Eric Weiner

Eric Weiner is a popular speaker and author of the New York Times bestseller The Geography of Bliss,Man Seeks God, and the forthcoming The Geography of Genius. Weiner's books have been translated into more than 20 languages.

In The Geography of Genius, Weiner travels from Athens to Silicon Valley, and throughout history, to show how creative genius flourishes in specific places at specific times. Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve Jobs and The Innovators, says, "Why do certain places produce a spontaneous eruption of creativity? What made Athens and Florence and Silicon Valley? This witty and fun book has an insight in every paragraph. It’s a charming mix of history and wisdom cloaked as a rollicking travelogue filled with colorful characters.”

Dan Gilbert, Harvard professor and author of the bestseller Stumbling on Happiness, calls The Geography of Genius "an intellectual odyssey, a traveler’s diary, and a comic novel all rolled into one. Smart, original, and utterly delightful, this is Weiner’s best book yet.”

The Geography of Bliss

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World is the New York Times bestselling humorous travel memoir by longtime National Public Radio foreign correspondent Eric Weiner. In the book, Weiner travels to spots around the globe—including Iceland, Bhutan, Moldova and Qatar—to search out how different countries define and pursue happiness. Weiner is also the author of Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine.

According to Kirkus Reviews, the book is "Part travelogue, part personal-discovery memoir....reads like Paul Theroux channeling David Sedaris on a particularly good day."

References

External links

Media Appearances

Weiner

Weiner is a surname (pronounced 'Viner') originating in the German language. The name is related to Wagner and means the same (wheelwright) in an old variant of the German dialect in Lower Silesia.

The name is common among U.S. Germans: see also German family name etymology.

In the 18th and 19th centuries some Jews adopted the name, which means "wine merchant" in Yiddish.

Weiner may refer to:

Eric

The given name Eric, Erik, or Erick is derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr (or Eríkr in Eastern Scandinavia due to monophthongization). The first element, ei- is derived either from the older Proto-Norse *aina(z) meaning "one" or "alone" or from Proto-Norse *aiwa(z) meaning "ever" or "eternal". The second element -ríkr derives either from *rík(a)z meaning "ruler" or "prince" (cf. Gothic reiks) or from an even older Proto-Germanic *ríkiaz which meant "powerful" and "rich". The name is thus usually taken to mean "one ruler", "autocrat", "eternal ruler" or "ever powerful", "warrior", and "government".

The most common spelling in Scandinavia is Erik. In Norway, another form of the name (which has kept the Old Norse diphthong) Eirik is also commonly used. In Finland, the form Erkki is also used. The modern Icelandic version is Eiríkur, while the modern Faroese version is Eirikur. Éric [eʁik] is used in French, and in Germany Eric, Erik and Erich are used.

Although the name was in use in Anglo-Saxon England, its use was reinforced by Scandinavian settlers arriving before the Norman Invasion. It was an uncommon name in England until the Middle Ages, when it gained popularity, and finally became a common name in the 19th century. This was partly because of the publishing of the novel Eric, or, Little by Little by Frederick William Farrar in 1858.

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern United States and is the United States' 27th-most extensive, fourth-most populous, and seventh-most densely populated state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south and Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont to the east. The state has a maritime border in the Atlantic Ocean with Rhode Island, east of Long Island, as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the north and Ontario to the west and north. The state of New York, with an estimated 19.8 million residents in 2015, is often referred to as New York State to distinguish it from New York City, the state's most populous city and its economic hub.

With an estimated population of nearly 8.5 million in 2014, New York City is the most populous city in the United States and the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States. The New York City Metropolitan Area is one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. New York City is a global city, exerting a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment, its fast pace defining the term New York minute. The home of the United Nations Headquarters, New York City is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural and financial capital of the world, as well as the world's most economically powerful city. New York City makes up over 40% of the population of New York State. Two-thirds of the state's population lives in the New York City Metropolitan Area, and nearly 40% live on Long Island. Both the state and New York City were named for the 17th century Duke of York, future King James II of England. The next four most populous cities in the state are Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse, while the state capital is Albany.