Eric Weiner, a friend, bestselling author of Geography of Bliss and fellow former foreign correspondent lists the options for our breed.
This list was originally composed thinking in terms of a 40-something foreign correspondent who had spent enough years living rough out in the field. Now, with the slashing of newsrooms and foreign budgets, some younger correspondents still in the flush of youth may want to listen to Eric’s sage advice.

Popularity: 3% [?]
Eric Weiner is author of the bestelling Geography of Bliss, a book suggesting that despite our troubled economic times – the arts, culture and booze will keep us happy. The book has been so popular that Weiner is now auditioning for a film in which his role will be played by Tom Hanks.
For Weiner, the path to understanding all things happy started with extensive reporting of all things UNhappy he has covered everything from Taliban rule in Afghanistan to bubonic plague in India.
Weiner has been a correspondent for National Public Radio and The New York Times. He has also written for the Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, and was a Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University.
Popularity: 3% [?]
Despite the economic crisis, author Eric Weiner still defends an assertion in his recent award winning bestseller, Geography of Bliss, that Iceland is one of the happiest places on earth.
Given that the country has gone bankrupt can that still be true?
(Cue banker joke: What is the capital of Iceland? Answer: $3.75)
True to his contrarian and cantankerous self, Weiner claims his assertion is even more true now. It turns out that Icelandic people get happy by being unhappy (or something like that).
Are you Icelandic? Do you agree?
Popularity: 3% [?]