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Danish Windmill Market

Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia

Journalist Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavians for more than ten years. 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

$20.00

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HBK156P
Primary category
History and Heritage
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More History and Heritage
Journalist Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavians for more than ten years. 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? 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. This bestselling book is now available in paperback.

Danish Windmill · A shop with a story

Windmill testimony

A Million Stars

“If I could give this place a million stars I would. It is an oasis in Iowa. Here you find an authentic 1848 Danish windmill brought over from Denmark and lot of interesting Danish and Viking cultural items, a fantastic gift shop with a huge selection and things you can't find anywhere else (like Aebelskiver cast iron pans!) and a friendly and knowledgeable staff. What more could you ask for? It's really worth it to make a stop here!”

— Patty Z. | Yelp
Sarah rader painted

Warm and Cozy

“Shopping at the windmill is always an adventure! I always know I'm going to find more than what I came for and their selection is always fresh with new items to bring home. They always have this ability to bring coziness and warmth into my home. I bought this ceramic house and had so much fun painting it. Now it glows in my living room every night! ”

— Sarah S. | Harlan, IA

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hbk156pthealmostnearlyperfectpeople_1285_detail.jpg

Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia

Journalist Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavians for more than ten years. 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

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