A friend of mine, Rita, grew up in Latvia during the Soviet era…As a child, Rita had thought only three colours existed: black, grey and brown. Her dad decided to change that and he took her on a treasure hunt around the city: to look for colour, for beauty and for the good in the world. This is the intention of this book: to take you treasure hunting; to go in pursuit of happiness; to find the good that does exist in this world—and to bring this into the light so that, together, we can help it spread.

Meik Wiking, who revealed the key to cozy contentment in Denmark via The Little Book of Hygge, now explores the myriad ways people find joy around the world in The Little Book of Lykke (pronounced loo-ka, and meaning “happiness” in Danish). In friendly, witty prose, Wiking identifies the essential elements of happiness, shares delightful anecdotes and fascinating findings from his global research, and suggests ways to live more blissfully no matter where you call home. (CH)