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The Nordic Theory of Everything, by Anu Partanen

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Anu Partanen  is a Finn who moved to the US in 2008; in this book she examines the ways in which the country looks after or doesn't look after its citizens in comparison with the Nordic countries. Having become acquainted with Finland since 2006, though I've only paid occasional visits, and attended Finnish School, I'm naturally very interested to understand better the impressive social systems which I've previously only vaguely understood. Partanen is very methodical; her research and narrative is based on personal experience and interviews with friends and acquaintances both in the US and in the Nordic countries (ie. not only Finland); but above all on a vast array of academic surveys and studies . In fact although I've now finished the book, I was very far from the end. After the acknowledgements, there are substantial sections of footnotes, bibliography and index. I'll spare you any more than a brief summary, because the thought of an in depth analy