About this item
A Finnish journalist, now a naturalized American citizen, asks Americans to draw on elements of the Nordic way of life to nurture a fairer, happier, more secure, and less stressful society for themselves and their children.Moving to America in 2008, Finnish journalist Anu Partanen quickly went from confident, successful professional to wary, self-doubting mess. She found that navigating the basics of everyday life - from buying a cell phone and filing taxes to education and childcare - was much more complicated and stressful than anything she encountered in her homeland. At first, she attributed her crippling anxiety to the difficulty of adapting to a freewheeling new culture. But as she got to know Americans better, she discovered they shared her deep apprehension.
About the Author
Anu Partanen is a journalist originally from Finland, now based in New York City. In her native Finland she has held many positions ranging from managing editor to columnist, features writer to news reporter, lecturer to on-air commentator. She has been living in the United States since 2008, and her book "The Nordic Theory of Everything: In Search of a Better Life" compares everyday life in the United States with life in the Nordic region. In 2009 she was a visiting staff reporter at Fortune magazine through the Innovation Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University, and more recently her work has been published in The New York Times and The Atlantic. She is a regular on-air commentator on the BBC World Service.
