Do Finns Do It Better? A Conversation with Anu Partanen

Harvard Book Store welcomes Finnish journalist Anu Partanen for a discussion of her book THE NORDIC THEORY OF EVERYTHING: IN SEARCH OF A BETTER LIFE.

Based on her own experiences in both countries, Partanen’s novel compares and contrasts life in the United States with life in the Nordic region. It focuses on four key relationships—parents and children, men and women, employees and employers, and government and citizens. Partanen debunks criticism that Nordic countries are socialist “nanny states,” revealing instead that it is we Americans who are far more enmeshed in unhealthy dependencies than we realize. As she explains step by step, the Nordic approach allows citizens to enjoy more individual freedom and independence than we do.

Partanen wants to open Americans’ eyes to how much better things can be—to show her beloved new country what it can learn from her homeland to reinvigorate and fulfill the promise of the American dream—to provide the opportunity to live a healthy, safe, economically secure, upwardly mobile life for everyone. Offering insights, advice, and solutions, The Nordic Theory of Everything makes a convincing argument that we can rebuild our society, rekindle our optimism, and restore true freedom to our relationships and lives.