

The Almost Nearly Perfect People
Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia
Author: Michael Booth
Narrator: Ralph Lister
Unabridged: 13 hr 15 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: Tantor Media
Published: 04/22/2015
Categories: Nonfiction, History, European History
Synopsis
Why are the Danes so happy, despite having the highest taxes? Do the Finns really have the best education system? Are the Icelanders as feral as they sometimes appear? How are the Norwegians spending their fantastic oil wealth? And why do all of them hate the Swedes? In The Almost Nearly Perfect People Michael Booth explains who the Scandinavians are, how they differ and why, and what their quirks and foibles are, and he explores why these societies have become so successful and models for the world. Along the way a more nuanced, often darker picture emerges of a region plagued by taboos, characterized by suffocating parochialism, and populated by extremists of various shades. They may very well be almost nearly perfect, but it isn't easy being Scandinavian.