The Geography of Bliss, One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World, Eric Weiner

October 8th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under
feature photo

Listen NowBlissEric Weiner’s The Geography of Bliss signals the arrival of the next great category of literary nonfiction: the philosophical self-help humorous travel memoir.

Weiner, a veteran foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, has covered a multitude of catastrophes and maladies from more than 30 countries over the past two decades. For The Geography of Bliss, however, he decided to tell the other side of the story by visiting some of the world’s most contented places.

Using the ancient philosophers and the much more recent “science of happiness” as his guide, Weiner travels the world in search of the happiest places. Many authors have attempted to describe what happiness is; fewer have shown us where it is, and what we can learn from the inhabitants of different Eric Weinercultures…Throughout his global quest, Weiner integrates the insights of classical thinkers on happiness, augmented by one-liners worthy of a stand-up comedian. This is travel writing that simultaneously journeys across the globe and through the author’s mind.

Our conversation:

  • Where would you guess the United States falls on the International Scale of Happiness?  Listen in and find out, but you just may have to eat some rotting shark meat to get the full effect.
  • Eric addresses the age-old question “Does money buy happiness?” Eric’s short answer: “A little bit of money will buy you a lot of happiness, but a lot of money won’t buy you much more.”
  • Eric speaks about the U.S. obsession with happiness relative to our country’s founding documents ~ Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness ~ “We suffer from the unhappiness of not being happy,” Eric says. On his travels, Eric observed that other countries obsess about happiness less and tend to be happier for it. He spoke about the great paradox of happiness ~ “It’s a ghost, it’s a shadow. You can’t really chase it. It’s a by-product, a very pleasant side effect to a life lived well.”

Eric’s “Be Thai” Happiness Recipe:

  • Don’t obsess about happiness;

  • Don’t think too much;

  • Put much effort into life, but lower your results expectations;

  • Don’t be envious; and

  • Cultivate trust and relationship

Be sure to check out Eric’s Website 

To enter to win a free copy of The Geography of Bliss, leave a comment below telling us what makes you happy and/or call 206–309–7318 and leave a voice mail message. Don’t forget to subscribe to Words To Mouth on iTunes and while you’re there, check out Natalie Brown’s song, You Gotta Believe. 

There Are 16 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by Kathy on 8 October 2008:

    Being with my family (that includes my dog!) makes me happy.

  2. Comment by Leenita on 9 October 2008:

    Watching my girls dance! Thats what makes me happy! Thanks for the interview!

  3. Comment by Beth S on 9 October 2008:

    My family makes me happy and anything Disney makes me happy, so going to Disney World with my family can’t be beat! :)

  4. Comment by Kristy on 9 October 2008:

    Reading to my daughter makes me happy — and folding laundry. THere’s nothing like a good pile of clean clothes!

  5. Comment by Christy on 10 October 2008:

    Good books, hot chai tea, Dove Chocolate, and a warm fluffy lap quilt on a cold fall day like today makes me happy.

  6. Comment by Cindi on 10 October 2008:

    What makes me happy?! My husband, our two sons, my dad, my sister, my nieces, and other special people in my life. My dogs, Fall, Winter, and reading. i guess what really makes me happy is life. It can be very difficult and hard, but I can’t appreciate the good things in life without experiencing the things that make me sad. Thanks, Cindi

  7. Comment by jennifer on 13 October 2008:

    listening to you and the Divas make me happy… And being with my son.

  8. Comment by Adena on 20 October 2008:

    I really enjoyed this interview: fascinating! I look forward to meeting you on the MM cruise!!!
    What makes me happy: time alone to do what I want; hot baths; meaningful work; doing something creative.

  9. Comment by Jen H on 22 October 2008:

    This is right up my ally! :) I’d love to read this book!

  10. Comment by Jen H on 22 October 2008:

    Scrabooking and doing crafts with my kiddos makes me happy! :)

  11. Comment by Maryellen Goodwin on 4 November 2008:

    I’ve had this book on my wish list since before it was released.
    As for what makes me happy - hearing my sons voice from the other side of the country. Okay, I guess I’ll go place a call to California now.

  12. Comment by Angela Lam Turpin on 6 November 2008:

    Writing, painting, going on a date with my husband, and spending time with my family all make me happy! And, of course, reading a great book in a bubble bath!

  13. Comment by Lisa on 15 November 2008:

    Reading a good book makes me happy. Be it something that excites my mind with challenge or fills me with fantasy and allows me to escape reality for a while.

  14. Comment by Malky B. on 12 December 2008:

    I just spoke with my father last night. It turns out my grandmother comes from the saddest place on earth. She did have trust issues like the author referred to people having there. Good thing she came to America ;-). It was a great interview that offered much food for thought on what makes people happy. Lowering result expectations. I could use some help in that area.

  15. Comment by Alex on 13 June 2009:

    That is a really interesting post, thank you.

  16. Comment by eugene on 22 January 2010:

    This book is the best thing that ever happened to me!

Post a Response