Synopses & Reviews
“In the West, we have everything we could possibly need or want—except for peace of mind,” Linda Leaming writes, “We go to extravagant lengths to try to be happy. Living in Bhutan and the U.S. has taught me that we can all learn to create a space within us where we are untouched, at our best, where we can be open to life and we can be, even in the darkest hours, calm and relatively happy.” A FIELD GUIDE TO HAPPINESS: 22 Simple Things I Learned in Bhutan is a practical and inspirational guide to living more simply and in balance. From her experiences as an American writer and teacher living in Bhutan, Linda Leaming shares endearing, often humorous stories that contain deeper lessons, including · There are no accidents· Look for magic everywhere· Generosity is contagious· Kindness will save us· Laugh in the face of death· You are who you are· Learn to be water Having spent her early years in Nashville, and most of her adult life in Thimphu—two wildly different and unique cities in their own right—Linda has been forced to think differently about time, work, money, family, and herself. Instead of fuming impatiently in line at the bank, she decided to take up knitting. By calming down and going with the flow, she’s learned to relax and embrace the absurdity that is everywhere. And facing her own mortality, “thinking the unthinkable,” has inspired her to live life to the fullest, with ease, fearlessness, and believe it or not, laughter. A special section at the end of each chapter gives concrete steps for creating more happiness in our lives. A FIELD GUIDE TO HAPPINESS is an intriguing, honest, and entertaining look at life, and the quest to find happiness—no matter where you are.
Review
“Now, you’ve gone and done it, Linda Leaming. This book has impelled me to add a whole new country to my already-overflowing bucket list. But either way, I’m grateful for this most excellent field guide to happiness. Thank you, my fellow traveler, for sharing the love.”
— Pam Grout, #1 New York Times best-selling author of E-Squaredand E-Cubed
Review
“Linda Leaming writes with a sweetness and an earned wisdom that goes down as smoothly as a good cup of tea. She is also very funny. If you are alive, or would like to be, read herAField Guide to Happinessand find joy on every page.”
— Eric Weiner, author of The Geography of Bliss
Review
“Linda Leaming offers us a fresh perspective of embracing life’s challenges while pursuing our dreams. Delivered with down-to-earth wisdom and intelligent humor, A Field Guide to Happinesstakes us on a Himalayan journey to Bhutan while never veering far from the heart.”
— Matteo Pistono, author of Fearless in Tibetand In the Shadow of the Buddha
Review
“With Bhutan as a backdrop, Linda Leaming’s intimate offering of life lessons in A Field Guide to Happiness encourages deep exploration in our own interior landscapes. This gem of a book is an invitation to know we have all we need to surrender in the arms of joy, and measure our aliveness with heartfelt connection instead of speed and productivity. Read it slowly and savor each morsel.”
— Nancy Levin, best-selling author of Jump . . . And Your Life Will Appear
Synopsis
In the West, we have everything we could possibly need or want--except for peace of mind.
So writes Linda Leaming, a harried American who traveled from Nashville, Tennessee, to the rugged Himalayan nation of Bhutan--sometimes called the happiest place on Earth--to teach English and unlearn her politicized and polarized, energetic and impatient way of life.
In Bhutan, if I have three things to do in a week, it's considered busy. In the U.S., I have at least three things to do between breakfast and lunch.
After losing her luggage immediately upon arrival, Leaming realized that she also had emotional baggage--a tendency toward inaction, a touch of self-absorption, and a hundred other trite, stupid, embarrassing, and inconsequential things--that needed to get lost as well.
Pack up ideas and feelings that tie you down and send you lead-footed down the wrong path. Put them in a metaphorical suitcase and sling it over a metaphorical bridge in your mind. Let the river take them away.
Forced by circumstance and her rustic surroundings to embrace a simplified life, Leaming made room for more useful beliefs. The thin air and hard climbs of her mountainous commute put her deeply in touch with her breath, helping her find focus and appreciation. The archaic, glacially paced bureaucracy of a Bhutanese bank taught her to go with the flow--and take up knitting. The ancient ritual of drinking tea brought tranquility, friendship, and, eventually, a husband. Each day, and each adventure, in her adopted home brought new insights and understandings to take back to frantic America, where she now practices the art of "simulating Bhutan." This collection of stories, impressions, and suggestions is a little nudge, a push, a leg up into the rarefied air of paradise--of bright sunlight and beautiful views.
Synopsis
In the West, we have everything we could possibly need or want—except for peace of mind.
So writes Linda Leaming, a harried American who traveled from Nashville, Tennessee, to the rugged Himalayan nation of Bhutan—sometimes called the happiest place on Earth—to teach English and unlearn her politicized and polarized, energetic and impatient way of life.
In Bhutan, if I have three things to do in a week, it’s considered busy. In the U.S., I have at least three things to do between breakfast and lunch.
After losing her luggage immediately upon arrival, Leaming realized that she also had emotional baggage—a tendency toward inaction, a touch of self-absorption, and a hundred other trite, stupid, embarrassing, and inconsequential things—that needed to get lost as well.
Pack up ideas and feelings that tie you down and send you lead-footed down the wrong path. Put them in a metaphorical suitcase and sling it over a metaphorical bridge in your mind. Let the river take them away.
Forced by circumstance and her rustic surroundings to embrace a simplified life, Leaming made room for more useful beliefs. The thin air and hard climbs of her mountainous commute put her deeply in touch with her breath, helping her find focus and appreciation. The archaic, glacially paced bureaucracy of a Bhutanese bank taught her to go with the flow—and take up knitting. The ancient ritual of drinking tea brought tranquility, friendship, and, eventually, a husband. Each day, and each adventure, in her adopted home brought new insights and understandings to take back to frantic America, where she now practices the art of “simulating Bhutan.” This collection of stories, impressions, and suggestions is a little nudge, a push, a leg up into the rarefied air of paradise—of bright sunlight and beautiful views.
About the Author
LINDA LEAMING is a writer whose work has appeared in Ladies' Home Journal, Mandala, Guardian UK, A Woman's Asia (Travelers' Tales), and many other publications. Eric Weiner included her in his bestseller, The Geography of Bliss. Originally from Nashville, she has an M.F.A. in fiction from the University of Arizona; and she regularly speaks about Bhutan at colleges, churches, seminars, and book groups. She is married to the renowned Bhutanese thangka painter, Phurba Namgay.