I Am Happier To Know You

Praise from Lexie C. Hudson

Jeanne — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:00:52 +0000

Loved it, loved it, loved it…my kind of book…easy to read, extremely interesting & informative…if you have a desire to learn more about the Muslim culture & to have a greater understanding of the people of Egypt this is the book you must read. The author with her wit & charm has done a wonderful job at making you feel you are there with her sharing her experiences. Will definitely order more copies to give to my friends (they’re not getting my copy) who I know will think twice before criticizing the Muslim culture & hopefully have a harder look at our own culture.

Lexie C. Hudson, NSW, Australia

Praise from Mohamed Hassan

Jeanne — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:58:46 +0000

It was very surprising to me to learn how well author Jeanne M. Eck understands my people, religion and culture. This is very unusual and amazing for a foreigner. The stories she tells in her book came alive. It was as if instead of reading, I could feel her sitting beside me and whispering them in my ear. I Am Happier to Know You is honest and beautiful! Jeanne M. Eck has a big heart and a magnificent spirit.

Mohamed Hassan, Egypt

Thank you Silencio.

Jeanne — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:03:52 +0000

We are facing a heartbreaking decision: whether or not to euthanize our horse Silencio.

The love we have for each of our animals does not exist in every culture or heart. This makes it difficult for everyone to understand the depth of our grief. Our ducks, cats, horses, even the deer that depend on our land for protection and food, are a part of our extended family. We would not have it any other way. They make us laugh and teach us about life from their perspective.

The situation with Silencio is forcing us to face our own mortality and that of every human being and animal we love. It is a reminder to live life in gratitude for every blessed second we share.

Thank you Silencio.

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Praise from Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Jeanne — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:56:54 +0000

The story of a lone American woman as she finds personal strength experiencing a totally new life in Egypt is insightful and compassionate. Her sense of humor took her through many trying circumstances, but brought with it an understanding of a country and a people she truly loves.

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Praise from S. Greer

Jeanne — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:17:33 +0000

Having just returned from a recent trip to Egypt, I was delighted to find Jeanne Eck’s book “I am happier to know you.” Jeanne validated so many of my personal perceptions and expanded upon them in her book. She speaks of the people and culture with clarity and realism, lending her insights and experiences to the Western world with compassion and understanding.
Every word brings me back to Egypt, her wonderful culture, history and people. I have been contemplating an extended visit, and her “words of wisdom” prepared me realistically for the value and challenges of such a journey.
Jeanne is a courageous and adventurous woman who “dares” to explore and to share what most of us would never even dream of. Thank you Jeanne Eck, you expanded my world, my insights and my heart.

S. Greer, U.S.

Praise from Prairie Guide

Jeanne — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:54:31 +0000

I Am Happier to Know You will touch your heart… [Jeanne] will become your hero as she takes you on a venture that most of us only dream of.

Prairie Guide

Different or the same?

Jeanne — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:56:52 +0000

Learning to love all living things is a basic Universal law. Every religion is founded on this belief, yet as I wrote in “I Am Happier to Know You,” many of the members and leaders of religious communities worldwide have forgotten to practice what their faith has taught for centuries: Do onto others as you would have them do unto you.

I saw it while living in Egypt and India and Mexico, and now in our new community in the United States. If the foundation of our religious beliefs is identical and we worship the same God, why do we find it so easy to demonize, even kill someone else simply because they worship God differently than we do? Throughout history, this ancient question has led to wars and massacre. As “advanced” as we are today our belief that our way is the only way to connect to God has placed our survival at risk. We can all die together, or we can choose to live together.

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Praise from Cairo International Coordinator

Jeanne — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:52:45 +0000

This book is so engaging and gives one woman’s insight into the plight of coming to a foreign land and starting over. With practical real life examples and make you laugh-out-loud scenarios, her very matter-of-fact depictions about life [in Egypt] are something we have all/will all encounter at one time or another.

Dina Hanna Gad, Intercultural Coordinator, Cairo

Why did you move here anyway?

Jeanne — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:07:48 +0000

Before leaving the United States for Egypt in 2001, I had always lived in or on the perimeter of a major city. When my children were very small, my friends were mostly limited to neighborhood stay at home moms. Until I became involved in community and political volunteer work, I often felt brain dead from the lack of intellectual stimulation. These activities, and later fulltime work, quickly expanded my community of friends from many different occupations and lifestyles. Outside my immediate neighborhood, it was easy to find people with similar interests and to fit in.

I have found that rural residents are far less open to newcomers simply because they are not family. This is as true in New England as it is in Texas. At the local farmer’s co-op, I was taken aback by a comment made by a young man whose family has lived in the area for generations.

We had talked to him about clearing some land with his bulldozer before a neighbor told us about a mulching system that, unlike a bulldozer, does not destroy the roots of the large trees we wanted to save. When he called to schedule the work, Chuck had to tell him that we had changed our minds. When I saw him at the co-op, he did not seem upset. His only comment was “I was really worried that I called too early for people like you.”

“Excuse me,” I replied. “What is a ‘people like you’?”

He stammered for a moment and said, “You know, city folk.”

I laughed in response.

“Why did you move here anyway?” he asked with obvious curiosity.

“We came here to show ‘people like you’ that liberals are as kind and as good a neighbor and friend as you are,” I replied tartly. He laughed.

He had hit a nerve. I adamantly dislike being boxed up as a one-dimensional human being. Just like him, I am multidimensional.

What he did not know is that I have made a conscious decision to become an active member of our community. There are liberal areas a little more than an hour away where I would find it easier to “fit in” but I do not live there. I live here.

I wrote “I Am Happier to Know You” because I wanted to share my discovery that despite our cultural and religious differences, we are all the same. I believe that learning about each other and then honoring and respecting our differences is the key to world peace.

So. I am still walking my talk, but now within my own culture. I have retained my sense of humor and understanding that when we understand and respect our differences we can then build upon our similarities.

Praise from Global Woman Magazine

Jeanne — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:48:41 +0000

I Am Happier to Know You will touch you in a way that makes you view your relationships with people from other cultures differently…Jeanne Eck is a true Global Woman!

Global Woman Magazine

Copyright 2009 by Jeanne M. Eck. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint or to quote extensively from this article, please contact the author at iamhappiertoknowyou.com