Happy as a Dane: 10 Secrets of the Happiest People in the World
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
This international bestseller shows why the Danes are happy and how we can be, too.
For decades Denmark has ranked at the top of the world’s happiness surveys. How is it that these 5.6 million Danes are so content when they live in a country that is dark and cold nine months of the year and where income taxes are at almost 60 percent? At a time when talk across the Western world is focused on unemployment woes, government overreach, and anti-taxation lobbies, our Danish counterparts seem to breathe a healthier and fresher air. Interweaving anecdotes and research, Malene Rydahl explores how the values of trust, education, and a healthy work-life balance with purpose—to name just a few—contribute to a “happy” population. From eye-opening stories about open-air vegetable stands to babies safely left unattended while parents have coffee, to very generous paternity leave policies, Rydahl provides tips that we can all apply to our daily lives regardless of where we live.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this slim volume, Rydahl, a Danish former corporate executive named the goodwill ambassador of Copenhagen after her book's initial publication in Europe, provides a primer to the unique attitudes and practices of her homeland. Ten simple keys characterize the social model: trust, education, freedom and independence, equal opportunity, realistic expectations, solidarity and respect for others, work-life balance, relationship to money, modesty, and gender equality. Addressing education, Rydahl asserts that Denmark does not seek to create an elite; free tuition and grants make schooling accessible to all, and high achievement ranks lower than personal happiness. As to money, she writes that Danes are quite relaxed, and that being rich is not a priority. The concept of hygge is related to work-life balance, with the Danes pursuing a friendly and familial intimacy that enhances well-being and adds meaning and purpose to life. She also makes appealing claims about gender equity in Danish life, stressing that there are few hang-ups about sex and almost no gender discrimination. Plentiful facts, data, recent sociological research, and personal stories are packed into this cogent little volume. More journalistic than prescriptive, it will complement the many other "happy Dane" books reaching the market.
