The Finnish Guide to Happiness Audiobook By Melanie Dower cover art

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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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. Mental Health Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Inspiring Feel Better

About the Creator and Performer

Originally from Aotearoa New Zealand, Melanie Dower now calls Helsinki, Finland home. Since relocating in 2014 with her husband and young son, she has immersed herself in local culture, enjoying pastimes such as sauna and ice swimming and spending summers at her tiny cabin on an island in the Baltic Sea. Her first book, Helsinki: People Make the City, was co-created with concept designer and photographer Laura Iisalo and features interviews with local creatives alongside tips on how to enjoy the best features of Nordic life. As her day job, she supports new arrivals to Finland to acclimatize to life in the north as they too come to appreciate all this unique country has to offer.

About the Performer

Narrator of over 400 audiobooks, Saskia Maarleveld is listed as one of AudioFile Magazine’s best voices of 2015, 2016, and 2018. Maarleveld is an Audie and SOVAS award-winning narrator, including a nomination for Best Female Narrator for her performance in The Alice Network. Raised in New Zealand and France, now living in New York, Maarleveld switches seamlessly between accents, often heard narrating in British, Australian, and countless others, in addition to her American accent.

Insightful Cultural Perspective • Calming Narration • Soothing Voice • Practical Life Lessons • Informative Content
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I will listen to this again and again. Many of us who are living through Hurricane Helene and its aftermath have lost somewhere between basic services and everything. It has thrown us back on human kindness and generosity. The Finns figured that out and how democracy should work. I hope the US can do that. Apparently hard times are the teacher. BEAUTIFUL BOOK.

INSPIRING BOOK. (Listening after Hurricane Helene)

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Excellent summary of “ My Own Notes from Finland” - very accurate, well done and insightful observations!
I recommended it to everyone, and now I do not have to speak or write about it 😉.
NPL

Very true- moved from the USA to Helsinki in 2018

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Many qualities of the Finns are also highly valued by the world's faith systems, except the Finnish peoples do it out of because they value their views of a happy way to live. They leave God out of it, but live in a qietly pragmatic and sensible way. They seem smart and happy. I grew up j an unhappy and mentally unhealthy family. Here I am at 71 still trying to grow up right. I enjoyed this quiet description of an admirable group of people.

Many qualities of the Finns are also highly valued by many faiths systems.

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Many facts backup the author’s commentary on the Finnish Life. The reader is soothing to listen to.

Finnish life is great!

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I really liked the format of this story, no unnecessary info. I learned so much, really enjoyed. Narrator was great as usual.

Informative

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the reader was excellent. I enjoyed the sound of her voice. it was a good listen.

the voice

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I guess the thing that defines Americans today is their constant dissatisfaction. We are always striving for the next goal or possession. Whether it be a device, promotion at work, thing sold by Amazon or whatever, the moment we get what we thought we wanted we want something else.
Contrast that with a nation where crime is virtually nonexistent, people are more interested in spending solitary time in nature and people are happy to pay taxes because the government has the transparency that people know and approve of how their money is spent.
Where there’s virtually no homelessness, everyone gets free healthcare, education and children are taught to think and problem solve for themselves, the people are free to enjoy themselves without the worry that one accident or illness will leave them destitute.
We could learn a great deal from the Finns.

Great Advice for Finding Contentment

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Very interesting and the concepts make sense for a better life. I would like to visit and see for myself.

Interesting but hard to believe

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Learning about Finland was eye opening; I am envious and wish I was young enough to consider moving away from the unpleasantness that the USA has become.

Finland sounds Wonderful !

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I wish that each American could hear this story of Finland. There are so many ideas that we can take from it to accomplish positive changes that would make a difference.

Finland sounds like heaven!

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