The Geography of Bliss

Entertaining, but didn't give me enough insight to keep me going.

I can relate to Eric. Overthinking, finding happiness, where is it, what is it, questioning everything. Ofcourse its subjective - Happiness. What it means for me is different for you. But by surveying multiple countries (here 10) he and I found what gives us happiness vs what doesn't.
I now know countries and people of Switzerland, Iceland and maybe Netherlands will make me happier since I align with the lifestyle and values of the region. Have always felt through my time in France and UK that Europe suits me (my sample set only includes US and India).

Fun fact - 1/10 people in Iceland have published a book, 5/10 read at least 8 books a year. Their education system is absolutely brilliant.

Hilarious and profound at the same. Reading this truly made me happy

I absolutely loved this book. It made me want to hop on a plane and just go. Fascinating. I recommend it for every travel or positive psychology lover.

This book had a strong start but by the end it felt a bit tired. However, I would recommend it to anyone who likes travel memoirs, a subtle humor, and pop psychology.

Eric Weiner hears about a study done on the happiest spots on the planet. He makes a plan to visit some of them and determine the happiness levels for himself. In the process he visits Bhutan, the Netherlands, India, Switzerland, Qatar, and Iceland, discovering one man's happiness is another man's misery. Later, he visits the most unhappy country on the planet, Moldova, and agrees with the assessment. He goes on to visit other potential joy spots and determines their happiness quotients.

Happiness is my topic of study for 2008. I've set for myself an unofficial challenge to learn everything I can about happiness. This book met the requirements of my challenge.