Viking economics How the Scandinavians got it right-and how we can, too

George Lakey

Book - 2016

"An academic and activist takes an entertaining look at the Nordic welfare state--and shows us how we, too, can have a far more equal and just economic system In America, many Democrats invoke Scandinavia as a promised land of equality, while most Republicans fear it as a hotbed of liberty-threatening socialism. But the left and right can usually agree on one thing: that the Nordic system is impossible to replicate here at home. The US is too big, or too individualistic, or too puritan, or too. something. Whatever the reason, it's impossible, and we shouldn't bother to try. Enter George Lakey. A longtime activist and academic, Lakey has spent decades studying the economies of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland, and... inViking Economics, he reveals that Scandinavia's deep commitment to the welfare state is much more recent than we think. Not long ago, Scandinavia was a far more unequal place, with a much weaker commitment to the social welfare of its citizens. There's nothing inherently Scandinavian about greater equality. so why not try it here? Viking Economicsis more fun and entertaining than any economics book you've ever read. And, very possibly, more convincing! As he ranges from twentieth-century Norwegian history to the details of Swedish childcare policies, Lakey never loses his sense of humor or his expansive, generous vision of a better, more equal future. By explaining that even Scandinavia's grandest experiments in social equality are rooted in recent political struggles, Lakey explains shows how we can do it, too--conventional wisdom be damned"--

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Subjects
Published
Brooklyn : Melville House 2016.
Language
English
Main Author
George Lakey (author)
Edition
1st edition
Physical Description
x, 287 pages ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 251-287).
ISBN
9781612195360
  • Introduction: Discovering Today's Vikings Beyond the Guidebooks
  • Part I. How They Got to the Top
  • 1. Vikings as Iconic Adventurers, Then and Now
  • 2. Making Their Way in a Globalized World
  • 3. Vikings Get Lost, Bankers Go Wild
  • 4. Iceland Creates the Biggest Crash, then Rebounds
  • 5. How Norwegians Empowered Themselves to Adopt the Nordic Model
  • Part II. Design for Living in the Nordic Countries
  • 6. More Start-ups than the United States: Support for Entrepreneurs, Workers, and the Equality of Women
  • 7. Family Farmers and Cooperatives: Key Players in the Nordic Model
  • 8. Preventing Poverty: Nordics Learn How an Advanced Economy Can Abolish Poverty
  • 9. Creating Work/Life Balance
  • 10. Breaking Barriers to Education and Lifelong Learning
  • 11. Paying for What You Get: The Viking Approach to Taxes
  • Part III. Today's Challenges, for Them and For Us
  • 12. Allowing Racial and Other Differences to Work for the Common Good
  • 13. Reaching for High Goals on Climate Change
  • 14. How Relevant Is the Nordic Model to the United States?
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
Review by Library Journal Review

Thinking of moving? Looking for a place with free education, health care, and job training? Forget Canada, try Norway! In this book, Lakey (Toward a Living Revolution) lays out the many benefits of the Nordic system. Although he is not actually trying to convince readers to move to Scandinavia, he does point out many advantages those countries have and the lessons that other nations can learn from their methods. Lakey relates policies in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland to current events in the European Union (EU) and the United States. He points out that the Nordic reliance on co-ops, unionization, and social support programs has enabled those countries to bounce back faster from economic downturns. Throughout the text, nonviolent collective action is emphasized as the path to a better quality of life and high levels of equality and happiness. Norway and Iceland are not part of the EU (unlike Sweden and Denmark), but they are part of the European Economic Area. Norway has a particularly close relationship with Europe and admits many refugees and guest workers. Verdict Norway may serve as a model for the post-Brexit UK, and readers with an interest in how the Nordic model came about will be fascinated by this timely title.-Cate Hirschbiel, Emerson Coll. Lib., Boston © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.