The Happiness Dictionary: Words from Around the World to Help Us Lead a Richer Life

by Tim Lomas

'A delightful compendium' - Evening Standard

Have you ever had a feeling that you couldn't quite describe, because no English word exists for it?

Indeed, without such a word, it's difficult to remember or understand the feeling, and to talk about it with other people. This applies to all aspects of life, but most of all that most sought-after of feelings, happiness, where our ability to both experience and understand it is limited by the words at our disposal.

However, all is not lost. Even if English has not created a word for a specific feeling, another language probably has. These are known as 'untranslatable' words, because they lack an exact equivalent in another language. By discovering and learning these words, the boundaries of our world expand accordingly. These words allow us to give voice to feelings that we've probably experienced, but have previously lacked the ability to conceptualise. They may even allow us to encounter new feelings that we hadn't previously been aware of or enjoyed.

This book will introduce you to a wealth of untranslatable words relating to happiness, from languages across the world. Reading it will enrich not just your understanding of happiness, but also the way that you experience it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Linguistics

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 7, 2018

About the author

Tim Lomas is a Research Affiliate at the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University and the author of Translating Happiness: A Cross-Cultural Lexicon of Well-Being. His work has been featured in Time, the New Yorker, Vox, Scientific American, and the Atlantic.

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tim Lomas shares one hundred of his favorite words from around the world that deal with happiness. Even the categories intrigued me: contentment, pleasure, ambivalence (!), love, social bonds, appreciation, connectedness, character, wisdom, and spirituality.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will be reviewing this book on my blog here: https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2022/...

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was kind of dry, but some chapters were more engaging to me than others. The one on personal development and the one on spirituality were neat, and in a year that I don't think many would describe as "happy" it was a good read. Also, it tied into a couple of other books I read this year (Ram Dass' Still Here and Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project) which was kind of fun. Overall, I definitely think reading an academic article (IDK, 30 pages?) outlining the structure/methodology he developed, then looking at the glossary, would have sufficed.

But if you read any of the book, I'd still recommend the 2 chapters above the most. The personal development/virtue one was very motivating.

[Michael MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t help but smile as you read it.

It’s a heartwarming and enlightening journey of discovery that reveals the common threads of humanity.

While the words may be new, the feelings being described are undeniably human.

Lomas has created an important and accessible body of work with this. I hope to continue the journey.

[Barry Grimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read, although sometimes a bit of a slog due to the author's preference for showing off his vocabulary rather than writing in Plain English. The most useful part of this book is the glossary where you can quickly scan through definitions for all the "untranslatable" words without the author's commentary.

[an · Rating 3 out of 5]

will review soon.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

PHD Tim Lomas sets out to expand the English language's ability to name aspects of "joy" by proposing some specific words from other languages to help define its nuances. A lovely little book to pick up and enjoy a few pages at a time. I have some new words now, too, that remind me of many lovely experiences and feelings...perfect for this time in history.