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The Nordic Theory of Everything
The Nordic Theory of Everything: In Search of a Better Life | Anu Partanen
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. 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 lifefrom buying a cell phone and filing taxes to education and childcarewas 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. In The Nordic Theory of Everything, Partanen compares and contrasts life in the United States with life in the Nordic region, focusing on four key relationshipsparents and children, men and women, employees and employers, and government and citizens. She debunks criticism that Nordic countries are socialist nanny states, 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. Partanen wants to open Americans eyes to how much better things can beto show her beloved new country what it can learn from her homeland to reinvigorate and fulfill the promise of the American dreamto provide the opportunity to live a healthy, safe, economically secure, upwardly mobile life for everyone. Offering insights, advice, and solutions, The Nordic Theory of Everything makes a convincing argument that we can rebuild our society, rekindle our optimism, and restore true freedom to our relationships and lives.
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Balibee146
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Next up - a bit of Scandi perspective on life!

30 likes1 stack add
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Sharpeipup
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Sometimes it‘s like that.

JamieArc I just picked back up a book I started in August 2022, and hadn‘t picked up since January 😆. There‘s no guarantee it won‘t sit unread for another few months… 9mo
Sharpeipup @jamiearc glad to know it‘s not just me 9mo
32 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Smartypants
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Mehso-so

An interesting book on the Finnish way of life and their approach to happiness in life. A very large portion of it discussed the birth of children.

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Shievad
Pickpick

Informational book with a lot of stats on Nordic countries and the US in areas like cost of healthcare, college, day care, insurance, elder care, etc.

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rather_be_reading
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Book 213

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Bknrdadventures
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Pickpick

If you are interested in education, health care, and leave and the problems with those in the U.S., this is a good one from the Nordic perspective. Partanen emigrated from Finland around the time that country was declared the best in the world. She compares Nordic education and health care systems, along with maternity leave, and more with America‘s current system. I loved the analysis and the perspective she offers in this.

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howjessicareads
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Pickpick

This is so interesting! I got one of my friends who lives in Norway to start reading it yesterday, and we have already had several great conversations on Voxer about Nordic/American differences! #howjessreadsin2019

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CampbellTaraL
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Pickpick

I was born on the wrong continent.

I thought this was a well-organized book with a fair assessment of American vs Nordic life. The Nordic countries are democratic capitalists just like America. Don't ignorantly paint them as socialists, especially when you take into account their histories over the past 100 years.

The ugly truth: we Americans are not that free when we're beholden to our jobs to provide all of our care in life.

(Continued)

CampbellTaraL If we want to pursue a career, it must be one that pays enough for us to pay for our healthcare, childcare, education, retirement, and disability. We are not free to take up lower paying, but fulfilling, careers because we'll drown in the debt and poor health that comes from not having enough money to pay for these things. 5y
CampbellTaraL Americans also lack social mobility. Oh we, as a whole country, believe without reserve that anyone has the potential to be so much more than the station in life we're born into. The reality is that the numbers say otherwise.

A lot of negative reviewers clearly stopped reading midway as the final three chapters were the best on taking a look at the failings of both sides.
5y
CampbellTaraL If you are staunchly opposed to the idea of providing education and childcare and family leave time, I recommend skipping the middle chapters and getting right to the business discussion. A lot of hard truth in just how successful Nordic businesses are, and how much they don't have to worry about playing nanny or caretaker to their employees. Another reason small business in America is dying. 5y
Schnoebs I‘m so happy to see this book popping up more on Litsy! I thought it was a wonderful and really made me think. Especially because I‘m almost done with my master‘s will come out with debt and need to decide what job I want. One that pays a lot to start paying off the loan but have no life outside of work or a job that has a better work life balance but doesn‘t pay as well 🤷‍♀️ so many decisions my generation needs to make 5y
CampbellTaraL @Schnoebs Yes! And you should not be burdened like that, a degree is hard work, especially a graduate level. All that expertise is going to waste because of debt. I'm in the same boat, I have an MA but have had to turn down every opportunity besides freelance one offs while keeping a high paying tech job that I dislike in order to pay my student loans. It's demoralizing at the least. I hope you find a way to do what you love, though.🤗 5y
40 likes5 comments
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CampbellTaraL
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1. A handmade yarn bowl from Latvia gifted to me for xmas from my bestie 💛
2. None really, I'm an as-I-will type of person
3. Best: perfected GF bread making (it's silly easy, never spending money for cardboard garbage again!) Worst: discovered home insurance doesn't cover poor craftsmanship; $20k repair bills
4. Nope!
5. I'm still working on 3 from 2018 (dense/difficult material) but The Green Mile just arrived so...

#HumpDayPost
@MinDea

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trueisa4letterword
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Pickpick

I just finished this ebook and our physical copy came in the bins! I thought its argument was strong and it made me want to finally move to Sweden, tack så mycket.

Another one down for #LitsyAtoZ!

#N

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trueisa4letterword
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The owl is in the left is Duolingo reminding me I need to keep up on my Swedish. I KNOW DUO I KNOW

#nonfiction #nordic #LitsyAtoZ #N

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trueisa4letterword
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Trying this instead...

#nonfiction #N #LitsyAtoZ

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Jeannie
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Library haul from today. I‘m so grateful to have a library where I can get almost anything I want but I check out way more than I can actually get read. I want to start all of these right now.

MinDea I enjoyed The Chaos Walking Series! 6y
Jeannie @MinDea I love it too! It makes me wonder what my “noise” would sound like lol! I know I‘ll be checking out his other titles as well. 6y
53 likes2 comments
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LibrarianRenee
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Interesting view of how another country treats its citizens.

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Schnoebs
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Pickpick

Being a grad student in a policy program this made me want to continue working harder towards all of my goals. Seeing the opportunities ahead shows me how much more America can do and should do to support it‘s citizens! Definitely suggest reading if you‘re interested in possible futures of democracy.

#wecandoit #iamamerican #goals #gradlife #educatingmyself #nonfiction #mpls #twincities

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Schnoebs
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How can anyone get any reading done with so much cuteness taking up all the space?

#canteven #readingvacation #relaxing #dogs #summerbreak #champaign #IL

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Schnoebs
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The books I‘m bringing this weekend for my mini reading vacation now that finals are over 😍

#ideserveit #vaca #books #reading #traveling #mpls #twincities

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Schnoebs
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1) finishing finals today and then going on a mini reading vacation at my best friend‘s place!
2) obviously donuts 🍩
3) really hoping to finish the tagged book today
4) I walked out of my one exam with the feeling that I did decent on it 👍

@jesshowbooks #friyayintro #finalsweek #gradlife #UMN #mpls #twincities

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Schnoebs
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Fair education can solve poverty while poverty is not a reason for poor education!

#educate #kidsareourfuture #readmore #believe #mpls #twincities

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Schnoebs
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When an outsider from Finland gets way too real about American society 😲

#nonfiction #reading #eyeopening #mpls #twincities

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Schnoebs
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Time for some good old nonfiction reading #nonfiction #books #fun #mpls #twincities

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Leelee08
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Mr. Knightley is enjoying the odd sensation of a snow day in Alabama.....💙⛄️❄️#catsofLitsy

CoffeeCatsBooks Aww, pink jellybeans! 6y
AlaMich It looks like a “Please, no pictures right now!” gesture. 😆 6y
AmyG ❤️ 6y
68 likes3 comments
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callielafleur
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Book mail! Very excited to get my package from the bookoutlet boxing day sale!! I've basically been dying to read all of these! 😁😁😁

ReadingSusan Yay! I got mine today too. That‘s an amazing stack! 6y
mrozzz 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 6y
AmandaL I picked up Caraval too! 6y
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Leelee08
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I thought y‘all might like this. I‘ve never been able to do this, but these tips seem really helpful. I‘m going to try them over my Christmas break!📚❤️

https://bookriot.com/2017/09/24/tips-for-reading-multiple-books-at-the-same-time...

bookloo 🙏🏽 Thanks! 6y
GrilledCheeseSamurai I always seem to have a handful of books going at any given time. Sometimes it gets to be a little to much and I have to reign it in a little. 😅 6y
BookBoggart I've always had like 5 or 6 books going at any given time. I know exactly what's happening in them all. I just can't translate that to other people. 😂 6y
TaylorMay As a person who does read multiple books at once this is a really good list. Pretty much what I would say too. Definitely on the different genres and the different mediums. Although he's were vastly different they don't have to be. I'm currently reading a mystery, a YA Fantasy, and thriller 6y
67 likes4 comments
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Leelee08
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Mr. Knightley is enjoying his Christmas vacation with me.....😺🎄#catsofLitsy

MrBook 😻😻😻😻😻 6y
Mariposa_Bookworm Awwwww! Sweet Mr. Knightley! 😻💕🐾 6y
Bookzombie 💕🐱 6y
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Zelma What a sweetheart! 😻 6y
Christine11 Awwwww 😍 6y
Tamra Baby! 6y
72 likes7 comments
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Leelee08
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More Christmas presents to me—-from me!! Book mail is the BEST mail! 🎄📚😍

Christine11 Agreed ! 👍🏻 6y
LeahBergen Nice! 👍🏻 6y
CoverToCoverGirl Merry Christmas 🎄🤣 6y
Leelee08 @CoverToCoverGirl And to you, too!!🎄😊 6y
71 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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Augustdana
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I just gotta go I suppose. My shelf is telling me things

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WanderingBookaneer
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NOT A SALE, but Audible has curated highlights from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland.

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Moonpa
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Listening to this on audio and very interesting when she is comparing Nordic and American societies. Some things are similar here in Canada but still some big differences.

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tigerlily
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Simultaneously amazed and angry. Life could be so much better, I'm excited to think about the changes this would make to all our lives in America.

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Bookish_penguin
Mehso-so

This book mostly made sad that I live where I do. It's full of eye opening facts. I'm sure the U.S. could learn a lot from these ideas.

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MartiW
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Time to pick this up again... feels right with the weather ❄️ 📚 #LitsyAtoZ @BookishMarginalia

BookishMarginalia 👍🏼💜 7y
6 likes1 comment
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GoneFishing

It was all part of a way of doing things in the United States that, as I would gradually realize, forced you to be constantly on guard, constantly worried that whatever amount of money you had or earned would never be enough, and constantly anxious about navigating the complex and mysterious fine print thrown at you from every direction by corporations that had somehow managed to evade even the bare minimum of sensible protections for consumers.

Suet624 Ugh. 7y
50 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Emily92Bibliophile
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I feel this is majority of the #LitsyCommunity #AmongFriends ???? When it does become one, "May the odds be ever in your favor" fellow #Litsians ????

Eyelit Yes! 👍📚💜 7y
28 likes1 comment
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Hooked_on_books
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I'm a bit late due to travel, but here is my September wrap-up. Fewer total than previous months, but a respectable total page number. Heavy on the non-fiction this month. Nordic Theory was definitely my favorite of the month.

Sue Nice stats! And this book sounds fascinating! 7y
Hooked_on_books @Sue thanks! The book is so, so good but a little depressing since my country is so different in frankly negative ways. It kind of makes me want to move to Finland! 7y
BethFishReads 👏💫👏💫👏💫 7y
30 likes1 stack add3 comments
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mrsmarch
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The only thing more depressing than reading "The Nordic Theory of Everything" while pregnant was reading Elizabeth Warren's "A Fighting Chance" while recovering from postpartum depression with a teething, nap-averse, reflux-affected infant. It's very well written, but it's saddening, so I hope there's a silver lining somewhere.

#booksinbed #booksinhotelrooms

Pinkmeghan I tried a Scandinavian themed book myself to break the Great Slump of 2016, it failed miserably. We require more hygge I think. 7y
mrsmarch @Pinkmeghan It's good, but as a mother it's also sad to see spelled out in b&w the ways our children, and specifically our daughters, are screwed over by being born in America. 7y
Sraexx Ahhh! I JUST FINISHED Warren's book and picked up this one! Ha! I came back here to search for reviews because I was feeling beat down by life. 7y
mrsmarch @Sraexx ahhhh just found your comment while stalking my own profile! Did you finish/like Nordic Theory? 7y
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Kkhalifeh
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Kicking my bedtime reading off with more Scandinavian awesomeness.

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mrsmarch
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Just a #bookandbump at the midwife's office.

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Emily92Bibliophile
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Belated birthday presents to myself 😍📚🎉#TreatYoself

22 likes1 stack add
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

This book is so, so good. The author is a Finn who moved to the US in 2008. She presents a balanced, even-handed, unemotional comparison of the US and the Nordic nations, Finland in particular. Without diminishing the positives of the US, she shows quite clearly how we can learn from the Nordic nations and benefit by a shift to similar policies. I wish everyone in DC politics would read this with an open mind.

ComradeMao Thanks for the recommendation! Will get the book! 8y
BookishMarginalia Love the cover! 8y
Gleefulreader I'm glad to hear this. I bought it for Kindle on a whim and haven't committed to reading it yet. Definitely will now! 8y
mauveandrosysky I've always been super fascinated by the Nordic countries. This sounds like an interesting read! 8y
51 likes7 stack adds4 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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The author moved from Finland to the US (for love ❤️) and is presenting a balanced comparison of the two countries. This line will shock the socks off most Americans: "It turned out that I would owe more taxes in New York than in Finland, while getting significantly less in return." ⁉️⁉️⁉️

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Hooked_on_books
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Hmmmm, does this make anyone else want to buy a good winter coat and move to one of the Nordic nations?

BookishFeminist Lol, nope. You couldn't pay me to live in a climate like that again unless it's the summer. I also find it fascinating that despite the high quality of life in Nordic countries, there's also higher than average rates of suicide & alcoholism. I want to read this book & learn more about their systems but also know it's not as idealistic as it sounds! 8y
LeahBergen @BookishFeminist I'm sure that the climate contributes to the alcoholism and suicide rates. 😬 8y
BookishFeminist @LeahBergen I'm sure it does! And the wonky daylight ratios. I got horrible seasonal affective disorder when I lived up north! Findland's suicide rate is highest among Nordic countries, I think. 8y
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BethFishReads I was already in love with Scandinavia. I hate the heat, so that helps. :). Of course lack of sunlight might be a problem 8y
Hooked_on_books @BethFishReads That's what vitamin D pills are for. 💊😬 8y
BethFishReads @Hooked_on_books I like the way you think 8y
Zelma Pass. They have a crazy high tax rate and I've already lived somewhere with wonky daylight ratios, as @BookishFeminist put it well. It was not easy. Tin foil on the windows and a few happy lights. 8y
27 likes7 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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The bad: I have somehow managed to develop tendonitis in my shoulder and can't work. Plus the pain is making me grumpy. 😣 The good: I get to stay home and read! 😄 Enjoying this one so far.

tpixie Good luck! Rest & Read! 8y
LeahBergen Heal quickly! (I love this cover). 8y
AThousandLives87 Heal up quickly! But not too quickly so you can read more! 😂 8y
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[DELETED] 2232195534 Hope your shoulder improves! Enjoy your reading! 8y
ValerieAndBooks Hope you feel better soon; enjoy your reading time! 8y
Hooked_on_books @tpixie @LeahBergen @Bi-Polar_Reader @kaysreadinglife @ValerieAndBooks Thank you all for your well-wishes! It actually works well to be icing a body part and reading about Finland. 😂 8y
tpixie Lol!!! ☃⛄️ 8y
38 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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jnichole

I just read a blurb about this book in the Shelf Awareness email and it sounds very intriguing. It's definitely high up on my TBR list now.

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