Meik Wiking first received attention in the United States as the author of The Little Book of Hygge. Hygge, a Danish concept associated with coziness, recently had a moment in the U.S. and U.K., though it’s already considered a bit passé. (For the record, as a summer-lover in a state with long, bitter winters, I’m a hygge fan.) Now Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, has a new book: The Little Book of Lykke: Secrets of the World’s Happiest People.
While The Little Book of Hygge contains statistics, including more than you may want to know about Danish candle usage, it is relatively lightweight; however, The Little Book of Lykke is based on extensive research. It’s full of statistics and stories related to enhancing happiness. Don’t let the statistics scare you off; it’s a fast, fun read.
If you are familiar with Dan Buettner’s happiness research, much of what Wiking says about happiness won’t surprise you. Health, financial well-being, kindness and community are common themes in happiness research. In an ideal world, you’d read what both of them have to say on happiness. Both have done extensive research on the subject and have plenty of practical tips to offer on the subject. But if you read only one book on happiness, make it The Little Book of Lykke. In a short period of time you’ll come away with several ideas for improving your happiness… and the happiness of others.
These practical ideas are the reason I’m writing about this as a way to make a difference. If you’ve read my previous posts, you know that I think personal happiness can support making a difference, and the book includes several easy ways you can improve your happiness. But there are also things to strive for over the long-term that can make your community a happier place. People of different political persuasions can easily embrace some of these ideas, such as getting to know your neighbors. But others might challenge your stand on certain issues. For instance, since both health and financial security affect happiness, it makes sense to support universal health care. Wiking spells it out in his chapter on health:
As a happiness researcher, I cannot see a more obvious policy to improve quality of life than that of providing universal health care. In the Nordic countries, all of which consistently rank among the ten happiest countries in the world, free health care is available to everyone. People in these countries simply have less to worry about in daily life than most other people on this front, and that forms a sound basis for high levels of happiness.
The Little Book of Lykke was only recently released in the United States; you may have to wait a while if you want to check it out from the library. Whether you borrow it or buy it, I highly recommend taking the time to read this book.