Tag: happiness

Scandinavian Self-Help Books

- Beth Leave a comment

Have you heard the term “hygge” and wondered what it meant? And how to pronounce it? (It means “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being” and it pronounced: ho͞oɡə.) Do you think Swedish death cleaning might improve your life? Are the Danish happiest and the Finnish the most relaxed? Don’t be left behind the ongoing trend of Scandinavian self-help that focuses on warmth, health and happiness, even during the coldest and darkest winters experienced in northern Europe.

Here are some of the most popular nonfiction books that come from Scandinavian region that focus on health and personal growth. All are owned by the Davenport Public Library as of the publication of this blog post. Descriptions provided by the publishers.

The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking was a best-selling sensation that kicked off the Scandinavian self-help trend when it came to America in 2017. From picking the right lighting to organizing a Hygge get-together to dressing hygge, Wiking shows you how to experience more joy and contentment the Danish way.

More recently in 2022, Wiking released My Hygge Home: How to Make Home Your Happy Place. Inspired by Danish design and traditions, this book, features tips based on research from The Happiness Institute in Copenhagen, and shows how to turn a home into a cozy sanctuary regardless of available space or budget.

Winter Swimming: The Nordic way Towards a Healthier and Happier Life by Susanna Søberg, Whether in lake, lido, river or sea, we know the benefits of swimming outdoors and in nature – environmentally friendly and accessible, it can influence our happiness, our energy and our inner tranquility, and give us that winter glow. Danish scientist Dr Susanna Søberg leads us step by step into the icy water and explains the “cold-shock response”, the massive endorphin rush as our body reacts and adapts to very cold temperatures through the winter season. Not only do our circulation, heart, lungs and skin respond positively, but our immune system, metabolism and mental health too. 

The Cliff Notes to living well, the Scandinavian way. Diet and lifestyle guides are all the rage, but they tend to be too prescriptive and difficult to follow. And most self-help books are too long.  Cue The Nordic Guide to Living 10 Years Longer by Bertil Marklund. With this pragmatic little book that channels the healthy lifestyle of Scandinavia, 10 easy tips will add 10 healthy years to your life.

In The Nordic Theory of Everything, Anu Partanen compares and contrasts life in the United States with life in the Nordic region, focusing on four key relationships — parents and children; men and women; employees and employers; and government and citizens. She debunks criticism that Nordic countries are socialist “nanny states,” revealing instead that it is we Americans who are far more enmeshed in unhealthy dependencies than we realize. As Partanen explains, the Nordic approach allows citizens to enjoy more individual freedom and independence than the American way. Partanen wants to open Americans’ eyes to how much better things can be — to provide the opportunity to live a healthy, safe, economically secure, upwardly mobile life for everyone.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson. In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” Margareta instructs readers to embrace minimalism and suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you’d ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children’s art projects). Digging into her late husband’s tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. 

Not to be left out, Finland contributes The Finnish Way and Pantsdrunk to the Scandinavian self-help reading list.

In The Finnish Way: Finding Courage, Wellness, and Happiness Through the Power of Sisu Journalist Katja Pantzar shares a practical guided tour of the simple and nature-inspired ways that Finns stay happy and healthy — including the powerful concept of sisu, or everyday courage. Pantzar moves to the remote Nordic country of Finland. What she discovered there transformed her body, mind and spirit. In this engaging and practical guide, she shows readers how to embrace the “keep it simple and sensible” daily practices that make Finns one of the happiest populations in the world, year after year. 

 

Pantsdrunk: The Finnish Path to Relaxation by Miska Rantanen. Danes have hygge. Swedes have lagom. But the Finns have the best — “kalsariokanni” or pantsdrunk — drinking at home, alone, in your underwear.

The Blue Zones of Happiness: A Blueprint for a Better Life by Dan Buettner

- Christine Leave a comment

New York Times best-selling author Dan Buettner’s second book delves deeper into what factors aid in an individual’s happiness, as well as “the macrocosm” of one’s dwelling in a specific place, be it a small town, city and even how a country’s national policies can play an important role in individual lives. Buettner expounds on how the actual environment, green space, traffic, etc. play a huge role in one’s personal happiness. The Blue Zones of Happiness is full of useful information that is both realistic and constructive. You will enjoy reading this book and taking a more realistic look at the current place, be it a farm, city, small town and state where you live.

The book encourages all of us to look objectively at the environments in which we live and find areas to make change. His scenarios and qualitative data are a resource for local communities and towns and city councils looking to make their spaces more pedestrian and green space friendly whilst at the same time improving upon the health and well-being of the lives of its’ local citizens, making the areas more attractive for new business and providing leverage and economy to flourish.

One example Buettner gives is Boulder, Colorado. In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s corporate redevelopment companies wanted to build into the mountains and foothills and build the city up, meaning high-rises and tower building. However because of a concentrated effort to keep the mountain views open and a campaign of environmental activism in keeping the city limits drawn and the green spaces pedestrian friendly and high-rise free, today Boulder is a thriving city economically and considered one of the best places to live in the world.

The Blue Zones of Happiness is a great tool if you are interested in solutions for your own neighborhood or as a tool to educate elected officials and make aware the importance of healthy, environmentally and pedestrian friendly spaces that improve upon community members’ healthy lifestyles such as walking and bicycling. This book is a useful manual for individuals and communities to take the initiative toward happier, healthier lives.

New Philosophy & Psychology in March

- Allison Leave a comment

Featured new additions to DPL’s Philosophy and Psychology collections! Click on the title to place a hold. For more new books, visit our Upcoming Releases page. As always, if there’s a title you would like to read, please send us a purchase suggestion.

S81MTRGN88xLmarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg – From the author of The Power of Habit comes a fascinating new book that explores the science of productivity, and why, in today’s world, managing how you think–rather than what you think–can transform your life. Drawing on the latest findings in neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral economics–as well as the experiences of CEOs, educational reformers, four-star generals, FBI agents, airplane pilots, and Broadway songwriters–this painstakingly researched book explains that the most productive people, companies, and organizations don’t merely act differently. They view the world, and their choices, in profoundly different ways.

balancing-on-heels-kristin-cavallariBalancing in Heels: My Journey to Health, Happiness, and Making It All Work by Kristin Cavallari – Tracing her journey from reality stardom to real life ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly’ Kristin digs down to the most personal of relationships in her life and discusses how they made her who she is today. She also talks about the amazing effects of her healthy diet and exercise, which have made Kristin and her family the happiest and healthiest they’ve ever been.

 

 

9780801018824Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want by Michael Hyatt – Each of us has but one life to live on this earth. What we do with it is our choice. Are we drifting through it as spectators, reacting to our circumstances when necessary and wondering just how we got to this point anyway? Or are we directing it, maximizing the joy and potential of every day, living with a purpose or mission in mind? Author Michael Hyatt and executive coach Daniel Harkavy show us how to do: to design a life with the end in mind, determining in advance the outcomes we desire and path to get there. In this step-by-step guide, they share proven principles that help readers create a simple but effective life plan so that they can get from where they are now to where they really want to be–in every area of life.

815svDfE+eLThe Mind Club: Who Thinks, What Feels, and Why It Matters by Daniel Wegner – Nothing seems more real than the minds of other people. When you consider what your boss is thinking or whether your spouse is happy, you are admitting them into the “mind club.” It’s easy to assume other humans can think and feel, but what about a cow, a computer, a corporation? What kinds of mind do they have? Psychologists Daniel M. Wegner and Kurt Gray  have discovered that minds–while incredibly important–are a matter of perception. Their research opens a trove of new findings, with insights into human behavior that are fascinating, frightening and funny.

810Cxb4nv-LOriginals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant –  In Originals, Grant addresses the challenge of improving the world, but now from the perspective of becoming original: choosing to champion novel ideas and values that go against the grain, battle conformity, and buck outdated traditions. How can we originate new ideas, policies, and practices without risking it all? Using surprising studies and stories spanning business, politics, sports, and entertainment, Grant explores how to recognize a good idea, speak up without getting silenced, build a coalition of allies, choose the right time to act, and manage fear and doubt; how parents and teachers can nurture originality in children; and how leaders can fight groupthink to build cultures that welcome dissent.

Happiness is…

- Lynn Leave a comment

Hector is a Parisian psychiatrist who has a bit of a crisis of psychiatric faith; his patients and their trivial complaints have begun to wear on him. The novel Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord is the story of Hector’s travels around the world (China, Africa and the United States). From each experience he learns something more about happiness. His list includes, “Making comparisons can spoil your happiness” and “Happiness is doing a job you love.”

This follows the study-of-happiness trend set by Eric Weiner’s  travelogue, The Geography of Bliss – (see previous blog post).

And more recently, Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way. Dan Buettner, like Weiner, searches the world (Denmark, Mexico, Singapore and others) for secrets to happiness. San Luis Obispo, California is singled out as a city that made conscious decisions about favoring pedestrians, no smoking zones and building a greenbelt  years ago. This  has produced a healthier, happier city (ranked first in well-being according to a recent survey).

No excuses then for being down in the dumps, when there’s a wealth of research telling you how (and where) you can be happy.

Bliss to You by Trixie Koontz, Dog

- Ann Leave a comment

This book is written by a dog.  Granted, a very special dog —  a golden retriever named Trixie.  And even though Trixie passed away in 2007, she is still, remarkably, writing books.  Of course, it probably helps that she was owned by bestselling author Dean Koontz, who may still have a little something to do with her success.   In fact, Koontz states that the Trixie  page on his website is one of the most visited features.

Trixie has inspired several books, including A Big Little Life, in which Koontz wrote about his relationship with his beloved pet.  But she’s also inspired some new children’s books, such as I Trixie, Who Is Dog , the rights to which have recently been purchased in order to create a new family comedy show.  But her speciality is definitely books such as Life is Good or Bliss to You, which are written in dog-speak, as is if Trixie is narrating the story.  Though for the most part, this is utterly charming, I’ll warn any ex-English teachers out there (myself included) that dogs apparently do not always use correct syntax.  Still, the book is warm, funny, inspirational and short –you can easily find bliss in one short sitting — making it an ideal gift for dog-lovers come Christmas time.

One other reason to support these books:  since Trixie originally served as a Canine Companions for Independence (before she went to live with Dean and Gerda) all royalties are donated to this organization.

The Armchair Traveler Returns with The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

- Lynn 2 Comments

geography-of-blissIf you’re a fan of public radio, you’ll love the audio version of this “travelogue of ideas.” Eric Weiner is the reader; as an NPR reporter, he knows how to edit his stories so they make for compelling listening, as well as reading.

To research The Geography of Bliss, Weiner decides to visit countries that rate at the high and low ends of various happiness indexes. The journey, of course, is more interesting than the goal, and we are immersed in the cultures of Iceland, Bhutan, Holland, Switzerland and others. Weiner, with his dark sense of humor, never takes himself or his quest too seriously and makes for a very accomplished narrator. What is the happiest place on earth? You’ll have to read or listen yourself.