World Book of Happiness

Leo Bormans travels around the world as an ‘Ambassador of Happiness & Quality of Life’. He is a researcher, keynote speaker, author and editor-in-chief of The World Book of Happiness (first published in 2010) and The World Book of Hope (2015). He is a Distinguished Lecturer of Happiness Research at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam.

• THE ESSENCEThe Penguin Moment – Leo Bormans 8PROLOGUEWelcome to the New World – Richard Easterlin 12Welcome to the New Book – Martin Seligman 14The steady rise in negative emotions – Paul De Grauwe16The World Report on Happiness – United Nations18Serene shores: the happiest haven in the world – United Nations 20Aaron Jarden – Australia – A personal notion27Abieyuwa Ohonba – South Africa – The power of kindness 29Alena Slezackova & Miroslav Svetlak – Czech Republic – Rising above adversity 30Allesandra Tinto ao – Italy – The sense of democracy 32Amsale Temesgen – Norway – Sustainable wellbeing 34Amy Isham – UK – The winning combination 36Andras Vargha – Hungary – The five pillars of mental health 40Anna Pettini – Italy – The endless desire 42Antonella Delle Fave – Italy – The experience of harmony 44Arthur Grimes – New Zealand – Unleash your freedom, harness your joy 46Attila Olah – Hungary – The golden card of mental health 48Barbara Fredrickson – USA – Broaden & Build 50Birger Poppel – Greenland and the Arctic Circle – Harsh environments 52Carlos Castro – Mexico – Developing student wellbeing 54Carol D Ryff – USA – Well-being is imperilled 56Charles Martin-Krumm – France – The joy of learning 60Charlie Azzopardi – Malta – The circularity of happiness 62Chiara Ruini – Italy – Despite suffering 65Christian Van Nieuwerburgh – Ireland & Australia – Supporting people to thrive 68Daniel TL Shek – China – No man can live by bread alone 71Danilo Garcia – Sweden & El Salvador – Personality and outlook 73Dirk De Wachter – Belgium – The true sense of happiness 76Dora Gudrun Gudmundsdottir – Iceland – The happiness construction 78Elaine Duncan – United Kingdom – Vigour and vitality 80Elena Pruvli – Estonia – Bridging the gap 82Elena Stănculescu – Romania – The effects of social media 84Ernst Bohlmeijer – The Netherlands – Psychological flexibility 86Francesco Sarracino – Luxembourg – Post-growth happiness 88Francis Munier – France – Friendly recognition91Frank Martela – Finland – The government’s priority 94Gerbert Bakx – Belgium – The logic of life 96Giacomo Degli Antoni & Giuseppe Vittucci Marzetti – Italy – Giving matters 98Habib Tiliouine – Algeria – Nurturing the mind and purifying the soul 100Hans Henrik Knoop – Denmark – Our unifying struggle 103Helena Hnilicova, Dagmar Dzurova & Michala Lustigova – Czech Republic – A long and happy life 106Helena Marujo – Portugal – Public happiness 108Heli T Koivumaa-Honkanen – Finland – The ‘happiest’ country 111Ilios Kotsou – Belgium & France – Emotional skills 114Ingrid Kuhlman – Iceland – Connecting with nature 116Karma Ura – Bhutan – Gross National Happiness 119Isabella Tater – France – Being happy at work is possible 122Iva Solcova – Czech Republic – Sress-related growth 124James Pawelski – USA – Arts, culture, and human flourishing 126Jan Delhey – Germany – The triad of Having, Loving & Being 128Joseph Sirgy – USA – The balanced life 130Judith Mangelsdorf – Germany – Personal growth 132Julianne Holt-Lunstad – USA – Loneliness and social connection 134Kamlesh Singh – India – Global & Local 136Lara Aknin – Canada – Instinctive kindness 138Leon Garduno – Mexico – The happy few 140Lina Martinez – Colombia – Mental health literacy 142Liz Horvath – Canada – Smart working environments 145Louise Chawla – USA – Footprints of delight 148Louise Lambert – United Arab Emirates & Canada – Getting beyond ourselves 151RELIGION AND HAPPINESS: THE INSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE 157Christianity & Happiness – Koen Vlaeminck – Belgium 158Islam & Happiness – Noraini Mohd Noor – Malaysia 160Hinduism & Happiness – Doug Oman – USA 163Buddhism & Happiness – Erik Hoogcarspel – The Netherlands 166Judaism & Happiness – Jeremy Rosen – United Kingdom & USA 170Maarten Vansteenkiste & Bart Soenens – Belgium – Essentials of human flourishing 174Malgorzata Mikucka – Germany – Physical contact 178Marc Fleurbaey – France – Social responsibility 180Marc Schulz and Robert Waldinger – USA – Social fitness 182Maria Sirois – USA – Happiness after loss 185Marei Ahmed – France, Egypt & United Arab Emirates – Vitality, passion and sports 188Mariano Rojas – Costa Rica & Mexico – A new narrative 190Martijn Burger & Marloes Hoogerbrugge – The Netherlands – Urban or rural area? 192Martin Binder – Germany – How perception shapes happiness 194Mathieu Perona – France – It’s rarely as bad as it sounds 196Meike Bartels – The Netherlands – The heritability of happiness 198Michael Banissy – United Kingdom – Touch is the social glue 200Miles Richardson – United Kingdom – Happiness is in our nature 202Mohammed Al-Haj Baddar – Jordan – Good can be more, bigger and better 204Namhee Kim & Inchoel Choi – Republic of Korea – A very ordinary happiness 206Naoki Akaeda – Japan – Social capital and social policy 208Naoki Sudo – Japan – Bridging the gap 210Nic Marks – United Kingdom – Five steps to wellbeing 212Ognen Spasovski – North Macedonia & Slovakia – Social comparison 216Oliver Nahkur – Estonia – Children in turbulent times 218Pamela Abott – Scotland – United Kingdom – The decent society 220Pedro Tabensky – South Africa – Working with the clay of the given 222Peter Malinowski – United Kingdom – Training our mind 224Philip Streit – Austria – Strong and Positive 227Pninit Russo-Netzer – Israel – A compass for meaning in life 230Robert Biswas-Diener – USA – Happiness and hospitality 233Qadir Nadery – Afghanistan & Belgium – Living without a future 236Richard M Ryan – Australia & South-Korea – Human motivation 240Samuel Ho – Hong Kong – People’s Republic of China – Posttraumatic growth 242Sauwalak Kittiprapas – Thailand – Inner happiness 244Sefa Bulut – Turkey – After the disaster 246Seonga Kim – Republic of Korea – Economic, human and social capital 248Sergeii Boltivets – Ukraine – The right to live 250Shahe Kazarian Lebanon – Canada – Paradise lost 254Shuyang Da – China – The leisurely life 258Stefano Bartoni – Italy – Sharing is the golden thread 260Stephanie Hess – Germany – Children’s happiness 262Suzy Green – Australia – Coaching towards goals 264Tal Ben-Shahar– USA – The natural wonder drug 266Tania Singer – Germany – Resetting our brains268Thomas Wilke – Germany – Sexual happiness 270Tim Lomas – UK & USA – Balance and harmony 272Valerie Moller – South Africa – Hope shapes your future 276Vijay Kumar Shrotryia – India – Emotion, economy & education 278Wolfgang Lutz – Austria – How to become a ‘happy’ country 280EPILOGUEIn search of a moral compass – Herman Van Rompuy 286Growing knowledge – Ruut Veenhoven288A Manifesto for well-being – Richard Layard 290Whispered Wisdom: 600 life-transforming guiding steps 293Redefining Happiness: The Crisis of the Penguin – Leo Bormans 294