Happiness--Found in Translation: A Glossary of Joy from Around the World

by Tim Lomas, Annika Huett (Illustrator)

A beautifully illustrated dictionary of words from around the world that describe experiences of happiness for which there are no equivalents in the English language.

Have you ever had a feeling that you couldn't quite describe because there was no word in English that captured it? Our ability to fully experience moments of joy in our lives can be limited by the words at our disposal. In this magical book, psychologist Tim Lomas surveys words from around the world to help readers put their finger on feelings of happiness that before might have lingered for only a moment in their mind's eye before disappearing. The ideal gift for language lovers, or for anyone looking for a megadose of pure joy, Happiness--Found in Translation features such "untranslatable" words as:

Bazodee : A Creole (Trinidad and Tobago) word to describe a dizzy and dazed happiness, a bewildered, discombobulated joy.

Charmolypi : A Greek word for the sad, joy-making sorrow when happiness and sadness intermingle.

Wú wéi : A Chinese term for natural, spontaneous, and effortless action, skilfully flowing with the currents of life.

Happiness--Found in Translation gives readers access to the great happiness that the world's languages have to offer.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Linguistics

272 pages, Hardcover

Published September 17, 2019

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.