Smart, witty and packed with surprising facts about life in the Nordics, The Danish Secret to Happy Kids is a foolproof roadmap to raising kids the Viking way. If you enjoy Helen Russell's signature self-deprecating sense of humor and captivating storytelling, you're in for a real treat. --Linda Åkeson McGurk, author of There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather and The Open-Air Life

What do Vikings know about raising children? Turns out, quite a bit.

After a decade of living in Denmark, and raising her three kids there, Helen Russell noticed that Nordic kids (or mini-Vikings) are different from children raised in other parts of the world. They eat differently. They learn differently. They play, dress, and even sleep differently. They run, jump, climb, fall and get up again, out in nature, for hours a day. It's cold and wet and uncomfortable--often. But they cope. Even though the weather's terrible and it's dark October through March. And then they grow up to be some of the happiest adults on the planet. So her question was: how?

In The Danish Secret to Happy Kids, Russell dives deep into the parenting culture of Denmark and the other Nordic nations, from parental leave policies to school structure to screen time, uncovering surprising strategies and customs that lead to largely happy, well-adjusted humans over the long term. This fascinating peek behind the cultural curtain allows readers to marvel over infants comfortably sleeping outside in chilly temperatures, school-age kids wielding axes in the woods, and teenagers spending a year or two at efterskole, a special boarding school designed to prepare adolescents for independent life in the real world--a concept that is beginning to be adopted in other nations.

Refreshingly funny and unfailingly optimistic about the new generation of humans growing up in the world right now, The Danish Secret to Happy Kids is a heart-warming love letter to Russell's adopted homeland, a comforting armchair travel read, and proof that we could all use a bit more Viking in our everyday lives.

* NOW WITH A NEW CHAPTER *

'A hugely enjoyable romp through the pleasures and pitfalls of setting up home in a foreign land.'- Guardian

Given the opportunity of a new life in rural Jutland, Helen Russell discovered a startling statistic: Denmark, land of long dark winters, cured herring, Lego and pastries, was the happiest place on earth.

Keen to know their secrets, Helen gave herself a year to uncover the formula for Danish happiness.

From childcare, education, food and interior design to SAD and taxes, The Year of Living Danishly records a funny, poignant journey, showing us what the Danes get right, what they get wrong, and how we might all live a little more Danishly ourselves.

In this new edition, six years on Helen reveals how her life and family have changed, and explores how Denmark, too - or. her understanding of it - has shifted. It's a messy and flawed place, she concludes - but can still be a model for a better way of living.

In any human life there are going to be periods of unhappiness. That is part of the human experience. Learning how to be sad is a natural first step in how to be happier.--Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute

How to Be Sad is a poignant, funny, and deeply practical guide to better navigating one of our most misunderstood human emotions. It's a must-read for anyone looking to improve their happiness by befriending the full range of their own feelings. - Laurie Santos, Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast

An expert on the pursuit of happiness combines her powerful personal story with surprising research and expert advice to reveal the secret of finding joy: allowing sadness to enrich your life and relationships.

Helen Russell has researched sadness from the inside out for her entire life. Her earliest memory is of the day her sister died. Her parents divorced soon after, and her mother didn't receive the help she needed to grieve. Coping with her own emotional turmoil--including struggles with body image and infertility--she's endured professional and personal setbacks as well as relationships that have imploded in truly spectacular ways. Even the things that brought her the greatest joy--like eventually becoming a parent--are fraught with challenges.

While devoting a career to writing books on happiness, Helen discovered just how many people are terrified of sadness. But the key to happiness is unhappiness--by allowing ourselves to experience pain, we learn to truly appreciate and embrace joy. How to Be Sad is a memoir about living with sadness, as well as an upbeat manifesto for change that encourages us to accept and express our emotions, both good and bad. Interweaving Helen's personal testimony with the latest research on sadness--from psychologists, geneticists, neuroscientists and historians--as well as the experiences of writers, comics, athletes and change-makers from around the world, this vital and inspiring guide explores why we get sad, what makes us feel this way, and how it can be a force for good.

Timely and essential, How to Be Sad is about how we can better look after ourselves and each other, simply by getting smarter about sadness.

'A hugely enjoyable romp through the pleasures and pitfalls of setting up home in a foreign land.'- Guardian

Given the opportunity of a new life in rural Jutland, Helen Russell discovered a startling statistic: Denmark, land of long dark winters, cured herring, Lego and pastries, was the happiest place on earth.

Keen to know their secrets, Helen gave herself a year to uncover the formula for Danish happiness.

From childcare, education, food and interior design to SAD and taxes, The Year of Living Danishly records a funny, poignant journey, showing us what the Danes get right, what they get wrong, and how we might all live a little more Danishly ourselves.

Smart Cities: Integrating Sustainable Design and Eco-Friendly Practices into Urban Environment - A Special Report penned by seasoned journalist Helen Russell, is a compelling journey through the transformative era of sustainable urban living.

It begins by demystifying the concept of smart cities, proceeding to dissect its intricate tapestry with the precision of a master story-teller. From the role of technology to the power of renewable energy to policy-making strategies, each chapter shines a light on key factors that shape these modern-day metropolises.

You will travel vicariously with Helen as she shares her insights from case studies around the globe, exploring visionary ventures such as photovoltaic pathways in Amsterdam and eco-cities in China, and analyzing proactive solutions to urban densification issues. For Helen, every city visited and every expert interviewed is part of a larger narrative - that of building smarter, greener, and more sustainable cities.

Helen's accessible writing style effortlessly breaks down complex concepts for readers of varying levels of familiarity with the subject. This serves as an invitation for everyone - city developers, planners, environmentalists, technocrats, and the general public - to partake in reimagining the urban space of the future, responsibly and sustainably.

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE YEAR OF LIVING DANISHLY - How to make big decisions, be more resilient, and change your life for good. Having spent the last few years in Denmark uncovering the secrets of the happiest country in the world, Helen Russell knows it's time to move back to the UK. She thinks. Maybe. Or maybe that's a terrible idea?

Like many of us, she suffers from chronic indecision and a fear of change. So she decides to give herself a year for an experiment: to overhaul every area of her life, learn how to embrace change, and become a lean, mean decision-making machine. From how to cope with changing work lives and evolving relationships, to how we feel about our bodies, money and well-being, Helen investigates the benefits of new beginnings, the secrets of decisive people and what makes changes last - and uncovers the practical life lessons we can all use thrive when change is afoot - and inject some freshness and magic if it's not.