As a student of bliss, I enjoy reading the top books to inspire happiness. I especially like books that combine the inspirational advice with some travel.
Pursuing your passions, travel in my case, is certainly a strong contributor to happiness. But that alone is not enough. It’s a question I often ask people I meet in my travels. What makes you happy? The answers are varied but some common elements include freedom, connectedness, and good food and wine.
Here are some of the top books to inspire happiness with thoughts from around the world, two Nobel Peace Prize winners and some folks who swear a lot. (For more information or to buy the books, click the book covers below to link to Amazon).
The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country by Helen Russell
What happens when a London journalist moves to rural Denmark? Helen Russell wasn’t sure about the idea when her husband got a job at Lego. She spent a year trying to uncover the reasons why Denmark is so high on the list of the world’s happiest countries. From free health care and education to dancing cows and pastries, she goes on a humorous journey showing us what the Danes get right in society and how we might benefit from living a little more Danishly ourselves. A hugely enjoyable read, this is one of my favourites on the list.
The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner
Foreign correspondent and self-professed grump Eric Weiner sets out in search of happiness around the world. Part travelogue and part psychology, this witty book looks at where people are happy (or not) and why. He visits nine countries like Switzerland, India and Iceland, along with the very unhappy Moldova. Are people in Qatar happy because of oil money? Why are people in a dark and cold country like Iceland so happy? His last chapter is about the United States which, he concludes, is “not as happy as it is wealthy.”
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams
As noted on the book jacket, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than “fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression.” You might think that would make most people pretty cranky, but these two describe themselves as the most joyful people on the planet. These two Nobel Peace Prize Laureates got together for five days to discuss one question: How do we find joy in the face of life’s inevitable suffering? The answers will inspire you.
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking
Meik Wiking is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. This guy is committed to finding out what makes people happy. As in the Year of Living Danishly, Wiking focuses on Denmark, but specifically looks at the concept of ‘hygge”. That’s the art of creating “coziness of the soul” by taking pleasure in the presence of soothing things. Think hot chocolate with friends by a warm fire. In this book, Wiking gives tips on how we can all share in the magic of hygge.
The Little Book of Lykke: Secrets of the World’s Happiest People by Meik Wiking
In his latest book, happy guy Meik Wiking, travels across the world to uncover the secrets of the happiest people from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro. Lykke is the Danish word for happiness, by the way. Wiking gives us a roadmap for every day happiness based on the common experiences of happy people everywhere and answers the question as to whether money can buy happiness.
Make Your Bed: Little Things that can Change Your Life…and Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven
If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. You will feel motivated for the day with one task already completed. In a speech to a graduating class a few years ago, Admiral William H. McRaven shared ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges in his naval career, but also in life. The speech went viral on YouTube with over 10 million views. Coming from the man who led the Bin Laden mission, the book provides simple wisdom and practical advice to inspire readers to achieve more, even in the darkest moments.
Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness by Dr. Rick Hanson
This soon-to-be released book by psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Rick Hanson shows you how to hardwire twelve vital inner strengths into your nervous system. Then no matter what life throws at you, you’ll be confident and calm in the face of adversity. This practical guide includes insights into the brain, along with concrete suggestions on how to let go of negative thoughts and feelings and replace them with joy and inner peace.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
This not-so-subtle best seller is about finding what’s truly important to you and letting go of everything else. Manson is a star blogger who shells out ruthless advice, along with entertaining stories and profane humour. “Here’s what nobody realizes about all of this crap,” he writes. “The desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience.” Manson says we should accept our flaws, stop chasing after the notion of happiness and focus on what really matters. I included it on the list because the message clearly hits the mark for many. It does make you think, although I found it to be pretty forgettable once you put the book down.
You are a BadAss: How to Stop Doubting your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
You are a BadAss is a New York Times bestseller that serves up funny and inspiring stories along with sage advice and the occasional swear word. The goal of the book is to help you identify and change the self-sabotoging behaviours that stop you from getting what you want. It shows you how to get past your fears so you can take risks, set big goals and reach them.
Adventures in Travel, True Love and Petty Theft by Geraldine DeRuiter
This one is not a “happiness self-help” book, but, as they say in the movies, it will make you laugh; it will make you cry; and it will make you feel all warm inside. The author, Geraldine DeRuiter is the hilarious and irreverent writer behind the blog, The Everywhereist. The book chronicles the years she spent traveling the world after getting laid off from a job she loved. Even though she has no sense of direction and “gets motion sickness from tying her shoes”, Geraldine travels, gets lost and finds herself. The book, also something of a love story, is my favourite read in the past year.
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