An Entertaining Listen

Where does The Little Book of Hygge rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

TLBH is an entertaining nonfiction book. I enjoy my hardcover copy of the book, but I wanted the audiobook as well so that I could listen to it while cooking and knitting. I enjoyed TLBH a bit more than other nonfiction audiobooks I've listened to because it was inspiring and humorous as well as informative.

What other book might you compare The Little Book of Hygge to and why?

The closest I can compare it to would be The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, but TLBH is in my opinion more entertaining and less didactic.

What about Meik Wiking’s performance did you like?

Meik Wiking's voice is warm and pleasant. He reminds me of a Danish boy I knew in high school. He is very capable of conveying sarcasm and humor in English.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Our family's lifestyle is already pretty hyggelig by Danish standards. We need more candles, though, and a Cakeman for our next child's birthday party! I liked that recipes for Danish dishes were included. We're giving them a try.

Danish culture sounds accommodating of introverts, unlike many other Western cultures.

It's interesting that Danes consider societal stability a key component of their personal happiness. It sounds like a dog-eat-dog, survival-of-the-fittest attitude is not a Danish value.

Any additional comments?

I'm surprised by the less than positive reviews here. What were you all expecting, a scientific analysis of the Danish psyche written by a professor from the University of Copenhagen? Familiarize yourself with a book and its author before you read it and adjust your expectations accordingly. This is a relaxed, sweet, funny homage to Danish culture written by a native son. So lighten up, light a candle or two, snuggle on your sofa with a cup of tea, and try to get into the spirit of hygge. It might do your soul some good.

46 people found this helpful

Beautiful picture of how life should be!

As an over-worked and tired American, I relish the thought of embracing more Hygge in my daily life. I was raised in the South by parents who value family and friends as well as engaging in time at home. But it was also driven around the thought of work and school and the burdens and pressures of daily life struggles, financially and otherwise. Somehow in trying to achieve the “American Dream,” we are finding that working longer hours and staying home alone to binge on the next TV show in our queue, we are sad and alone. And we are doing that to ourselves. I love that the book doesn’t shame us for these faults but rather draws our attention to how we can achieve greater happiness and find Hygge in our own lives. Thank you so much for encouraging everyone in this big beautiful world that the key to happiness is easier to attain than we think.

12 people found this helpful

BUY THE REAL BOOK

Keep with the theme of the book and buy the hard copy! It's a beautiful book that would definitely be more enjoyable to read from an actual printed book. Plus, there are recipes and other fun things you'll want printed copies of! I'm sad I only have the audio version!

51 people found this helpful

Pretty fluffy and light stuff

Coasting on the back of the positive happiness waive of personal fulfillment books these last few years. This is very light on information. I will summarize. The Danes are statistically a happy bunch. They like soft lighting, small groups of friends, and hot drinks, which all contribute to feelings of general contentment. So, light some candles, make some friends, and make hot chocolate and your life will be so much more full of hygge.

44 people found this helpful

Happy & Cozy In Denmark

This book is a quick listen with interesting ideas about increasing the level of perceived happiness in life. Danish people are considered to be the happiest in the world--even with the deck stacked against them--terrible weather, high taxes and long periods of darkness. Wiking presents an overview of hygge or coziness and how to create it and find it all around you.

My favorite parts of the book were the discussions centered on word derivations and complex word meanings from around the world. I was also fascinated by the theory of lighting presented. Overall an engaging look at Danish thinking and culture. A pleasant diversion.

35 people found this helpful

Seeing what I learned

I enjoyed this book. I learned a lot and now I’m using some of the knowledge for every day life. Well narrated. Thanks

4 people found this helpful

Great

Kept it simple + clear concepts + amusing. Easy to listen inviting a mug of tea and cookies in a very hygge environment 😊

6 people found this helpful

Life changing...

In tiny beautiful ways... mostly twinkling Christmas lights year round and lots of candles and cozy blankets in our home.

2 people found this helpful

This is why Drnmark tops my ex-pat list

The world could learn a lot from the Danes, especially Americans. Who better to teach us then the CEO of the Happiness Institute.

2 people found this helpful

Inspiring

A friend of mine that lives in Berlin was trying to describe what Hygge is to me and he was having a hard time finding the correct words. I started looking online for an good definition and came across this book. Although I loved listening to this book, I cannot wait to get a paper copy because there are so many friends that I want to share the magic of hygge with! I adore this book and look forward to living my life more hyggely!

2 people found this helpful