Reading List

So I finished this book. I posted that I had started it awhile back. I liked this book. I would forward it on except that at the end of each chapter is a “study” section , I guess. Where you write out your own goals or what you got from the chapter. So my personlal info is in the book.

This is a Christian based book. She is a Christian life coach. I thought it was easy to read, understand and she broke everything down into manageable parts. I love a good study and lesson. Some things are things we already know but it is nice to have a reminder. But it’s nice to have a coach help you understand why we do certain things.

So I would recommend this book.

The book I am reading now is :

The Nordic Theory of Everything. Here is a Description from the internet:

“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. To understand why life is so different in the U.S. and Finland, Partanen began to look closely at both.

In The Nordic Theory of Everything, Partanen compares and contrasts life in the United States with life in the Nordic region, focusing on four key relationships—parents and children, men and women, employees and employers, and government and citizens. She 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 Partanen 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.”

So I am reading this book for several reasons.

1. My heritage. Both sides of my family are Scandinavian. I have the DNA test to prove it. haha! I actually have several types of Scandinavian blood. But I am particularly close to my Maternal Grandmother who is from Iceland. So I have heard about her “Island” my whole life. My grandmother is at the end of her life and her heart and lungs are giving out. Her memory isn’t the greatest. We talked a bit ago and I am not sure why we were talking about this subject but she told me ( and it wasn’t the first time) that she regrets coming to America. Her family thought she had “Made it” by escaping and coming to the USA. But she misses her country and I said “really?” and she said to me..”Would you want to leave America?” and I said ” NO way!” and she said “See, this is how I feel”

I am sure the reasons in this book aren’t the total reason my grandmother feels this way. But I know for a fact some of them are just because I have spent a lot of time with my grandmother and we have talked many times.

I think there are so many layers to it all. I may share some other time.

2. I am reading this because I am not a socialist. I am a conservative. I know the division and chaos in the media and country right now is so crazy difficult. I want less government involvement and more freedoms and rights. Less taxes. UGH! I know we could all go on and on about any of these issues. So I am reading this to see a Socialist perspective. She has lived both sides and so far I feel like she is obviously in favor of socialism. But I am listening to her reasonings behind it. The glaring obvious thing that sticks out to me so far is that all of these countries are so small. They are less diverse ect. America is HUGE and very diverse. So to implement these types of changes would be pretty impossible. Not to mention we have a corrupt government. None of our politicians are in it for betterment, They are all in it for money. NONE of them are going to make decision to better the people. That is my honest opinion. As long as we keep letting them control everything…it’s just going to get worse for all of us. But getting back to the book….what I have read so far sounds good. “Good for them,” She does share that there is a huge amount of depression in her country. They also all know every single invention or creation that there people have become famous for achieving. I wonder if that is because the country is so small or because there are much fewer than America? America is going to have more because we are bigger but also because there is incentive for us. As a capitalist nation. If everyone is the same …..and nobody can ever get ahead, other than passion, what is the reward or incentive for creating, inventing or dedicating your life to certain causes? Maybe all of that is addressed later in the book. But so far that is what is coming to mind.

There is actually a lot that I am thinking about as I read this book. So for those conservatives that want a close up look at socialism from a Nordic….this is the read.

I am still in the family and children section. I appreciate how they support and value children. I have said my whole adult life that America puts no value on children. Commit a crime against a child and you will see very little penalty. That is the way our laws work. Children are worthless to the government. Probably because they have no money.

So anyway….It’ giving me a lot to think about. I am a die hard American. For sure!

Just thought I would share.

I hope you all have a wonderful day!