Book review of : The Geography of Bliss
I started listening to the audio book of The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner a while back. The audio book is nearly 12 hours long and I am nearly there. I am on the last chapter. As I have understood, the book is about Eric trying to find out happy places in this world. So what do I think about this book now, having given it nearly 12 hours of my life? On the sliding scale of 1 to 5, I will give it 3.25.
My curiosity about happiness and happy places in the world is what drove me towards this book. I think it started off great but started to loose me nearly half way. From then on I found it more of a travel book (although I have never read one) than a book on looking for happiest places on the earth. One of my issues with the book is Eric when travelling around the world is asking and referencing more questions to Americans who might be traveling or migrated then trying to truly understand the local culture being with local people and from their eyes. Local people (Gone Native) is what makes countries happy countries or unhappy countries IMHO. In the book it seems he has hung out with more Expats then the local people.
I have laughed while listening to this audio book. It has made me happy. Eric’s travel notes on Bhutan were the best highlights for me in this book. Eric has written the book in a way that makes a reader feel that he is travelling as well to the places that he went. Listening to the book, I now know what all not to do while I am in Qatar!
I am still 30 minutes away from finishing the audio book and thus the book. But I am not sure if Eric was successful in fulfilling his quest.
Have you read this book? What do you think about it?
If Eric was to ask me the question if I was happy or not, I would now say “Happiness is better not quantified, I am just happy experiencing it”.