The almost nearly perfect people
by Michael Booth · first published 2014
4mentions
2recommended by
3HN commenters
2015–2021first – last mentioned
67% recommend33% neutral
"Journalist Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavians for more than ten years, growing increasingly frustrated with the rose-tinted view of this part of the world offered up by the Western media. In this timely book he leaves his adopted home of Denmark and embarks on a journey through all five of the Nordic countries to discover who these curious tribes are, the secrets of their success and, most intriguing of all, what they think of each other. Why are the Danes so happy, despite having the highest taxes? Do the Finns really have the best education system? Are the Icelanders really fer
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This the perfect opportunity to suggest a relevant book: "The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia" by Michael Booth. He's a Brit who married a Dane, relocated to Denmark, and was struck by the cultural differences between Scandinavian cultures and his own.…
on “Why Russians do not smile (2002)” ↗Michael Booth's "The Almost Nearly Perfect People" is a great book if the Danes' happiness is something you're interested in. A fun look at Scandinavia and their supposed perfect culture.
on “Statistics, Fast and Slow” ↗Seems like as good a time as any to pop in a reference to Michael Booth’s lovely book ‘The Almost Nearly Perfect People’. He’s British, from memory he’s married to a Dane, and he treks around all of the Scandinavian countries — Iceland & Greenland included — and dispels the common myths. Review: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/feb/10/perfect-people...
Michael Booth talks about Finland's schools in his book, "The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia." He points out that in Finland the most revered and treasured profession is teaching. The smartest students, the most driven students, they all become teachers.…
on “The Joyful, Illiterate Kindergartners of Finland” ↗