A review by murder_she_they
The Nordic Theory of Everything: In Search of a Better Life by Anu Partanen
3.0
Overall, I enjoy the content of the book. Reading this, as an American, is quite disheartening, but paradoxically, it also inspires hope. We can begin to imagine a better future, one which has been actualized elsewhere, making it feel all the more possible.
My gripes with the book are the cyclical nature of it. It could have been much much shorter and accomplished the same goal, to much better effect. We keep end up returning to the same sentences and ideas, over and over and over again, which becomes tiresome quickly.
My main complaint is that I feel there is not enough recognition given to the power imbalance that the ruling class has over the rest of America, and the government. There is seemingly a blind eye turned to the power lobbyist’s, pharmaceutical companies, and the ultra wealthy have on dictating policies/tax loopholes which are created strictly for their own benefit. We read and reread how everyone (not just the wealthy) in Nordic society benefits from their policies. Fundamentally, American society is not, and has not been, designed for the benefit of everyone, it is intentionally designed to benefit the few.
This is never directly acknowledged. Most of the suggestions feel moot, because of course people want to work less and spend more time with family. There just isn’t the same direct access to power. And the book does not even encourage unionization to bargain power back into the working class. I feel frustrated reading that we deserve better, without recognition of why we currently aren’t getting better.
Overall this book is worth the read and can be very eye opening!
My gripes with the book are the cyclical nature of it. It could have been much much shorter and accomplished the same goal, to much better effect. We keep end up returning to the same sentences and ideas, over and over and over again, which becomes tiresome quickly.
My main complaint is that I feel there is not enough recognition given to the power imbalance that the ruling class has over the rest of America, and the government. There is seemingly a blind eye turned to the power lobbyist’s, pharmaceutical companies, and the ultra wealthy have on dictating policies/tax loopholes which are created strictly for their own benefit. We read and reread how everyone (not just the wealthy) in Nordic society benefits from their policies. Fundamentally, American society is not, and has not been, designed for the benefit of everyone, it is intentionally designed to benefit the few.
This is never directly acknowledged. Most of the suggestions feel moot, because of course people want to work less and spend more time with family. There just isn’t the same direct access to power. And the book does not even encourage unionization to bargain power back into the working class. I feel frustrated reading that we deserve better, without recognition of why we currently aren’t getting better.
Overall this book is worth the read and can be very eye opening!