A decorative banner with a portrait of David Larbi and small illustrations of everyday sources of comfort like a cup of tea, flowers and a candle.

Comforting Penguin books that helped us through hard times

Features

The Penguin books that helped us through hard times

Beautiful books to gift at Christmas

Reading lists

Beautiful books that make unforgettable gifts

How to Make Home Your Happy Place

My Hygge Home

A gorgeous guide to the Danish art of creating a cosy, happy home - and the perfect gift - from the internationally bestselling author, Meik Wiking. 
 
Our homes should be a place of comfort, a place to feel safe when we shut the door. Somewhere to be ourselves, to unwind and create special memories. Inspired by Danish design and traditions, this beautiful new book from Meik Wiking shares how to turn your home into a sanctuary and live like the happiest people in the world. 
 
With simple tips based on new research from The Happiness Institute in Copenhagen, this book reveals what makes a happy home tick. No matter how much space you have or what your budget is, Meik shows how you can use colour, light and space to create your happy place and celebrate cosiness the Danish way. 
 
From the author of THE LITTLE BOOK OF HYGGE: Give the gift of comfort and joy this holiday season! 
 
'I love it, I love it, I love it. Just reading this makes you more content' Chris Evans 
'Such a beautiful book with so many suggestions for how we can get back to happiness. Just looking at it makes me happy' Holly Willoughby

Comforting and cosy for the heart and soul

This book isn't just about Hygge, it's about how to make the places where you spend your time happy ones. This book will help you make your home somewhere you feel comfortable, safe and calm

A gorgeous guide to the art of creating a cosy, happy home

I love it, I love it, I love it. Just reading it makes you more content

Such a beautiful book with so many suggestions for how we can get back to happiness. Just looking at it makes me happy

He writes with insight and warm wit about how small domestic changes can have a meaningful impact

A gorgeous guide on how to make your space one of comfort, happiness and light, the Danish way

An evidence-based guide on the simple things we can do to make any house warm and uplifting, and how - 
especially in difficult times - we can find comfort and contentment in the everyday.

Meik Wiking reveals how you can turn your home into a snug sanctuary, no matter your space or budget

Meik Wiking founded the world's first Happiness Research Institute in 2013, in Copenhagen, Denmark and is a New York Times and Sunday Times Bestselling author. Meik has been called The Indiana Jones of Smiles and probably the World's Happiest Man by The Times. He is the author of four globally bestselling books which have sold over 2 million copies worldwide: The Little Book of Hygge, The Little Book of Lykke, The Art of Making Memories and My Hygge Home.

Our homes should be a place of comfort, a place to feel safe when we shut the door. Somewhere to be ourselves, to unwind and create special memories. Inspired by Danish design and traditions, this beautiful new book from Meik Wiking shares how to turn your home into a sanctuary and live like the happiest people in the world. 
 
With simple tips based on new research from The Happiness Institute in Copenhagen, this book reveals what makes a happy home tick: including the difference between space and size, the importance of lighting, and how to foster better connections with our loved ones. No matter how much space you have or what your budget is, Meik shows how you can use colour, light and space to create your happy place and celebrate cosiness the Danish way.

How to Create Experiences You’ll Remember for a Lifetime

Happy Moments

'Meik's new book will change the way you think' Dr Rangan Chatterjee 
___________________________________________________________________________ 
 
From the same author that brought us The Little Book of Hygge, this book reveals the secret to filling your life with happy moments, and how to remember them for ever. 
 
Happy memories don't have to be reserved for big life events. Drawing on global surveys, behavioural science experiments and data gathered by The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Meik is here to show how we can we can turn ordinary experiences into something extraordinary. 
 
Whether it's eating dinner at the table rather than in front of the TV, exploring a new part of your neighbourhood, or planning how you're going to celebrate your small wins, this book will help you find the magic in the every day, and create memories you will cherish forever. 
 
PRE-ORDER THE HYGGE HOME, THE NEW BOOK FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BOOK OF HYGGE

Wiking 'explains how we can create memorable moments to treasure

Happy Moments 'aims to boost the number of experiences we can turn into happy memories and, crucially, teach us how to remember them'

Each year we are given 365 days. Some of those pass us by without leaving a trace, and some seem to stick in our minds for ever. Do you remember your first kiss? Swimming in the sea on holiday? The first time you drove a car? 
 
Research has shown that when our senses are stimulated and that when we are conscious of our emotions, we are more likely to recall those precious moments - which is why those memories flood back to us so easily. 
 
But those happy memories don't have to be reserved for big life events. Drawing on global surveys, behavioural science experiments and data gathered by The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Meik is here to show how we can we can turn ordinary experiences into something extraordinary. 
 
Whether it's eating dinner at the table rather than in front of the TV, exploring a new part of your neighbourhood, or planning how you're going to celebrate your small wins, this book will help you find the magic in the every day, and create memories you will cherish forever.

How to Create and Remember Happy Moments

The Art of Making Memories

"We love you, you've made us happy." - Chris Evans 
 
"Happy memories are essential to our mental health. They strengthen our identity, sense of purpose and relationships. Meik's new book will teach you how to create and remember happy moments and will change how you think about happy memories." Dr Rangan Chatterjee, Number One bestselling author of The 4 Pillar Plan and BBC Breakfast GP 
 
 The third book from the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute and internationally bestselling author of The Little Book of Hygge, Meik Wiking. 
 
Why is it that a piece of music, a smell, a taste can take us back to something we had forgotten? How is it that we remember our first kiss in detail, but barely remember anything of a fortnight's holiday from five years ago? Memories are the cornerstones of our identity, shaping who we are, how we act, and how we feel. But how do we make and keep the memories that bring us lasting joy? 
 
Happiness expert Meik Wiking has the answers. In The Art of Making Memories he brings together his extensive research drawn from the world's biggest study on happy memories (which involved 1000 people from 75 countries), conducted at the Happiness Research Institute, along with data and diaries, interviews, global surveys and studies, and real-life behavioural science and happiness experiments, to explain the nuances of nostalgia, the different ways we form memories around our experiences, and how we can become better at recalling them. 
 
Written in Meik's warm and funny trademark style, filled with infographics, illustrations, and photographs, and featuring "Happy Memory Tips", The Art of Making Memoriesis a life-affirming read which show you it's easier than you think to make your life unforgettable.

Meik's new book will change the way you think about happy memories.

Dr Rangan Chatterjee, #1 bestselling author of The 4 Pillar Plan and BBC Breakfast GP

The third book from the CEO of The Happiness Research Institute and internationally bestselling author of The Little Book of Hygge, Meik Wiking. 
 
Every year, we are given a fixed number of days. Some days pass us by without leaving a trace and some days we remember for ever. 
 
Do you remember your first kiss? Or the best meal you ever tasted? Or the smell of freshly cut grass on a perfect summer's day? 
 
When our senses are stimulated, when we harness the power of first experiences, and when we are conscious of our feelings and emotions, we are more likely to hold on to our happy memories. 
 
Using research on happiness, Meik Wiking explores how we can learn to create happy memories and be better at holding on to them. Including data and diaries, interviews, global surveys and studies, and real-life behavioural science and happiness experiments, The Art of Making Memories will explore how we can create perfect moments. Moments you will remember for ever. Moments that will shape who we are.

How to Find Purpose by Unlocking the Secrets of the World's Happiest People

The Key to Happiness

** FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR ** 
 
**Previously published as The Little Book of Lykke** 
 
"A wonderful guide to happy living. It's based on hard evidence and written with a wonderful sense of fun" Richard Layard, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE and author of Happiness 
 
Happiness is just around the corner with this practical guide from happiness researcher Meik Wiking 
 
Meik Wiking understands happiness better than anyone. In his role as Founder and CEO of the world's only Happiness Research Institute, he has travelled the globe interviewing the world's happiest people to discover the key components of happiness. 
 
In The Key to Happiness, Meik explores the hidden treasures which can improve your happiness, and divides them into the six building blocks of happiness; togetherness, money, health, kindness, trust and freedom. For each happiness block he offers practical tips: for togetherness he encourages setting up a mini-library in your apartment building or starting a tool-sharing programme in your street; for kindness he suggests leaving a surprise gift on a stranger's doorstep, helping a tourist find their way or telling someone who means a lot to you that they do. 
 
Drawing on social science, case studies and Meik's original research, this practical guide shows us that you can find happiness in a simple way of life. While Meik has travelled across the globe to discover the secrets of the world's happiest people, this book shows us that you can be just as happy where you are. 
 
This book is the perfect guide on how to survive and navigate the modern world with a smile on your face. 
 
"An inspiring and highly engaging exploration of what really makes us happy, all underpinned by the latest research" Dr Mark Williamson Director of Action for Happiness 
 
PRE-ORDER THE HYGGE HOME, THE NEW BOOK FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE LITTLE BOOK OF HYGGE

An inspiring and highly engaging exploration of what really makes us happy, all underpinned by the latest research. Packed full of insights into what makes some societies happier than others as well as lots of practical action ideas that we can put into practice in our own lives. Highly recommended.

Director of Action for Happiness and Author of Mindfulness

A wonderful guide to happy living. It's based on hard evidence and written with a wonderful sense of fun.

Centre for Economic Performance, LSE and author of Happiness.

'The Key to Happiness shows what can happen when a good story teller gets his hands on fundamental research about what makes for happier lives. It contains a masterful survey of the key results from happiness research, a distillation of shrewd tips for improving the lives of those around you, and a brilliant world-wide selection of illustrated examples that deliver happy moments, of both the 'ah-ha' and 'ha-ha' types. It is a happy book about happiness, written with a twinkle and packaged with Danish style'

Economist and Editor of the World Happiness Report

'Drawing on insights from psychology, the study of happiness and global data, Meik Wiking makes a strong case for why happiness matters and how, through practical activities, we can increase our own wellbeing'

Chief Executive of the Behavioural Insights Team and author of The Hidden Wealth of Nations

'Happiness can be elusive, even for people who are mentally healthy. Many people, such as those with depression or anxiety who are struggling through darker times, may feel they want to give up the fight. That is why the charming and thought-provoking The Key to Happiness could lighten, guide and inspire so many'

Travelling around the world, he learns what works best where and distils these lessons into a lovely life plan that celebrates community spirit, from communal gardening to dog sitting and the benefits of hanging out with friends and family

Meik's new book looks further afield this time, identifying the keys to contentment from around the globe

Wiking goes in search of the real meaning of happiness, and finds it has little to do with wealth. A funny, inspiring read

Prepare to love lykke, the Danish word for happiness and fortune, with The Little Book of Lykke by Meik Wiking, whose Little Book of Hygge sold half a million copies. Wiking goes in search of the real meaning of happiness, and finds it has little to do with wealth. A funny, inspiring read

Meik Wiking understands happiness better than anyone. In his role as Founder and CEO of the world's only Happiness Research Institute, he has travelled the globe interviewing the world's happiest people to discover the key components of happiness. 
 
In The Key to Happiness, Meik explores the hidden treasures which can improve your happiness, and divides them into the six building blocks of happiness; togetherness, money, health, kindness, trust and freedom. For each happiness block he offers practical tips: for togetherness he encourages setting up a mini-library in your apartment building or starting a tool-sharing programme in your street; for kindness he suggests leaving a surprise gift on a stranger's doorstep, helping a tourist find their way or telling someone who means a lot to you that they do. 
 
Drawing on social science, case studies and Meik's original research, this practical guide shows us that you can find happiness in a simple way of life. While Meik has travelled across the globe to discover the secrets of the world's happiest people, this book shows us that you can be just as happy where you are. 
 
This book is the perfect guide on how to survive and navigate the modern world with a smile on your face.

The Danish Search for the World's Happiest People

The Little Book of Lykke

Happiness is just around the corner with this practical guide from happiness researcher Meik Wiking - author of the international bestseller The Little Book of Hygge 
 
Lykke (Luu-kah) (n): Happiness 
 
Meik Wiking understands happiness better than anyone. In his role as Founder and CEO of the world's only Happiness Research Institute, he has travelled the globe interviewing the world's happiest people to discover the key components of happiness. 
 
This captivating read features case studies from Bhutan to Australia, South Korea to Canada, France to Denmark, taking the reader on a happiness treasure hunt. Written in the same warm tone as Meik's phenomenal bestseller The Little Book of Hygge, this easy-to-understand book will change the way you think about how you relate to your neighbours, the rituals around cooking and eating dinner, and when to book your next holiday - and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. 
 
This book is the perfect guide on how to survive and navigate the modern world with a smile on your face. 
 
'It is a happy book about happiness, written with a twinkle and packaged with Danish style' (John Helliwell, Economist and Editor of the World Happiness Report)

Happiness can be elusive even for people who are mentally healthy. Many people, such as those with depression or anxiety who are struggling through darker times, may feel they want to give up the fight. That is why the charming and thought-provoking The Little Book of Lykke could lighten, guide and inspire so many.

Marjorie Wallace, CEO of SANE mental health charity

The Danish Way to Live Well

The Little Book of Hygge

Guaranteed to bring warmth and comfort into your life, The Little Book of Hygge is the book we all need. 
 
Hygge has been described as everything from "cosiness of the soul" to "the pursuit of everyday pleasures". The Little Book of Hygge is the book we all need right now, and is guaranteed to bring comfort and joy to you and your loved ones. 
 
Hooga? Hhyooguh? Heurgh? It is not really important how you choose to pronounce 'hygge'. What is important is that you feel it. Whether you're cuddled up on a sofa with a loved one, or sharing comfort food with your closest friends, hygge is about creating an atmosphere where you can let your guard down. 
 
The Little Book of Hygge is the definitive, must-read introduction to hygge, written by Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. The book is packed full of original research on hygge, along with beautiful photographs, recipes and ideas to help you add a sprinkle of Danish magic to your life. 
 
From fans of The Little Book of Hygge: 
'It's the cosiest book in the world!' 
'This book is made for lovers of creature comforts' 
'Perfect for reading on a stormy January night' 
'A lovely book to read during winter months, it helps you detach from the chaos of life' 
'If you want a book that takes you to a happy place every time, buy this one' 
 
Sunday Times bestseller, November 2016

the best qualified author (...) cosy and engaging

Infectiously positive (...) the best beginner's guide

this book explains everything you need to know about the Danish art of living well

Danish, dishy and the world's happiest man (this book) is gorgeously designed

every wondered why Denmark is always ranked one of the happiest places on earth? Well, that's down to hygge. And want to know what hygge is? Then read this book.

a thorough and genuinely helpful little life bible that you'll find yourself coming back to time and again. Hooray for Hygge!

OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE 
A Sunday Times AND New York Times BESTSELLER 
 
The Danish word hygge is one of those beautiful words that doesn't directly translate into English, but it more or less means comfort, warmth or togetherness. 
 
Hygge is the feeling you get when you are cuddled up on a sofa with a loved one, in warm knitted socks, in front of the fire, when it is dark, cold and stormy outside. It that feeling when you are sharing good, comfort food with your closest friends, by candle light and exchanging easy conversation. It is those cold, crisp blue sky mornings when the light through your window is just right. 
 
Denmark is the happiest nation in the world and Meik puts this largely down to them living the hygge way. They focus on the small things that really matter, spend more quality time with friends and family and enjoy the good things in life. The Little Book of Hygge will give you practical steps and tips to become more hygge: how to pick the right lighting, organise a dinner party and even how to dress hygge, all backed up by Meik's years' of research at the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. 
 
This year live more like a Dane, embrace hygge and become happier.

Meik Wiking

A wonderful book - I couldn't wait to read it

How to Find Happiness In and Out of Work

It is well known that Denmark is one of the happiest nations in the world, and this is true in the workplace, too. Almost two thirds of Danes report a high level of job satisfaction and 58% would carry on working even if they no longer needed to. They even have a word that means 'happiness at work' - arbejdsglæde - and yet, the rest of the world are struggling with a burnout epidemic, so where are we going wrong? 
 
Based on a new study from The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Meik reveals exactly that in his most valuable book to date. Beautifully illustrated and with chapters on purpose, trust, success and freedom, Meik suggests a more holistic approach to life and work complete with simple tips, such as: creating a ‘smile file’ of moments where you've made a difference, or 'job-crafting' by finding the tasks that bring you the most joy and amplifying them in your daily routine. 
 
Meik's latest masterpiece provides the inspiration and simple tools we all need to reduce stress, increase our sense of purpose, and live the Danish way.

Meik Wiking

Praise for The Art of Danish Living

A wonderful book - I couldn't wait to read it

Such a lovely book!

Books by Meik Wiking

Articles featuring Meik Wiking

The Penguin books that helped us through hard times

Beautiful books that make unforgettable gifts

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter