The Almost Nearly Perfect People

The Almost Nearly Perfect People
Author: Michael Booth
Publisher: Picador
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2015-01-27
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1250061970

NAMED THE #1 BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, A WITTY, INFORMATIVE, AND POPULAR TRAVELOGUE ABOUT THE SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES AND HOW THEY MAY NOT BE AS HAPPY OR AS PERFECT AS WE ASSUME Journalist Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavians for more than ten years, and he has grown increasingly frustrated with the rose-tinted view of this part of the world offered up by the Western media. In this timely book he leaves his adopted home of Denmark and embarks on a journey through all five of the Nordic countries to discover who these curious tribes are, the secrets of their success, and, most intriguing of all, what they think of one another. Why are the Danes so happy, despite having the highest taxes? Do the Finns really have the best education system? Are the Icelanders as feral as they sometimes appear? How are the Norwegians spending their fantastic oil wealth? And why do all of them hate the Swedes? In The Almost Nearly Perfect People Michael Booth explains who the Scandinavians are, how they differ and why, and what their quirks and foibles are, and he explores why these societies have become so successful and models for the world. Along the way a more nuanced, often darker picture emerges of a region plagued by taboos, characterized by suffocating parochialism, and populated by extremists of various shades. They may very well be almost nearly perfect, but it isn't easy being Scandinavian.

New Scandinavian Design

New Scandinavian Design
Author: Raul Cabra
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Total Pages: 586
Release: 2004-11-04
Genre: Photography
ISBN: 9780811840408

In New Scandinavian design, design journalist Katherine E. Nelson pairs with designer Raul Cabra to produce a comprehensive survey of cutting-edge Scandinavian design, delving deep and taking a critical look at the exciting contemporary work from the northern countries. Central to the endeavour was the question posed to hundreds of designers, curators, policy makers and entrepreneurs: is there still such a thing as Scandinavian design? Featuring examples of contemporary furniture, housewares, textiles, consumer electronics and lighting.

Scandinavian Design & the United States, 1890-1980

Scandinavian Design & the United States, 1890-1980
Author: Bobbye Tigerman
Publisher: National Geographic Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2020-04-15
Genre: Design
ISBN: 3791359169

This stunning book examines design exchanges between the United States and Scandinavia over nearly a century and explores the fascinating reasons why Scandinavian design has continued to resonate with Americans. Focusing on the extensive influence of Scandinavian design in the United States, this book shows how Nordic ideas about modern design and the objects themselves had an indelible impact on American culture and material life. It also considers America's influence on Scandinavian design, showing how cultural exchange is mutual by nature. In addition to familiar material like Danish furniture and Swedish glass, readers will learn about America's little-known "Viking Revival" style; the work of Howard Smith, an African-American artist who immigrated to Finland in the 1960s; and the myriad ways Scandinavian toys and household goods helped shape American child-rearing practices. The perfect addition to any Danish modern coffee table, this elegant book traces how Scandinavian design became an integral part of what is considered "American design." Published with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Scandinavian Design

Scandinavian Design
Author: Kjetil Fallan
Publisher: Berg
Total Pages: 484
Release: 2013-05-09
Genre: Design
ISBN: 0857852183

Scandinavian design is still seen as democratic, functional and simple, its products exemplifying the same characteristics now as they have done since the 1950s. But both the essence and the history of Scandinavian design are much more complex than this. Scandinavian Design: Alternative Histories presents a radically new assessment, a corrective to the persistent mythologies and reductive accounts of Scandinavian design. The book brings together case studies from the early twentieth century to today. Drawn from fields as diverse as transport, engineering, packaging, photography, law, interiors, and corporate identity, these studies tell new or unfamiliar stories about the production, mediation and consumption of design. An alternative history is created, one much more alive to national and regional differences and to types of product. Scandinavian Design analyses a century of design culture from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden and, in so doing, presents a sophisticated introduction to Scandinavian design.

Performing Nordic Heritage

Performing Nordic Heritage
Author: Lizette Gradén
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 365
Release: 2016-05-13
Genre: History
ISBN: 1317082362

The performance of heritage takes place in prestigious institutions such as museums and archives, in officially sanctioned spaces such as jubilees and public monuments, but also in more mundane, ephemeral and banal cultural practices, such as naming of phenomena, viewing exhibitions or walking in the countryside. This volume examines the performance of Nordic heritage and the shaping of the very idea of Norden in diverse contexts in North America, the Baltic and the Nordic countries and examines the importance of these places as sites for creating and preserving cultural heritage. Offering rich perspectives on a part of Europe which has not been the centre of discussion in the Anglophone world, this volume will be of value to a wide readership, including cultural historians, museum practitioners, policy-makers and scholars of heritage, ethnology and folkloristics.

Explore Norse Myths!

Explore Norse Myths!
Author: Anita Yasuda
Publisher: Nomad Press
Total Pages: 229
Release: 2015-11-16
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1619303183

The stories of Norse myths and legends are a terrific introduction to Viking culture, history, science, and traditions, which thrived in Scandinavia from the eighth to the eleventh centuries. But who were the Norse, who left their homelands in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden to trade, raid, and explore around the world? In Explore Norse Myths! With 25 Great Projects, young readers discover the remarkable people and mythical creatures of old. Learning about Norse myths means unearthing the origin of Viking beliefs, as well as exploring their ships, tools, and other technology that flourished for nearly 450 years. Along the way, kids will read how Norse myths helped explain the natural world from thunder to the seasons, from creation to death. They may be surprised at how Norse myths continue to influence modern culture in the form of movies and books, including the new series by Rick Riordan. Readers will read Norse stories and learn about the adventures of real Norse explorers, including Erik the Red and Leif Erikson. Through a mixture of fun facts, trivia, jokes, comics, and hands-on activities, kids will dig up Scandinavia's past and sail the seas along with the gods and giants in Explore Norse Myths!

Sourcebook of Scandinavian Furniture

Sourcebook of Scandinavian Furniture
Author: Judith Gura
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2007
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 9780393731514

CD-ROM contains: printable JPEG files of all the images in the book.