Customer Reviews

Modern Day Vikings: A Practical Guide to Interacting with the Swedes (Interact Series)

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Lagom bok. Writing a book is easy. Getting it "just right" is the hard part. Lagom, as the authors of Modern-Day Vikings tell us is the Swedish delight of getting things in the right proportion, including what is fitting and appropriate, no more, no less, and, in this case, writing a bok about one's people without being either overbearing or falsely modest.

Not too many of us, I suspect, have learned Swedish history other than as an appendix to what other great powers were about in times past. So the authors have been kind enough to sketch on the canvas of a single chapter the flow of events that take us from prehistory through Viking times to the unique, modern day Swedish model of society.

History helps us understand culture and behavior and even allows us to see what triggers the stereotypes we acquire about others. "Sex, suicide, socialism and spirits," as the authors point out, are the false headlines most of us have absorbed about Swedes because we had so little familiarity with the real article. A Swedish friend of mine in her 50's complains that living in France she is still looked on as a svenska flicka ("loose Swedish girl") by some-not by me, of course. Too many Bergman films in my youth have left me still surprised to find so many cheery Swedes.

We learn how Modern Day Vikings value themselves and their history. Swedes appreciate modesty and above all, equality to a fault. They have wholesome homegrown virtues to bring to the marketplace of cultures, and, like all peoples in the great modern global exchange, these are being weighed and measured by the world of competition and the challenge of sustainability. In particular the Swedish smörgasbord of values is being rearranged by a new generation who are leading their country and the world in world-class digital entrepreneurship.

As for the welfare state, that has brought so many to exclaim, "It would never work here," they are probably right. There is a time and place for everything and the time and place for this unique social triumph was Sweden in the middle 1900's. The challenges of immigration and multiculturalism are taxing this system and calling for a fresh wave of creativity in Swedish politics. There are no easy solutions, but one suspects that the Swedish combination of fairness and self-sufficiency will express themselves in fresh socially responsible solutions.

Readers who want to get to the do's and don't's of living and working with Swedes will be amply rewarded in the second half of the book, particularly if they are patient with the first half. They will look at Swedish communication styles manners and business behaviors with far more insight having delved into the authors' careful descriptions and illustrations of Swedish values in action, which like the nordic seasons have both bright and equally dark sides. Going to work or going to dinner, there is no shortage of solid prescription and attention to detail. Robinowitz and Carr are careful to simplify what can be simplified, identify rules where they exist, and to point out, that, as in any culture, taking a good look at what the other guests are doing can help you figure out whether to take your shoes off or not.

Finally, you don't have to be on your way to Sweden to have an excuse to read this book. Robinowitz and Carr, whose rich experience of Swedish culture comes from both living inside of it and seeing it at a distanc have made Modern Day Vikings a good book to curl up with in any season.

This one is a keeper. I bought it after living in Sweden for a bit over 4½ years. There were things about living in Sweden that I was having trouble appreciating; sometimes there was an underlying "cultural current" that wouldn't decode for me. After the first read, Robinowitz & Carr's book gave me some more pieces to the puzzle I was holding. Subsequent readings have added more pieces.

I strongly recommend purchase of your own copy of this book for reference and note-taking. Any culture is a set of unwritten rules. The authors have done an excellent job of capturing much of that which is unwritten. The book starts with a brief history of Sweden - which helps to give a perspective on modern Swedes and Swedish culture. In following chapters they go on to give a good overview of modern Sweden and some of the more visible aspects of Swedish culture. A part about the Swedish flag is typical of the kind of information they give (Swedes seem to use their flag to declare their Swedish identity in contrast, Americans might be said to give the US flag a loyalty). The chapter on a cultural value/belief/behavior called "Jantelagen" was particularly valuable as it helped me to better understand behaviors and to "release the right responses" during the course of daily living activities (Edward T. Hall writes about releasing the right responses in "Understanding Cultural Differences").

Other chapters give clear and easy to read descriptions of a number of important social and business values, beliefs and behaviors. I figure that the amount I spent on this book is nothing in comparison to the value it has returned. Time invested in reading has saved me time later as I more quickly understood unspoken parts of "messages". If you're going to have more than a superficial, touristy kind of contact with Swedes - in Sweden or anywhere else in the world - you'll likely be glad for the advice this book offers.

My former wife was born in Sweden and immigrated with her parents to this country when she was 9 years old. Married 8 years, Lena was continually questioning why she viewed the world in certain ways while others couldn't see things the same way. The insights in this book got her thinking about what was special in her Swedish upbringing and why she was taught to look at some subjects differently. Reward systems, her acceptance of certain conflicts and her questioning mind were revealed to her as a result of reading this book. Since then, I have purchased an additional copy to share with a colleague recently hired by a Swedish company and Lena has given her Dad a copy. A must read for both Swedes and Americans who interact with Swedish people.

I know Lisa Carr from the SWEDE-L listserver discussion list so I had heard good things about it while it was being written. I got my own copy right before I visited the land of my grandparents. I read it while I was over there and it gave me excellent insights as to things I observed. It also gave me an insight into my own character because of attitudes that must have been passed down the generations. I highly recommend it for people visiting there because it will enhance their trip. It would also be useful for Swedes visiting the U.S.

I am 24 year old American male who has previously lived in Sweden for 2 years as an exchange student and has also worked for a Swedish forestry products company. This book is amazingly enlightening! I have to admit that when I first came across it I was somewhat speculative of whole concept. By reading the title you'd almost get the impression that they were talking about interfacing with life from another planet! However, what I found in the book was very well researched and well written -- a fairly accurate portrayal of my experiences and observations of life in Sweden. Highly recommended!

I picked this book up when I started dating a Swede and was pleasently surprised (both by the book and the girl!). Since Swedes generally speak very good english it's often easy to forget that they do have differnt traditions and culture. The book is a great introduction to some of those differences and leads to a lot of fun conversations.

I skipped the chapter on business dealings but the rest of the book was well worth the price.

This book is especially good for anyone moving to Sweden or who deals with Swedes on a regular basis. It covers the politics, the culture, the Swedish Psyche, the Rule of Shoes (you'll have to read the book to find out what that is), etc. It's written for people just like you.

There's a nice mix of background information and practical, concrete tips. The authors have really grasped some of the subtleties of Swedish behaviors and attitudes in a way I haven't seen in any other book. A must read!

Modern-Day Vikings really hit the nail on the head when describing the Swedes! After reading it, and having many good laughs, I have decided to use it to prepare a group of Swedes I am bringing to the U.S. for a study tour.

Although the book is written, primarily, to help non-Swedes, I think it is very important for Swedes to see how they are seen from the outside, especially by Americans. This is not only a cross-cultural how-to book, but a book that puts beliefs and behaviors in context by describing how the Swedish society developed. It also explains several uniquely Swedish concepts, such as "jantelagen" and "lagom" that have a major effect on how Swedes think. I think that Moder-Day Vikings would be extremely helpful for anyone who wants to understand the Swedes, including the Swedes themselves!

Carr & Rabinowitz have written a very readable and useful guide to their persectives on dealing with Swedes in social and business relationships. Their differing backgrounds have worked to produce a balanced and readily understood handbook-plus to Swedish behavior and attitudes in several important areas of social and commercial enterprise.
Because the Swedes (as a nation) speak near-perfect idiomatic "American" and probably the uniformly best English on the planet (including the British Isles), it's easy to assume they share similarly social and business customs. We would assume wrongly, and the authors gently and with appreciation for the distinctions of the culture lead us around the traps while explaining the interesting history behind them... and making us wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to implement many of those customs.
I found enlightenment for a number of previously puzzling incidents in my own Swedish contacts, but beyond simple utility, the book's a fun read.
ca.

I am a Swedish citizen who has lived in the US for almost 20 years. I go home to Sweden regularly and feel that I am still Swedish. This book was most enjoyable to me as I recognized many "features" of the Swede. I laughed out loud many times. My husband, who is American, knows Swedish and has also lived in Sweden. He enjoyed the book too and we found ourselves reading parts of chapter out loud to each other. One of my supervisors has Swedish ancestry and I bought the book for him. He has a slightly different take on the book. He likes it but looks at it from a more serious and investigative perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in how people in the world look at the world.