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The Finnish Guide to Happiness

By: Melanie Dower
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
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Publisher's summary

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.
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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.

What listeners say about The Finnish Guide to Happiness

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INSPIRING BOOK. (Listening after Hurricane Helene)

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.

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Very true- moved from the USA to Helsinki in 2018

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

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Fascinating

A fascinating set of opinions and insights. Well worth listening to both for learning about Finnish society and for pondering your own life and place in society.

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A genuinely good listen

Interesting and insightful. It is silly to force me to say more with a 15 word minimum.

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Soothing voice, good info

a fair analysis, and so nice to hear how relatively seamless the social democracy can perform.

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A Gift of a Book!

It warms the heart to learn that somewhere in the world there is a country with such a great set of values. Melanie Dower does an amazing job of capturing the spirit of Finnish culture, economy, and education. She writes in a concise and yet heart-warming style. Saskia Maarleveld is marvelous narrator that enhances the way one receives this information. Many-many thanks for this gift of a book!

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Such a calm soothing narrator

Not anything! I’m ready to move to Finland! Now to convince my husband - that will be the trick!

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Inspiring, refreshing, definitely worth the time.

I really enjoyed a break from the doom, gloom and madness that is the world today.
Much to be taken from the Finnish approach to life as highlighted in this book.
Well written and narrated. Definitely worth the time.

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Insightful!

A fresh wonderful perspective! I wish all of America and the world actually could live more this way.

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Well researched including snippets of studies on themes which promote well

This was a short but comprehensive piece on what makes Finns content and satisfied with daily life in a practical and realistic way.

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