HAPPIEST

From the shores of the island nation of Tuvalu, to the icy mountains of Nepal, to the barbed-wire gates of North Korea, Michael Angelo Zervos had just one question for the people he met on his mission to visit every country in the world: "What is the happiest moment of your life?"

As he spoke with thousands of people from di?erent cultures and walks of life, he realized he could find happiness in places he hadn't even considerednot just the eternal happiness of a child's birth, but also the bittersweet happiness of a lost youth or the unexpected happiness of the end of a relationship. The hundreds of stories in this book remind us of the transformative power of happiness in our lives: how it fulfills us, guides us forward, expands our potential for love, and transcends borders. Here is hope that happiness is possible, wherever and whoever you are.

Michael Angelo Zervos has visited every country in the world. In 2025 he broke two Guinness World Records when he became the fastest person to visit all 195 UN-recognized countries, in 499 days. Born and raised in Detroit, he has worked as a film director and
producer for more than a dozen years. He has lived in six cities in the last ten years.