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The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia Paperback – 12 Feb. 2015

by Michael Booth (Author)

4.3 2,381 ratings

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The Danes are the happiest people in the world, and pay the highest taxes.

'Neutral' Sweden is one of the biggest arms manufacturers in the world.

Finns have the largest per capita gun ownership after the US and Yemen.

54 per cent of Icelanders believe in elves.

Norway is the richest country on earth.

5 per cent of Danish men have had sex with an animal.

Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavians, on and off, for over ten years, perplexed by their many strange paradoxes and character traits and equally bemused by the unquestioning enthusiasm for all things Nordic and hygge that has engulfed the rest of the world.

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. Along the way a more nuanced, often darker picture emerges of a region plagued by taboos, characterised by suffocating parochialism and populated by extremists of various shades.

'The next Bill Bryson.’ New York Times

Winner of the Best Narrative Travel Book Award from the British Guild of Travel Writers

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Print length

416 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Vintage
Publication date

12 Feb. 2015
Dimensions

12.9 x 2.5 x 19.8 cm
ISBN-10

0099546078
ISBN-13

978-0099546078
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From the Publisher

Product description

Review

Comprehensive and occasionally downright hilarious... I was laughing out loud -- Mariella Frostrup ― Observer

An affectionate and informative study of a region. -- Ian Critchley ― Sunday Times

[An] entertaining, warts-and-all, English expat look at the Nordic miracle. ― Daily Telegraph

A thoroughly entertaining read, written brilliantly -- Bernard Porter ― Literary Review

A welcome rejoinder to those who cling to the idea of the Nordic region as a promised land...the substance, more often than not, is spot on. ― Financial Times

From the Back Cover

The Danes are the happiest people in the world, and pay the highest taxes.
'Neutral' Sweden is one of the biggest arms manufacturers in the world.
Finns have the largest per capita gun ownership after the US and Yemen.
54 per cent of Icelanders believe in elves.
Norway is the richest country on earth.
5 per cent of Danish men have had sex with an animal.

Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavians, on and off, for over ten years, perplexed by their many strange paradoxes and character traits and equally bemused by the unquestioning enthusiasm for all things Nordic and hygge that has engulfed the rest of the world.

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. Along the way a more nuanced, often darker picture emerges of a region plagued by taboos, characterised by suffocating parochialism and populated by extremists of various shades.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; 1st edition (12 Feb. 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0099546078
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0099546078
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.9 x 2.5 x 19.8 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 18,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer reviews:
4.3 2,381 ratings

About the author

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Michael Booth

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Michael Booth is an award winning English author and journalist.

He has written seven books:

- 'Just As Well I'm Leaving - To the Orient with Hans Christian Andersen', which was shortlisted for an Irish Times first time author award;

- 'Sacré Cordon Bleu', a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week.

- 'Sushi and Beyond', which won a Guild of Food Writers award and was adapted for television.

- 'Eat, Pray, Eat', which was shortlisted for a British Press Award.

- 'The Almost Nearly Perfect People - Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia,' winner of the biennial Guild of Travel Writer's Best Narrative Travel Book (2016).

- 'The Meaning of Rice', shortlisted for Guild of Food Writers', Fortnum and Mason's, and André Simon food writing awards (2017).

- 'Three Tigers, One Mountain: A Journey Through the Bitter History and Current Conflicts of China, Korea and Japan'. (2020).

He is a broadcaster and public speaker, and writes regularly for a variety of newspapers and magazines around the world, including the Guardian, Monocle, The Times and Condé Nast Traveller.

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4.3 out of 5

2,381 global ratings

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MR DANIEL J MACKENZIE

insightful

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 March 2024

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I have lived in the region for a few years and never quite believed the external hype, but this book helped unravel some of the mysteries and myths.

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deebell

An insight into the Scandinavian lifestyle.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 February 2024

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Plenty of facts and insights into what it is like to live in Denmark…which is as far as I’ve got in the book. Written in a witty and easy going style.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 April 2014

Verified Purchase

Michael Booth's tour of Scandinavia makes for an interesting, informative and pleasingly witty read. He is most illuminating about the way the different countries see each other, their co-operation and their rivalries. He writes more about Denmark, as he has lived there for years, and so there is a sense of discovery which informs his writing when he travels to Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland. Part research, part personal experience and interviews with key expert-figures in their own country, this is good, entertaining journalistic writing which I looked forward to reading more of each day. I learnt something about the various social systems, politics, education, attitudes towards immigration, recent history, annual festivals and the levels of 'happiness.' The Danes may consider themselves pretty happy, but why such poor levels of health? Nothing is black and white here or overly simplistic.

His favourite place is Helsinki (must go), though the bright nights kept him awake in Finnish motels outside the capital, where the meagre curtains let the light in. His embarassing must-have-a-go-at a Finnish spa is very funny. In Oslo we join him at the dressing up parades and jubilations of 17th May Constitution Day, in Reykjavik he tastes hakarl - this is decayed shark meat which has been buried in the ground for up to 4 years. I have been warned. Are the Finns really the most trusworthy, the Swedes the most modern, humourless and minimalist, Danish design the best? Booth writes around these subjects in an engaging way, avoiding the pitfalls of too many generalisations. A nicely judged mixture of the substantial and lighthearted.

4 people found this helpful

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Sam Smallridge

The Almost Nearly Perfect Book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 August 2015

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After starting reading this I thought it was a funny old book. The title 'The Almost Nearly Perfect People', suggested this was going to be a continuation of the myth of the Scandinavian utopia but early on the author seems to dismiss that notion, describing his sometimes dreary and often 'over-taxed' life in Denmark. This may have been for the best in some cases without the rose-tinted glasses you seem to get a more realistic insight into Scandinvian life.

As the book goes on you can feel a gradual thawing from the Michael Booth towards people's fetishisation of Scandinavian culture though, which makes the book a much more enjoyable read. Particular highlights are the Finnish sauna experience, which as recent tourist to a sauna I could completely relate to, as well a visit to a famous Swedish crayfish party. These chapters, and similar ones with personal experiences, for me, make the book as sometimes the chapters that involve social questions and statistics seem a little short and underdeveloped to provide real explanations for say why Finland has so many guns or Norwegian people don't always work so many hours.

The books epilogue is a warm and heartful message to Scandinavians that left with me a great big smile on my face, though I do wish this attitude had been more common throughout the book as sometimes, in my opinion, contained a bit too much cynicism, which the author does appear to acknowledge. However given that, after a recent holiday, I'm starting to become a bit of a IKEA-loving, Borgen-watching meatball-eating Scandi-phile, maybe any sign of negativity was going to be too much for me. Either way I still learnt a lot from this book and Michael Booth does straddle quite well the line between rose-tinted enthusiasm and cynicism to provide an interesting and often entertaining book on Scandinavian life.

21 people found this helpful

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Casey Roo

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 February 2014

Verified Purchase

You know that moment when you're a couple of chapters into a new book and you're enjoying it so much that you turn to the front to see what else the author has written? This is one of those. It's a delightful and thought-provoking analysis of the Nordic countries; I'm particularly impressed with his range of enquiry, which runs from the minute details of social interaction through to some pretty penetrating economic and political analysis, taking in several centuries of history on the way. It's a book that I'll be recommending to friends esteemed for their curiosity, because I can imagine how much pleasure it'll give.

One thing I did want to say, though: this was Book Of The Week on Radio 4, and for once I think that the editing didn't do it justice. The reading concentrated too much on the trivial (and on the intra-Nordic rivalries, which are fiercer than I knew); so much so that I was surprised - pleasantly - when I found that the author gives more in-depth analyses of more serious subjects. It's much more than the advanced 'misogynist guide' that the radio programme conveyed.

It has, of course, made me want to visit almost everywhere, although I've now been warned not to expect too much by way of chatty conversation, to be prepared for very high prices, and at all costs to avoid any delicacy made from shark. And if I were lucky enough to be more than a hovering tourist, this book will have helped me understand much more of what I'm experiencing. Highly recommended.

30 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Interesting read

Reviewed in Canada on 7 March 2024

Verified Purchase

While the book has been published quite a while ago, as an ignorant person who knows nothing about the Nordic countries except for the fact that they are all social welfare states, this was a very good introduction to the region.

Duke of Atlanta

Scandinavia as I see it.

Reviewed in the United States on 16 March 2023

Verified Purchase

To start, I am a Yank married to a Dane. We have a second home in Denmark. Being a retired airline Captain, I have traveled extensively through the 5 countries mentioned. I believe the author has done a good job of describing the pluses and minuses of the countries and their people. I often get questions from friends in Yankeeland about my observations of almost 50 years of traveling the area and meeting the inhabitants. After reading this book, I have sent several copies of same to good friends or suggested it as a good read and reference to others.

3 people found this helpful

Heriberto

gran libro

Reviewed in Mexico on 14 October 2022

Verified Purchase

De los mejores libros que he leído, muy ameno y bien documentado, da a conocer sociedades que para los Latinoamericanos son prácticamente desconocidos. Altamente recomendable

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Claudia

Insightful and funny

Reviewed in Sweden on 22 February 2024

Verified Purchase

This was truly a pleasant surprise! The book is charming, funny, well-written, and very insightful, with plenty of information, research, interviews to scholars, politicians, and locals, historical facts, and quirky humor about all the Nordic countries.

GVB123

Review

Reviewed in the Netherlands on 11 July 2021

Verified Purchase

Always wondered about these lands of the north. Sounds exemplary on quite a few levels but having experienced northern European weather.... I will give it a skip thanks

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