The Nordic countries make up five countries located in northern Europe: Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland. As author Michael Booth posits, despite the fact that these countries often rank highest in the world in terms of quality of life (with Denmark almost always being rated the "happiest" country in the world), most people know little about them or what differentiates them. In his home of Denmark, for example, he says that people can discuss the affairs of other countries, but doubts anyone in the U.S. Congress could name the Danish Foreign Minister. Or he challenges the reader to name someone, anybody, from Finland. In this book, he travels around these five countries, exploring their cultural curiosities, and trying to learn a bit about what makes them tick.

One of the strongest points of this book is that he explores the different cultures of these countries through his own eyes and writes as such. Because of this, the writing can often be quite funny. Booth shares some lighthearted jokes the residents of one country have at the expense of others. Or his uncomfortable experience of visiting a Finnish sauna for the first time. But, aside from the humor, you get a sense of the pride many people take in their countries. One memorable example is the Constitution Day celebrations that take place on May 17 in Norway where people dress up in ways that invoke a romantic image of the past. Booth notes how immigrants to Norway, despite little to no connection to this history, heartily embrace it.

More serious matters are also of importance. Booth dedicates some time at looking at the horrific terrorist attack of the extreme-right wing Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik in 2011 and the effect it had on the country. Surprisingly, as terrible as the attack was, there was not a lot of permanent change. There was no new security put in place and life went on. Booth also explores some of the aspects of the Nordic countries' famous welfare states and how that works. I found the section on Sweden in this regard most interesting. In Sweden, Booth sees a system he refers to as "benign totalitarianism" where the Swedish government heavily intervenes in the lives of its citizens, even interfering in parenting. There is debate if this just creates too much dependency on the state and stifles the individual or if it releases the individual from worries allowing him or her to become truly individualistic.

One objective of this book, as the title implies, is looking past the utopian image these countries sometime have. They are not without problems. This was especially apparent in Iceland where years of economic mismanagement culminated in a severe financial crisis in the late 2000s. He also wonders whether the current system of welfare is sustainable in the long run without changes. Denmark and Sweden already have a tax system that most Americans, for example, would find absolutely preposterous. All of these countries also face the situation, as many other countries are also experiencing, of an aging population. In his own home of Denmark he also notes problems in education, healthcare, and an increasingly lazy workforce.

Though most of this book is pretty interesting, I do find that sometimes Booth's own opinion is presented too much as fact. Sure, this is fine when looking at the cultural aspects. He is not afraid to express his own opinion of what is great and what he finds is rather odious. However, it seems like he sometimes tries to poke holes in things he learned from interviews with experts. Many times in this book he talks with people associated with universities and other such professionals. Surely their ideas are worth something. He also throws in criticisms of things like right-wing political parties and people he just seems to disagree with.

Learning about the Nordic countries is especially prudent today. For example, in his campaign for President of the United States, Bernie Sanders has often espoused the so-called "Nordic Model" as something America should emulate. There are certainly interesting things to learn about what has worked and what has not from these countries. Still, besides the serious content, this is an entertaining look at five European countries and I would recommend this to those looking to learn a little bit about the world around them.

I have a relative who is always blathering about the Nordic model of government, saying things like "In Norway they get free healthcare." My standard response is that nothing is free, in Norway they tax the middle class at 40% to pay for healthcare. if you want to talk about increasing taxes to pay for social services, I can discuss the topic. But nothing is free.

So my main motivation for reading this book was to understand a bit more of the reality of the Nordic nations, rather than the Utopian fantasy-fairy tales believed by some in the US. The author, Michael Booth, is an Englishman married to a Danish woman. This status seems to give him a bit of an insider-outsider perspective that enhances the book. He's spent a lot of time in Scandanavian nations and has an obvious fondness for many of the people and traditions. But as an outsider, he can see and analyze aspects of culture that might be invisible to a native.

The three main details that stuck in my mind as an American reader of the book were: (a) the absolutely astronomical taxes (up to 180% on new cars!); (b) the high levels of alcohol abuse; (c) and the secularized Lutheranism that seems to be the guiding philosophy of these nations (work hard, don't think too much of yourself or stand out from the crowd, trust authority to know what's best for you, etc). I was reminded of Roland Huntford's 1971 book The New Totalitarians about the Social Democrats who had ruled Sweden for decades and slowly increased government control over society. Booth shows that these sorts of socialist-leaning policies have been gradually rolled back in many Nordic nations, due to their negative side effects. Booth quotes someone who notes that anyone with personal ambition tends to leave for the US where they can take more risks -- but have more opportunities.

In short, a great introduction to these nations. Booth writes honestly about the positive and negative aspects of Scandinavia.