Searching the happiness by Claudia Sonea

There is no other thing more desired than happiness and since the dawn of humanity it was a real quest to find it. Not few people wrote about it and no one is surprised anymore about a book treating this subject. However, the book that Eric Weiner wrote is definitely an innovating one, approaching happiness from geographical perspective. Called "Geography of Bliss", the book is philosophy, part psychoanalysis, part cultural studies lesson and has as main premise that you must travel in order to find happiness. Weiner, a correspondent for National Public Radio and a self-described grumpy person, travels to the spots that rank highest and lowest regarding happiness and seeks what on earth is causing all this joy, or lack of joy as the case may be. Ruut Veenhoven from Rotterdam, The Netherlands who runs the World Database of Happiness and is the "godfather of happiness research" will help him in his quest. The starting point is Switzerland which ranks high on the happiness scale. A reason for all the happiness may without any reason of a doubt: chocolate. Next on list is Bhutan, where the Gross National Happiness was declared more important than Gross National Product. For the inhabitants happiness means to know your limitations. The third country that ranks in happiness is none other than the luxurious Qatar and the reason might be…of course it is money! Iceland is another country that ranks in happiness and the reason is culture, says Weiner, but the fact that they are most of the time drunk and isolated might also be an answer. For them failure it is not such a bad thing after all. In Great Britain happiness is most likely to appear in a pub, while in India it is bound to contradictions. If you were wondering why Thailand is such a happy country then the answer is simple: not thinking too much. On the Other side all the way to another continent, the residents of US perceive happiness as a search of happiness. It is a wonderful book with a slightly ironic style of description and funny in the same time. Discovering countries and the way they see happiness or they try to reach it turns out to be just what the doctor prescribed. What are you waiting for, go ahead, purchase it. Satisfaction guaranteed!

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20080118/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_geography_of_bliss;_ylt=AodmDFBr0i0dZgCVoexACRqs0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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