The Happiest Life: Seven Gifts, Seven Givers, and the Secret to Genuine Success

The author is a devout Christian who has worked in Law and in media. He grew up in a mixed protestant/Catholic household, and has been a member of Catholic and Presbyterian. He is conservative, yet has interviewed liberals and conservatives as well as people from various different religions. The book is filled with stories from his life and from the people that he has worked with. The points to happiness include seven gifts that help the giver and receiver:encouragement, energy, enthusiasm, good humor, graciousness, gratitude, and patience. He also encourages people to find and attend a church, even if they don't initially have faith. The community and chance for service are beneficial.

Though written from a protestant point of view, the book are fairly applicable to anyone. There are plenty of Bible quotes, so Christians will probably find things a little more familiar. The gifts are things that anyone could do. It seems that we spend time getting distracted from the "bad" in religion. However, the imperfections of religious people can be a benefit in giving us a time to give and receive.

The Rabbit Effect: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness

Our modern healthcare system focuses on treating individual symptoms. However, there are many factors that impact health. Even people with the same physical condition may have very different outcomes, often influenced by their happiness and social connections. General lifestyle activities are an often neglected important part of treatment. If surgery is performed, yet the underlying bad behaviors are not addressed, the patient will likely come back with new complication.

People that live in kind, social environments will have better health. A person in lower-level stressful job is likely to have worse health than somebody in a higher level job. There is also a strong correlation between level of education and health incomes. A sense of community is also extremely valuable. In a case study of a town with a high sense of community and neighborliness, there was a much lower prevalence of negative medical conditions than would be expected. However, once people started spending more time with TV and less with their neighbors, the benefit disappeared. Places like Okinawa are known for longevity in part due to the community experiene.

The "rabbit effect" itself comes from a study in which different sets of rabbits received the same procedure, but had very different outcomes. The result was caused by the lab worker that was attending to a group of rabbits. She was very loving and friendly to her group of rabbits, thus causing them to have better outcomes.

The author is significantly concerned with the siloing of health care. Mental health and physical health are treated separately, with little effort focussed on the intersection of the two. However, in the real world, there are often strong correlations. This is especially the case in neurological conditions. People with mental illness are often more likely to be susceptible to various other medical conditions.

Epigenetics and long-term impacts are also intriguing. Children born to stressed mothers often have worse medical outcomes. These can even be extended down to their children. Furthermore, traumatic conditions in youth can lead to further bad conditions as an adult. (In one study, there was a correlation between obese patients that had trouble losing weight and childhood trauma.) Our medical system tends to focus on an isolated condition in the here and now. However, our bodies are the sum of all experiences throughout the body. A more holistic approach would be the best for long term positive outcome.

Hygge

>Hygge is a Danish term that does not translate well to the English language. It is somewhat like coziness, but that is only part of it. It involves relaxing behavior with friends, often with more muted lighting and comfort food. Natural materials are almost always more hygge than modern creations. Hygge, with the comfortable relationships with humans and surroundings is a significant factor in the overall happiness of the Danish people. It can be practiced on an individual basis, but is best with a small group of friends - and even better when all of society understands.

Geography of Bliss

What is happiness? Where can we find it? This book attempts to answer those questions in a pseudo-science pop-culture sort of way. The author voyages off to different parts of the world in the quest for happiness.

First off is the Netherlands. There, he meets with a happiness researcher in Rotterdam. He also samples "Dutch" happiness. The Dutch consistently rank very high on happiness surveys. He attributes that to the relaxed, permissive culture they have.

Switzerland also ranks high in happiness, yet has a culture very different from Holland. There, everything is clean and orderly. The rule of law prevails. Even small details of life may be regulated. However, it has a very localized, direct democracy, so everybody has a say.

Rounding out the Europe trip, he visits Iceland in the dead of winter. The sun hardly comes up during the year. Even during the winter, it never gets hot, only making it up to "not so cold." However, the people are very happy. There are only 1/3 million people there, with most of the people being related. There is also a large safety net, and a freedom to explore and change career. There is also a strong appreciation for the arts. Iceland produces a lot of really bad art, but that is just the fertilizer for the good art that comes. The country also has great respect for its language and historic culture.

The quest also takes him to Asia. Thailand has a relaxed culture where what happens happens. India has a conflicted culture, where everything can be itself and its opposite at the same time. Qatar has come into sudden wealth and attempts to "buy culture" and happiness. The Then there is Moldova. While the people have more than enough money for their needs, it is one of the poorest countries in well-to-do Europe. It has also seen its relative situation deteriorate after the fall of the Soviet Union. It has a mix of Romanian and Moldovan roots, with little strong culture or history of its own.

What do these anecdotes tell us? Money does seem to play a role in happiness, but only a minor one. Up to about $15000 a year, more money equates with more happiness. However, after necessities are met, more money could even reduce happiness. Some people can also be happy with limited money. Expectations seem to be more important than raw wealth. People that are content with what they have are happier than those striving for more. People with strong family ties and a support network are also happier. The rule of law also helps. When people can count on getting the appropriate reward for their action, they are happier than those without. Blissful tropical climates tend not to be as happy as those with warmer climates, possible due to work and keep busy. There is also the matter of being in the proper location. Sometimes transplanting oneself to a different location may increase happiness, but often not for what we expect. (Low cost of living and weather are not as important as a culture that matches one's personality.)