A Finnish journalist, now a naturalized American citizen, asks Americans to draw on elements of the Nordic way of life to nurture a fairer, happier, more secure, and less stressful society for themselves and their children.<\/p>\n
Moving to America in 2008, Finnish journalist Anu Partanen quickly went from confident, successful professional to wary, self-doubting mess. She found that navigating the basics of everyday life\u2014from buying a cell phone and filing taxes to education and childcare\u2014was much more complicated and stressful than anything she encountered in her homeland. At first, she attributed her crippling anxiety to the difficulty of adapting to a freewheeling new culture. But as she got to know Americans better, she discovered they shared her deep apprehension. To understand why life is so different in the U.S. and Finland, Partanen began to look closely at both.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0The Nordic Theory of Everything<\/em>, Partanen compares and contrasts life in the United States with life in the Nordic region, focusing on four key relationships\u2014parents and children, men and women, employees and employers, and government and citizens. She debunks criticism that Nordic countries are socialist \u201cnanny states,\u201d revealing instead that it is we Americans who are far more enmeshed in unhealthy dependencies than we realize. As Partanen explains step by step, the Nordic approach allows citizens to enjoy more individual freedom and independence than we do.<\/p>\nPartanen wants to open Americans\u2019 eyes to how much better things can be\u2014to show her beloved new country what it can learn from her homeland to reinvigorate and fulfill the promise of the American dream\u2014to provide the opportunity to live a healthy, safe, economically secure, upwardly mobile life for everyone. Offering insights, advice, and solutions,\u00a0The Nordic Theory of Everything<\/em>\u00a0makes a convincing argument that we can rebuild our society, rekindle our optimism, and restore true freedom to our relationships and lives.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n