My bags were packed and my provisions loaded. I was ready for adventure. And so, on a late summer afternoon, I dragged my reluctant friend Drew off to explore new worlds and, I hoped, to find some happiness along the way. I've always believed that happiness is just around the corner. The trick is finding the right corner.
...
Many authors have attempted to describe what happiness is; fewer have shown us where it is, what we can learn from the inhabitants of different cultures, and how changing your location can change your mood. Now in this enlightening book, Eric Weiner, a self-described mope and longtime foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, travels to some of the world's most contented places. Full of inspired moments and earned epiphanies, this riveting book will make you happier as you visit:
India. where happiness and misery live side-by-side
Bhutan, where the king has made Gross National Happiness a national priority
Switzerland, where residents believe envy is the great enemy of happiness
iceland, which, despite being cold, remote, and full of failure, is among the world's happiest places-and for good reason, the author finds.
Introduction
Chapter 1 The Netherlands
Happiness Is a Number
Chapter 2 Switzerland
Happiness Is Boredom
Chapter 3 Bhutan
Happiness Is a Policy
Chapter 4 Qatar
Happiness Is a Winning Lottery Ticket
Chapter 5 Iceland
Happiness Is Failure
Chapter 6 Moldova
Happiness Is Somewhere Else
Chapter 7 Thailand
Happiness Is Not Thinking
Chapter 8 Great Britain
Happiness Is a Work in Progress
Chapter 9 India
Happiness Is a Contradiction
Chapter 10 America
Happiness ls Home
Epilogue
Are We There Yet?
Acknowledgments