationality happy.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sometimes witty and amusing, sometimes serious, a delicious travelogue of sorts, this book confirms what you should have known all along: money won't buy you happiness, not even close. Poverty doesn't do it either. Actually, there is no real answer, but some tantalizing ideas from all corners of the globe.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I adored this book. As someone who is fascinated by ways of life in other cultures, I found this book entertaining and useful - like watching (listening) to a good documentary. Weiner's humor (sometimes slightly harsh, others self-deprecating) suited me and made the read even more enjoyable. I liked that the question about happiness did not have a straight answer - as some reviewers seem to have expected - because in reality a large combination of factors contribute to one's happiness or unhappiness. There can't be a one-size-fits-all or a move-here-and-you'll-be-happy type of answer. Having said that, it did make me realize that some mild changes could change someone's outlook on life. In the end, this is a book about a journey with many different lessons and each reader can take something different out of it.