The Happiness Passport

A world tour of joyful living in 50 words

Megan C. Hayes, Yelena Bryksenkova

$24.99

Hardback

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English

Quarto Books
24 October 2018

Psychology; Popular psychology; Gift books

Exploring the global dictionary, from common languages to obscure dialects, The Happiness Passport takes the reader on a joyful journey around the world seeking out the secrets of wellbeing.

The wonderfully evocative words in this collection resonate with universal emotions: the deep longing for home conjured up by the Welsh word hiraeth, or the transportive ability of good storytelling captured in the Urdu goya. Yet at the same time each is deeply ingrained in its place of origin: long, dark Danish days encourage the warmth and cosiness of hygge, while the satisfied chatter after a sun-soaked meal - sombremesa - resonates uniquely with Spanish hospitality. These words are simultaneously all-inclusive and peculiar to place; they are on the tip of our tongue and yet not in our vocabulary.

The Happiness Passport delves into this treasure trove of delights, examining the cultural context of each and the lessons that we can apply in our own lives to achieve greater contentment. A must-read for all those seeking a more balanced life, this beautiful guide features original illustrations that conjure up each elusive expression.

By: Megan C. Hayes
Illustrated by: Yelena Bryksenkova
Imprint: Quarto Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 210mm, Width: 160mm,
ISBN: 9781781318027
ISBN 10: 1781318026
Pages: 144
Publication Date: 24 October 2018
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Out of Print

Megan Hayes is a researcher, writer, and pioneer of the Positive Journal approach to personal writing. As an academic in the field of positive psychology, as well as a creative writing graduate, she has spent the last decade studying writing, the psychology of happiness, and researching ways that writing makes us happier. She has a passion for all things related to wellbeing and a personal interest in mental health issues, having grown up with a mother and sister who both experienced bi-polar episodes. Her first book, Write Yourself Happy, will be published in 2018. Yelena Bryksenkova was born in St Petersburg, Russia, grew up in Cleveland, and studied illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, Czech Republic. Now, Yelena works as a freelance illustrator and fine artist for clients such as Anthropologie, Apartment Therapy, Chronicle Books, Flow Magazine, The New York Times, and Urban Outfitters. Her small pen and acryla gouache paintings are inspired by her love of home and the comfort of everyday objects, as well as more magical, mysterious and melancholy themes. Yelena has 49k followers on Instagram, and her Etsy shop has received 21,767 favourites.