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