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The Finnish Guide to Happiness

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The Finnish Guide to Happiness

By: Melanie Dower
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
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About this listen

Year after year, Finland is named the "Happiest Country on Earth". What's their secret?

If you ask a Finn, they will likely be as baffled as you are. That’s why Melanie Dower, an expat who has been living in Finland for the past decade, has taken up the charge. Her vantage as an outsider entrenched in Finnish culture uniquely positions her to identify the keys to Finnish happiness that elude the rest of the world and that Finns take for granted. From sauna to strong social safety nets, Finnish life is made up of a constellation of habits and structures that leave its residents relaxed, healthy, and fulfilled.

In this short guide, Melanie lays out the surprisingly simple and often accessible steps to living as the Finns do.

©2024 Melanie Dower (P)2024 Audible Originals, LLC. Indigenous Creators Mental Health Mental Health Awareness Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
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A most interesting and informative guide to living, working and understanding Finnish culture. It delivers many gems depicting the inner strength and stoic outlook of its people and how this is beneficial to its young people for growing the next generation of resourceful, independent and resilient individuals. totally held my interest. Well done, Melanie!

An excellent guide to Finnish culture which held my interest from start to finish

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Loved hearing about every day life in Finland, and felt inspired by the ideas and suggestions for a contented life. Easy to listen to, lovely narration. Highly recommend.

Thoroughly enjoyed The Finnish Guide to Happiness

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Highly recommend this book for someone who is looking for contentment. It’s an eye opener to see how the Fins appreciate the little things available to them and not taking things for granted.

Gratitude

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This is more a book about life in Finland than a guide to happiness for non-Finns but it's an interesting look at a country which many will never be lucky enough to visit and which has an exemplary social welfare system. The long cold winters, saunas, summer celebrations, the emphasis on mother nature and outdoor activities are all said to contribute to Finland's high 'happiness' scores and Melanie Dower cites a fair number of research studies to support various contentions of this type. It certainly sounds like a very nice place to live and to raise children. What a pity she didn't mention how and how quickly she learned Finnish, not an easy language to master! The narration is perfect. The book is highly recommended as a light, interesting, and informative short read.

The good life in Finland

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I like the outsider’s perspective on what makes Finnish culture unique, and how these characteristics may contribute to the overall happiness of the Finnish people.

Insightful.

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good book .really stirred my thinking and felt happier hearing the narration.will see if I can visit Finland one day

good approach to the book

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This isn’t a how-to manual to happy life, although some of the measures employed in Finland can be adapted by individuals to that end. Its real interest is in the glimpse it gives into another culture and its social structure, and one quite different to English speaking western nations. Fascinating listening.

Such an interesting book

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