Book Read Free

The Almost Nearly Perfect People

Page 42

by Michael Booth


  Derry, T. K., 8, 24, 86, 157, 259, 353

  Dhillon, H. S., 303

  Didion, Joan, 172

  diet: Danish, 3, 29, 72–3, 107; Finnish, 284–5; Icelandic, 131–2, 137; Swedish, 384

  divorce, 361

  Donald Duck, 305–6

  Dovne Robert, 74–5

  driving laws, 323, 346

  drugs, 62, 128, 223, 323

  duktig, 302, 361

  Dupont, Bent, 92–3

  Eckersberg, C. W., 25

  education: Denmark, 28, 32, 45, 58–9, 70–1, 73–4; Finland, 5, 70, 221, 274–81; happiness at school, 279–81; Norway, 203; school shootings, 279–80; and social mobility, 389; and social trust levels, 45; Sweden, 279, 295; UK, 278

  elderly care, 384–5

  Eliasson, Olafur, 6

  Elsinore see Helsingør

  elves, 148–53

  employment laws, 19, 79, 345–6, 352–3

  energy: fuel bills, 62; gas industry, 197, 202; Icelandic energy industry, 159–60; oil industry, 5, 7, 62, 187, 192–8, 202, 204–8; wind turbine industry, 45

  Engberg, Arthur, 356

  environmentalism, 120, 205–7

  Enzensberger, Hans Magnus, 345, 346

  Eriksen, Thomas Hylland: on Danish immigration and multiculturalism, 391; on Danish jokes about Norwegians, 213; on Norwegian immigration and multiculturalism, 178–80, 184–5; on Norwegian oil industry, 194–5, 206–8; on Norwegian–Swedish relations, 303; on Norwegian trust levels, 215–16

  Eriksson, 297

  Erlander, Tage, 347, 353, 356–7

  Estonia, 47, 245, 287, 289

  etiquette see manners and etiquette

  eugenics, 356–7

  Eurobarometer, 3, 44

  European Values Study, 331–2

  Eurovision Song Contest, 6–7, 257

  Eve, Trevor, 11

  Evenson, Jens, 194–5

  Faarlund, Jan Terje, 9

  Fälstkog, Agnetha, 320

  family life, 358–60

  farming see agriculture

  Faroes, 23, 129

  Fastelavn, 102

  fat tax, Danish, 118–19

  Fennoman movement, 264

  Festen (film), 102

  films, 6

  financial services: Icelandic crash, 7, 62, 128–30, 135–42, 156–8, 160, 201

  Finland, 217–90; advanced industries, 45–6; aggression, 253–4; alcohol consumption, 158, 223, 224, 244–56, 285; attitude to love, 229–30; author’s love for, 219–22; childcare, 275, 370; cities, 225; clothes and personal appearance, 224–5; contradictory nature, 257–8; corruption, 41, 221; crime, 223, 250–1; culture, 6–7, 223; defining statistic, 62; diet, 284–5; economic performance, 221, 285–6; education, 5, 70, 221, 274–81; Finnish and other languages spoken, 225–6, 228–9, 259, 278; Finnish attitude to, 282–3; future, 289; gender equality, 251, 286–9, 364; gun ownership, 229, 279–80; happiness, 4–5; history, 227, 259, 264–73; hotels, 284; housing, 284; ice-cream consumption, 257; and Iceland, 137, 146–7; identification with Europe, 289; immigration and multiculturalism, 237; internal migration, 59, 276; machismo, 251–2, 263, 289–90; manners, 221–2, 237–43; midges and mosquitoes, 284; national character, 8–9, 11–13; national day, 166; parties and celebrations, 17, 166; prescription drugs, 62, 223; railways, 283; and regional geopolitics, 209; religion, 225; rural areas, 283–5; and Russia, 227, 252, 264–73; saunas, 232–7; self-sufficiency, 362; social conformity, 225; societies, clubs and groups, 41; subvocal communications, 241; suicide rates, 223, 250; summer houses, 225; and Sweden, 258–63, 266–7, 294–5; taciturnity and modesty, 237–43, 289; tango, 257; technology, 7; tourism, 222; trust levels. 41, 45–6; trustworthiness, 228, 254–5; urban migration, 59; and USA, 268, 280; winter darkness, 254

  Finland–Sweden International (Suomi-Ruotsi-maaottelu), 263

  Finlandisation, 272–3

  Finnbogadóttir, Vigdís, 134

  Finnish Civil War (1918), 252, 264–5

  Finnish People’s Moral Movement, 247–8

  fishing industry, 7, 135–6, 188, 207

  Fitts, Catherine Austin, 30

  fjords, 190–1

  flags, national, 104–6, 213

  flora and fauna, 29, 30

  folkelig, 102–6

  food see diet

  football, 115

  Forbrydelsen see The Killing

  Formula 1, 244–5

  France, 45, 121, 155, 383

  Frederik I, king of Denmark, 87

  Fredholm, Dick, 324–5, 325–6

  freedom of speech, 335–9, 341–2

  Fremskrittsparti see Progress Party

  French, Sean, 355

  Freysson, Sindri, 140, 160

  Friedman, David, 158

  Friedman, Milton, 53, 65, 158

  Friedman, Rose, 65

  Frihammar, Mattias, 378–9

  Frost, David, 319–20

  fuel see energy

  Fukuyama, Francis, 33

  Funen (Fyn), 29, 83–4

  funerals, 303–4

  Gaddafi, Muammar, 328

  Gallup World Poll, 3–4

  Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand, 313

  gas industry, 197, 202

  Gellhorn, Martha, 266

  gender issues: equality in Denmark, 364–5, 366–7; equality in Finland, 251, 286–9, 364; equality in Iceland, 5, 134, 364–5; equality in Norway, 184, 185, 214, 364–5; equality in Sweden, 320, 346–7, 357, 364–70; talkativeness, 241

  Germany: childcare, 369; and Denmark, 23–4, 110, 120–1; support for family, 360; and Sweden, 354

  geysers, 155–6

  Geysir, 155

  Gill, A. A., 8

  Gini, Corrado, 32

  Gini Coefficient, 32–8

  glaciers, 154

  Gladwell, Malcolm, 278

  Glitnir, 128–9

  Global Competitiveness Index, 79, 202, 283, 297

  global warming, 120, 121, 206

  Gorbachev, Mikhail, 271

  Gore, Al, 313

  Göring, Hermann, 354

  Gorm the Old, 85

  Gråbøl, Sofie, 8

  graduation celebrations, 170–1

  Great Prayer Day see Store Bededag

  GRECO see Group of States Against Corruption

  Greece, 19, 155, 201–2

  Green-Pedersen, Professor Christoffer, 65–6

  Greenpeace, 205

  Griffiths, Tony, 348

  Grímsson, Ólafur Ragnar, 130, 141

  Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO), 141

  Grundtvig, N. F. S., 28, 31–2

  Guðmundsson, Björgólfur, 139

  Gullfoss, 155

  gun ownership, 223, 279–80

  Gunnell, Terry, 137–8, 145, 147, 150–3, 157

  Gustav I Vasa, king of Sweden, 21–2, 86

  Gustav II Adolf, king of Sweden, 314, 340

  Gustav IV Adolf, king of Sweden, 374

  H&M, 7, 297

  Haakon VII, king of Norway, 354, 374

  Haakon, Crown prince of Norway, 163, 215–16

  Haarde, Geir, 130, 140, 158

  Haarder, Bertel, 392

  Hækkerup, Per, 194

  Hafstein, Valdimar, 149–50

  hákarl, 131–2

  Hall, Edward T., 237–8

  Hall, Tony, 32, 355

  Halland, 22

  Hamsun, Knut, 176–7, 186, 188–9

  Hansson, Per Albin, 353, 356–7

  happiness: and autonomy, 388–9; Denmark, 1–5, 28–30, 113–24; Finland, 4–5; and health equality, 36–7; Iceland, 2–3, 4–5; Japan, 36; Norway, 4–5; survey flaws, 35–6; Sweden, 4–5; UK, 1; USA, 36; and wealth distribution, 33–6

  Happy Planet Index, 36

  Harald V, king of Norway, 163, 215, 374

  Harald Bluetooth, 51, 85

  Hardwick, Neil: on Cold War in Finland, 269–70, 270–1; on Finnish alcohol consumption, 254; on Finnish Civil War’s effects, 265; on Finnish identification with Europe, 289; on Finnish women, 286–7; love for Finl
and, 283; on Swedish Finns, 261

  Härmä, 251

  health and health care: Denmark, 37, 58, 71–2, 72–3, 119; health equality and happiness, 36–7

  Helliwell, John, 4

  Helsingør (Elsinore), 21

  Helsinki: alcohol consumption, 245, 255–6; atmosphere, 187, 224, 225–7; and design, 285; Kamppi Mall, 281; National Museum, 226–7; saunas, 233–6; shabbier areas, 231–2; tourist board website, 222; wildlife, 280

  Hendin, Herbert, 367, 368

  Henning, Paul, 192

  Henriksen, Martin, 338

  Hermansen, Anne Sophia, 122

  Herodotus, 155

  Hinduism, 108–9

  historical re-enactment, 50–1

  Hitchens, Christopher, 313

  Hitler, Adolf, 23, 133, 176, 267

  HIV/AIDS, 357

  Hofstede, Geert, 263

  Høglund, Morten, 181

  holidays, 60, 109; see also parties and celebrations

  Holland, 193

  Hollande, François, 295

  Holm, Kalle, 280

  Holst, H. P., 25

  Holstein, 23

  home ownership, 62, 68

  Hong Kong, 276

  Hørdum, 110–11

  hotels, 284

  housing, 62, 68, 284

  housing estates, 321–9

  Human Development Index, 4, 70, 134, 213–14, 297

  humarsúpa, 131

  Hummel, 118

  Huntford, Roland, 345

  Huntington, Samuel, 257

  hygge, 98–102

  Ibrahimović, Zlatan, 325

  ice-cream consumption, 257

  Iceland, 125–60; alcohol consumption, 131, 139, 147, 158, 248; corruption, 141–2; crime, 129; defining statistic, 62; and Denmark, 133, 137, 138, 143–7; diet, 131–2, 137; drugs, 128; energy industry, 159–60; financial crash, 7, 62, 128–30, 135–42, 156–8, 160, 201; and Finland, 137, 146–7; fishing industry, 135–6; future, 159–60, 388; gender equality, 5, 134, 364–5; happiness, 2–3, 4–5; history, 23, 127, 132–4; Icelandic language, 127; IT industry, 160; landscape and climate, 154–6; life expectancy, 5, 134; media ownership, 139–40, 141, 142; national character, 8–9, 11–13; national day, 166; and Norway, 144, 146; population, 127, 141–2; racism, 182; and regional geopolitics, 209; religion, 87, 149, 152; smoking, 158; social connectedness, 140–2; superstition, 148–53; survival instinct, 153; and Sweden, 137; taciturnity, 240; taxation, 157–8; tourism, 131, 159; and USA, 133, 157–8; welfare state, 158

  Iisalmi, 284

  IKEA, 7, 297, 298

  immigration and multiculturalism: Denmark, 4, 54, 182, 184–5, 296, 322, 331, 335–9, 381–2, 391; Finland, 237; Iceland, 182; Nordic overview, 389–91; Norway, 168–9, 172–85, 215, 322; Sweden, 53–4, 62, 296, 321–43, 355–6, 390–1; and trust levels, 53–4

  Independence Party (Iceland), 140, 142

  Index of Economic Freedom, 134

  Ingels, Bjarke, 6

  innovation, 122

  Insomnia (film), 284

  Iraq War (2003), 118

  Ireland, 201

  Irving, David, 176

  Islamophobia, 172–85, 321–43

  Isovaara, Lars, 342

  IT industry, 160

  Italy, 67–8, 251, 384

  Jacobsen, Arne, 29, 57

  Jalving, Mikael, 336–7

  Janssen, Tove, 262

  Jante Law, 89–97, 305

  Japan: character traits, 241; happiness, 36; trust levels, 49; and USA, 157; wealth distribution, 35

  Jelling stones, 84–5

  Jenkins, Richard, 100, 104, 105–6, 121, 391

  Jensen, Siv, 175, 328

  Jensen, Thor, 139

  Jessen, Inga, 138

  Jóhanneson, Jón Ásgeir, 139–40

  Johanssen, Scarlett, 11

  John, Elton, 128

  Johnsen, Sigbjørn, 200

  Jones, Tom, 128

  Jónsson, Jóhannes, 139–40

  Jonsson, Stefan, 336–8, 380, 382–3, 385–6

  Jutland, 25, 84–5, 107–12

  Kalevala, 264

  Kalmar Union (1397), 21, 392

  Karelia, 268

  Karjalainen, Ahti, 244

  Kaupthing, 128–9, 139

  Kaurismäki, Aki, 223–4

  Keeping Up Appearances (TV series), 11

  Keflavik, 157

  Kekkonen, Urho, 233, 268–70

  Khrushchev, Nikita, 269

  Kiel, Treaty of (1814), 23

  Kierkegaard, Søren, 25

  The Killing (Forbrydelsen; TV series), 6

  Kissinger, Henry, 313, 347

  Kjærsgaard, Pia, 339

  Kleifarvatn, 152

  Klovn (TV series), 30

  knitting, 187

  Knudsen, Anne, 26, 64, 94, 114, 123, 337, 366–7

  Købke, Christen, 25

  Kolbe, Laura: on Finnish autonomy, 264; on Finnish national character, 290; on Finnish–Swedish relations, 262–3; on Sweden, 294; on 20th-century Finnish history, 265, 267, 269, 270, 272

  Kronberg, Julius, 319

  Kuopio, 284, 285

  labour mobility, 59

  Lagarfljót, 152

  lagom, 305

  Laki, eruption of (1783), 133

  Landsbanki, 128–9, 137, 139, 142

  languages: Danish, 9, 29, 30, 214–15, 229; Finnish, 225–6, 228–9, 259, 278; Icelandic, 127; Norwegian, 214; Norwegian regional dialects, 388; Scandinavian influence on English, 9–10; Swedish, 278

  Lapland, 219, 268

  Larsen, Tord, 238

  Larsson, Stieg, 6, 298, 385

  Laugarvatnshellar caves, 152

  Layard, Richard, 4

  Lego, 30

  Legoland, 111–12

  Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich, 264

  Lewis, Michael, 135, 138–9

  Lewis, Richard D., 237, 238–9, 241, 257–8

  Liberal Alliance Party (Denmark), 64, 74

  life expectancy, 5, 72, 134

  Lillelund, Niels, 122

  Lind, Jenny, 385

  Lindgren, Astrid, 385

  Lindh, Anne, 385

  Lindisfarne, 9

  Linnet, Jeppe Trolle, 100

  literature, 6, 25, 298, 385

  London, 238, 260

  Lönnrot, Elias, 264

  Lordi, 7, 257

  Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 57

  love, attitudes to, 229–30

  Luther, Martin, 86

  Lutheranism, 86–7, 96, 352

  Luxembourg, 197

  Lykketoft, Mogens, 76–80, 81–2

  McCartney, Paul, 387

  Mærsk, 120, 196–7

  Malmö, 54, 293, 390–1; Rosengård estate, 321–9

  Mandag Morgen, 39

  Mangs, Peter, 328

  Mankell, Henning, 6, 298, 385

  Mannerheim, Carl Gustaf, 262, 264, 268

  manners and etiquette: Denmark, 42, 101–2; Finland, 221–2, 237–43; Iceland, 240; Norway, 240; Sweden, 240, 306–8, 310–19; see also taciturnity

  Margaret I, queen of Denmark, 21, 392

  Margaret II, queen of Denmark, 374, 376, 378

  Marmot, Michael, 36

  Mary, Crown princess of Denmark, 375, 379

  media: Denmark, 27; Iceland, 139–40, 141, 142; Sweden, 384

  Messerschmidt, Morten, 61

  midges, 284

  Midsomer Murders (TV series), 11

  Midsummer’s Eve, 17–18, 19–20

  Mikkelsen, Mads, 6

  mobile phones, 285–6

  Mohammed cartoon crisis (2005), 106, 118, 183, 328

  Molesworth, Robert, 69

  Møller, Mærsk Mc-Kinney, 96, 196

  monarchy, 373–9

  Monpezat, Henri de, 375

  Montesquieu, Baron, 155

  Monty Python, 11

  Mork, Knut Anton, 203

  Mortensaften, 102

  mosquitoes, 284

  motor racing, 244–5

  multiculturalism see immigration and multiculturalism


  murder see crime

  Mussolini, Benito, 32

  Myrin, Eric, 339–42

  Napoleonic wars, 22–3

  national character, 8–9, 11–13

  national days, 163–71, 178–9

  Negerby, 182

  Nelson, Horatio, 22

  Netherlands see Holland

  New Economics Foundation, 36

  New Zealand, 276

  Nilson, Ulf: on Sweden in Second World War, 354; on Swedish centralised state, 346, 349–50, 358; on Swedish economic model, 383; on Swedish eugenics programme, 356–7; on Swedish monarchy, 377; on Swedish women, 368

  Nissum estuary, 109–10

  Nobel, Alfred, 312

 

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