In The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World, author, NPR correspondent, and self-proclaimed “grump” Eric Weiner recounts his journey across the world to find happiness and its source in ten different countries. He sets up the book by giving general facts and findings linking happiness to specific qualities, like being married or unmarried, being a woman or a man, and living in a democracy. Another tool Weiner uses to set the scene for his journey is the fact that each language has a different word for happiness, which may mean that each individual’s definition of happiness may vary as well. His curiosity takes him to the Netherlands, Switzerland, Bhutan, Qatar, Iceland, Moldova, Thailand, Great Britain, India, and America. His journey began in the Netherlands at the “World Database of Happiness,” which is essentially a room full of researchers and computers on a Dutch college campus. Weiner then has a chapter reserved for each country he visits, in which he discusses the interesting research he gathers and the surprising conclusions he makes. Weiner gives facts that make logical sense: happiness is less prevalent in poverty-stricken countries. However, he gives unexpected conclusions as well: happiness is attributed to failure in Iceland. Weiner ends his trip in America, where he calls happiness “something we’re working on.”
Overall, I enjoyed reading The Geography of Bliss because it felt less like a nonfiction novel and more like a conversation with a friend describing his interesting experiences and sharing his knowledge. Weiner’s voice is apparent throughout the novel as he discusses his research and thoughts about the findings in a compelling but laid-back way. The book was very easy to read, and the facts and figures Weiner gave related to real people and experiences. Although hearing the words “happiness” and “data” used together may turn some people off of reading the book, it's worthwhile to read. I personally had never thought of happiness as relating to geography until reading this book, but it makes sense. However, the results in Weiner’s book definitely surprised me. The happiest places aren’t the warmest. In fact, the happiest places are temperate and one of the happiest places in the world, Iceland, experiences cold, dark winters. These intriguing conclusions that Weiner makes show that happiness may be attributed to things I rarely think of and quite possibly take for granted, like cleanliness. Anyone who is interested in knowing why happiness lives where it does will find great pleasure in reading The Geography of Bliss.
Weiner, Eric. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World. New York: Twelve, 2008. Print.
In The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World, author, NPR correspondent, and self-proclaimed “grump” Eric Weiner recounts his journey across the world to find happiness and its source in ten different countries. He sets up the book by giving general facts and findings linking happiness to specific qualities, like being married or unmarried, being a woman or a man, and living in a democracy. Another tool Weiner uses to set the scene for his journey is the fact that each language has a different word for happiness, which may mean that each individual’s definition of happiness may vary as well. His curiosity takes him to the Netherlands, Switzerland, Bhutan, Qatar, Iceland, Moldova, Thailand, Great Britain, India, and America. His journey began in the Netherlands at the “World Database of Happiness,” which is essentially a room full of researchers and computers on a Dutch college campus. Weiner then has a chapter reserved for each country he visits, in which he discusses the interesting research he gathers and the surprising conclusions he makes. Weiner gives facts that make logical sense: happiness is less prevalent in poverty-stricken countries. However, he gives unexpected conclusions as well: happiness is attributed to failure in Iceland. Weiner ends his trip in America, where he calls happiness “something we’re working on.”
Overall, I enjoyed reading The Geography of Bliss because it felt less like a nonfiction novel and more like a conversation with a friend describing his interesting experiences and sharing his knowledge. Weiner’s voice is apparent throughout the novel as he discusses his research and thoughts about the findings in a compelling but laid-back way. The book was very easy to read, and the facts and figures Weiner gave related to real people and experiences. Although hearing the words “happiness” and “data” used together may turn some people off of reading the book, it's worthwhile to read. I personally had never thought of happiness as relating to geography until reading this book, but it makes sense. However, the results in Weiner’s book definitely surprised me. The happiest places aren’t the warmest. In fact, the happiest places are temperate and one of the happiest places in the world, Iceland, experiences cold, dark winters. These intriguing conclusions that Weiner makes show that happiness may be attributed to things I rarely think of and quite possibly take for granted, like cleanliness. Anyone who is interested in knowing why happiness lives where it does will find great pleasure in reading The Geography of Bliss.
Weiner, Eric. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World. New York: Twelve, 2008. Print.