---
product_id: 52529457
title: "The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country"
price: "KSh4465"
currency: KES
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 7
url: https://www.desertcart.co.ke/products/52529457-the-year-of-living-danishly-uncovering-the-secrets-of-world
store_origin: KE
region: Kenya
---

# The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country

**Price:** KSh4465
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- **What is this?** The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country
- **How much does it cost?** KSh4465 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.ke](https://www.desertcart.co.ke/products/52529457-the-year-of-living-danishly-uncovering-the-secrets-of-world)

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## Description

Humorous and insightful account of one woman's journey to understand the Danish way of life and the secrets behind Denmark's reputation as the world's happiest country.

Review: Good entertainment, an interesting read - This book is partly about Danish culture, partly about the general experience of relocating to a foreign country, and partly about the author's personal life and development. It's well written, easily read, and, in some places, absolutely hilarious. Being a journalist by trade, the author knows how to research. She manages to interview a wide range of experts in diverse fields, as well as the friends which she makes along the way in Denmark. Thus, the book is loaded with facts and with comparisons to society in other countries. However, one should keep in mind that, given the fact that she relies upon a well adjusted crowd as informants, the book does not convey the complete picture of life in Denmark. Even fairytale Denmark has its bad neighbourhoods. But if you are a skilled professional moving to Denmark, chances are that you'll pick a good one. As I mentioned, part of the story is as much about relocating across borders as it is about the country as such. Having worked as an expat for three years in a neighbouring country, I could relate to a lot of that. Denmark and the UK are similar countries in the greater scheme of things but when it comes to cultural differences, the details matter. The book is well structured with each chapter covering a calendar month and an aspect of Danish culture, thus creating a tie between the culture descriptions and the personal story of a British girl spending a year trying to get acquainted with Denmark. Also, the names of persons and of locations are "encoded" as to extract a more general story from the specific one. The husband of the author is known simply as Lego Man and her village of residence as Sticksville-on-the-Sea. It's a neat trick which makes the story easier to relate to. Generally, it's spot on. Only small caveat is the desription of the winter weather, which is a bit exaggerated. It's usually gloomy, rarely snowy, and the sea never freezes over in November. In spite of that, five stars for brilliant entertainment. PS. Being a resident of aforementioned Sticksville, I found an extra layer of entertainment in trying to decode the place names.
Review: Food for thought about how we live (just don't mention the bacon) - A travel writer friend pointed this book out to me in Foyles, knowing I was planning a trip to Denmark in our camper van this Easter, and I bought it to help us acclimatise. (I regretted not buying it on the spot, as the paperback would have been better value than the highly priced ebook, which was all I had time to buy before our departure, once I'd decided to get it.) I knew very little about Denmark or Danish culture before buying this book, apart from having an old Danish schoolfriend who always struck me as super-cool and super-happy, and hearing Sandi Toksvig talk about it on the News Quiz, her wry humour delivered in Queen's English more impeccable than the Queen's. Even so, I've always felt the inherent Dane is always present not far beneath her British boarding school veneer. Otherwise all I knew was that it was small, expensive, and big in bacon. The cover of this book tells us it's also a very happy place. But why? The author Helen Russell treats it as her mission to find out, when she accompanies her husband on a year's posting with his job (oh joy, it's to work for Lego - but of course!) The archetypal stressed-out London journalist, all but burned out by her staff job on a women's magazine, is ripe for conversation to most aspects of Danish life e.g. the much shorter working week and the the refreshing national supposition that only the inefficient work long hours, unlike the customary British corporate assumption that it's a sign of dedication that will fast-track you to promotion. She is at first shocked, then won over by the virtual hibernation that occurs during the ong dark winter nights, when people embrace the excuse to stay home and enjoy quality family time. She loves the flat social hierarchy where all jobs are considered equal, and where no-one much minds paying high taxes, knowing they're funding generous education, social and medical care. Not all her findings are as winning e.g. the famous pigs for Danish bacon are all reared indoors, intensively, but most of them are. This is a well-researched and thoughtful book, narrated by a likeable author who is clearly passionate and positive in the pursuit of her mission. She must have been a very supportive companion to her Danish husband - being an expat wife isn't easy, but she's done well on that score. Whether or not you plan to travel to Denmark, this is an enjoyable and worthwhile read, providing a thorough introduction to a culture that while not far from our own geographically, is very different in many ways. It may make you want to reexamine your own daily life and culture, and encourage you to embrace what's good about the Danish alternatives, where you find something wanting. It'll probably put you right off Danish bacon, though.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | 1785780239 |
| Best Sellers Rank | 17,243 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 31 in Family Travel 92 in Cultural Studies 174 in Travel Writing (Books) |
| Customer reviews | 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (10,347) |
| Dimensions  | 13.34 x 2.54 x 19.69 cm |
| Edition  | Reissue |
| ISBN-10  | 9781785780233 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1785780233 |
| Item weight  | 292 g |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 400 pages |
| Publication date  | 3 Dec. 2015 |
| Publisher  | Icon Books |

## Images

![The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61HYislV9GL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good entertainment, an interesting read
*by M***N on 29 January 2015*

This book is partly about Danish culture, partly about the general experience of relocating to a foreign country, and partly about the author's personal life and development. It's well written, easily read, and, in some places, absolutely hilarious. Being a journalist by trade, the author knows how to research. She manages to interview a wide range of experts in diverse fields, as well as the friends which she makes along the way in Denmark. Thus, the book is loaded with facts and with comparisons to society in other countries. However, one should keep in mind that, given the fact that she relies upon a well adjusted crowd as informants, the book does not convey the complete picture of life in Denmark. Even fairytale Denmark has its bad neighbourhoods. But if you are a skilled professional moving to Denmark, chances are that you'll pick a good one. As I mentioned, part of the story is as much about relocating across borders as it is about the country as such. Having worked as an expat for three years in a neighbouring country, I could relate to a lot of that. Denmark and the UK are similar countries in the greater scheme of things but when it comes to cultural differences, the details matter. The book is well structured with each chapter covering a calendar month and an aspect of Danish culture, thus creating a tie between the culture descriptions and the personal story of a British girl spending a year trying to get acquainted with Denmark. Also, the names of persons and of locations are "encoded" as to extract a more general story from the specific one. The husband of the author is known simply as Lego Man and her village of residence as Sticksville-on-the-Sea. It's a neat trick which makes the story easier to relate to. Generally, it's spot on. Only small caveat is the desription of the winter weather, which is a bit exaggerated. It's usually gloomy, rarely snowy, and the sea never freezes over in November. In spite of that, five stars for brilliant entertainment. PS. Being a resident of aforementioned Sticksville, I found an extra layer of entertainment in trying to decode the place names.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Food for thought about how we live (just don't mention the bacon)
*by D***E on 5 May 2016*

A travel writer friend pointed this book out to me in Foyles, knowing I was planning a trip to Denmark in our camper van this Easter, and I bought it to help us acclimatise. (I regretted not buying it on the spot, as the paperback would have been better value than the highly priced ebook, which was all I had time to buy before our departure, once I'd decided to get it.) I knew very little about Denmark or Danish culture before buying this book, apart from having an old Danish schoolfriend who always struck me as super-cool and super-happy, and hearing Sandi Toksvig talk about it on the News Quiz, her wry humour delivered in Queen's English more impeccable than the Queen's. Even so, I've always felt the inherent Dane is always present not far beneath her British boarding school veneer. Otherwise all I knew was that it was small, expensive, and big in bacon. The cover of this book tells us it's also a very happy place. But why? The author Helen Russell treats it as her mission to find out, when she accompanies her husband on a year's posting with his job (oh joy, it's to work for Lego - but of course!) The archetypal stressed-out London journalist, all but burned out by her staff job on a women's magazine, is ripe for conversation to most aspects of Danish life e.g. the much shorter working week and the the refreshing national supposition that only the inefficient work long hours, unlike the customary British corporate assumption that it's a sign of dedication that will fast-track you to promotion. She is at first shocked, then won over by the virtual hibernation that occurs during the ong dark winter nights, when people embrace the excuse to stay home and enjoy quality family time. She loves the flat social hierarchy where all jobs are considered equal, and where no-one much minds paying high taxes, knowing they're funding generous education, social and medical care. Not all her findings are as winning e.g. the famous pigs for Danish bacon are all reared indoors, intensively, but most of them are. This is a well-researched and thoughtful book, narrated by a likeable author who is clearly passionate and positive in the pursuit of her mission. She must have been a very supportive companion to her Danish husband - being an expat wife isn't easy, but she's done well on that score. Whether or not you plan to travel to Denmark, this is an enjoyable and worthwhile read, providing a thorough introduction to a culture that while not far from our own geographically, is very different in many ways. It may make you want to reexamine your own daily life and culture, and encourage you to embrace what's good about the Danish alternatives, where you find something wanting. It'll probably put you right off Danish bacon, though.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
*by A***O on 18 August 2017*

Leitura leve, fácil e um aprendizado pra vida. Um povo com uma cultura sensacional. Vale a leitura pra todos interessados no crescimento pessoal

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country
- The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living (The Happiness Institute Series)
- The Nordic Theory of Everything: In Search of a Better Life

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*Product available on Desertcart Kenya*
*Store origin: KE*
*Last updated: 2026-02-24*