Summary,Criticism and Praise for Part of a Book (Book Review Sample)

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Summary,Criticism and Praise for Part of a Book
Introduction
The book “The Geography of Bliss” was written by Eric Weiner, and it is a book that investigates the Swiss people, their behavioral habits, and lifestyle. The author personally relates his experiences and investigations in the narrative. Weiner makes an informative exploration into the Swiss source of happiness; however, he makes some assumptions that offend someone.
Summary
This piece of literature seeks to look at the Swiss source of happiness. While on safari with his girlfriend, he comes across a Swiss couple and their perfectionist tendencies. The writer takes his time to go to Geneva and learn a little more about the Swiss. He noticed how clean the streets are and how sober and controlled the Swiss are. He questions their lifestyle, habits, and general behavior. He wonders what makes the Swiss tick. He asks why the Swiss are so humorless and serious all the time. He questions how they could be so disciplined and focused. Weiner wonders if a link could exist between the Swiss lifestyle and habits, and the high suicidal rates. He tries to understand why the Swiss do not find it appropriate to talk about money. He questions where the Swiss get their happiness. He alludes that they could probably get happiness from generating envy in others. It appears that there is little or no privacy in Switzerland, and everyone knows their neighbor’s business. It is hard to understand how they find privacy because such a lifestyle is hard to handle. The Swiss have one activity that helps them unwind. Skiing is a sporting activity that they love. They usually take time off to go to the Swiss Alps and ski (27-48).
Praise
Weiner personally makes the trip to Vienna and does a detailed investigation of the Swiss culture and social structure. He manages to have the authentic feel of Switzerland and manages to engage himself and mingle with the native Swiss. The author has a keen of awareness towards the topic that he is narrating. He gives his audience an in-depth analysis of the Swiss, bringing detail to all the habits and behavior patterns that he notes. He offers a detailed description of how they carry themselves in public and also within the confines of their homes. He describes all that he encounters and gives detailed information on all that he comes across. At one point, the author reveals to audience all about the Swiss and how they handle finance and economics, their general attitude towards money and how they handle themselves with it. In America, the worst thing one can be is a loser while, in Switzerland, the worst thing one can be is a flashy winner (Weiner 32). He, therefore, manages to bring the whole general atmosphere of the Swiss into perspective and details us about their personality.
He appraises the environment as he notices how clean the air is and how spotless the streets are. The whole atmosphere surrounding him seems to impress him very much. It seems that Eric is shocked by the levels of cleanliness in Switzerland as he may have not seen anything close to it. This goes on to reveal the levels of hygiene and cleanliness within Switzerland and how seriously they take it. Amazingly, statistics show that Switzerland ranks within the happiest countries in the world. This is shocking to him as he observes how rare it is for the Swiss to smile and how reserved they seem to be. They rarely reveal their emotions and always appear balanced and controlled. So it is very strange that they should appear within the happiest countries in the world. Considering that they are reserved and controlled people, it is indeed puzzling that statistics would suggest that they are one of the most fortunate countries in the world. It would seem that observing happiness would not be judged by the smile on one's face but by many other factors like peace of mind, contentment, and other factors.
The Swiss were also very much concerned about how their neighbors perceived them or thought about them, so they were very careful what they did or said around other people. They usually said that it was a very tight knit community and neighbors usually got to hear of other neighbors’ affairs. This is why they are very careful about what they did or said around other people. This perception affected how they did everything how they carried themselves.
It is also observed how Civil the Swiss were. The believe in portraying a positive image about oneself and taking oneself in a dignified manner.They are always polite and treat everyone with courtesy, whether it is on the bus or the sidewalk. The young had been trained to show respect for elders, and everybody else is mindful of who they are next to. He noticed that Switzerland is a strictly knit community of people who care about each other.
Criticism
Even though he provides a detailed description of the Swiss and their lifestyle, it seems that he has not taken his time to analyze the Swiss patiently through personal bonding and one on one interaction. There is a feeling of general assumption that the author makes towards the Swiss populace as he seems to have come to a final assumption already. The author fails to provide detailed information concerning his doubts and criticism. Many times it is quite difficult to understand his general attitude towards the Swiss. He seems to take a sarcastic approach to his investigation and often seems to be bent towards discrediting the Swiss with his personal views about them. He also seems to disprove many of their habits and notions, especially ...