The Geography of Bliss

The New York Times prints the first chapter of Eric Weiner’s new book, The Geography Of Bliss: Why Is That Land Smiling? In it he explores ten of the most, and least, contented countries of the world. As foreign correspondent for NPR, he’s seen his fair share of both,

As a foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, I traveled to places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Indonesia. Unhappy places. On one level, this made perfect sense. Unconsciously, I was observing the first law of writing: Write about what you know. And so, notebook in hand, tape recorder slung over my shoulder, I roamed the world telling the stories of gloomy, unhappy people. The truth is that unhappy people, living in profoundly unhappy places, make for good stories. They tug at heart strings and inspire pathos. link