[3][4][5][6][7] In his first book The Geography of Bliss,[8] Weiner traveled to spots around the globe—including Iceland, Bhutan, Moldova and Qatar—to search out how different countries define and pursue happiness.
The book was made into a six-part docu-series, featuring actor Rainn Wilson, which premiered on May 18, 2023[9] on NBC's Peacock streaming service.
[10][11][12][13] In The Socrates Express, Weiner follows in the footsteps of some of history's greatest thinkers—ranging from Epicurus to Thoreau to Confucius to Simone Weil—and offers practical and spiritual lessons for today's unsettled times.
Publishers Weekly says that Weiner in The Socrates Express "makes a convincing and winningly presented case for the practical applications of philosophy to everyday existence in the 21st century.
With humor and thoughtfulness, he distills the wisdom of thinkers from throughout history....His book offers an appealing way to cope with the din of modern life and look at the world with attentive eyes and ears.
Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve Jobs and The Innovators, says, "Why do certain places produce a spontaneous eruption of creativity?
It’s a charming mix of history and wisdom cloaked as a rollicking travelogue filled with colorful characters.”[17] 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.