The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country

This book is partly about Danish culture, partly about the general experience of relocating to a foreign country, and partly about the author's personal life and development. It's well written, easily read, and, in some places, absolutely hilarious. Being a journalist by trade, the author knows how to research. She manages to interview a wide range of experts in diverse fields, as well as the friends which she makes along the way in Denmark. Thus, the book is loaded with facts and with comparisons to society in other countries. However, one should keep in mind that, given the fact that she relies upon a well adjusted crowd as informants, the book does not convey the complete picture of life in Denmark. Even fairytale Denmark has its bad neighbourhoods. But if you are a skilled professional moving to Denmark, chances are that you'll pick a good one. As I mentioned, part of the story is as much about relocating across borders as it is about the country as such. Having worked as an expat for three years in a neighbouring country, I could relate to a lot of that. Denmark and the UK are similar countries in the greater scheme of things but when it comes to cultural differences, the details matter. The book is well structured with each chapter covering a calendar month and an aspect of Danish culture, thus creating a tie between the culture descriptions and the personal story of a British girl spending a year trying to get acquainted with Denmark. Also, the names of persons and of locations are "encoded" as to extract a more general story from the specific one. The husband of the author is known simply as Lego Man and her village of residence as Sticksville-on-the-Sea. It's a neat trick which makes the story easier to relate to. Generally, it's spot on. Only small caveat is the desription of the winter weather, which is a bit exaggerated. It's usually gloomy, rarely snowy, and the sea never freezes over in November. In spite of that, five stars for brilliant entertainment. PS. Being a resident of aforementioned Sticksville, I found an extra layer of entertainment in trying to decode the place names.

A travel writer friend pointed this book out to me in Foyles, knowing I was planning a trip to Denmark in our camper van this Easter, and I bought it to help us acclimatise. (I regretted not buying it on the spot, as the paperback would have been better value than the highly priced ebook, which was all I had time to buy before our departure, once I'd decided to get it.) I knew very little about Denmark or Danish culture before buying this book, apart from having an old Danish schoolfriend who always struck me as super-cool and super-happy, and hearing Sandi Toksvig talk about it on the News Quiz, her wry humour delivered in Queen's English more impeccable than the Queen's. Even so, I've always felt the inherent Dane is always present not far beneath her British boarding school veneer. Otherwise all I knew was that it was small, expensive, and big in bacon. The cover of this book tells us it's also a very happy place. But why? The author Helen Russell treats it as her mission to find out, when she accompanies her husband on a year's posting with his job (oh joy, it's to work for Lego - but of course!) The archetypal stressed-out London journalist, all but burned out by her staff job on a women's magazine, is ripe for conversation to most aspects of Danish life e.g. the much shorter working week and the the refreshing national supposition that only the inefficient work long hours, unlike the customary British corporate assumption that it's a sign of dedication that will fast-track you to promotion. She is at first shocked, then won over by the virtual hibernation that occurs during the ong dark winter nights, when people embrace the excuse to stay home and enjoy quality family time. She loves the flat social hierarchy where all jobs are considered equal, and where no-one much minds paying high taxes, knowing they're funding generous education, social and medical care. Not all her findings are as winning e.g. the famous pigs for Danish bacon are all reared indoors, intensively, but most of them are. This is a well-researched and thoughtful book, narrated by a likeable author who is clearly passionate and positive in the pursuit of her mission. She must have been a very supportive companion to her Danish husband - being an expat wife isn't easy, but she's done well on that score. Whether or not you plan to travel to Denmark, this is an enjoyable and worthwhile read, providing a thorough introduction to a culture that while not far from our own geographically, is very different in many ways. It may make you want to reexamine your own daily life and culture, and encourage you to embrace what's good about the Danish alternatives, where you find something wanting. It'll probably put you right off Danish bacon, though.

Leitura leve, fácil e um aprendizado pra vida. Um povo com uma cultura sensacional. Vale a leitura pra todos interessados no crescimento pessoal

Libro molto interessante nei contenuti. Ho acquistato la versione Kindle. Si percepisce sin dalle prime pagine sia stato scritto da autrice madrelingua inglese. Ottimo modo per imparare qualcosa: la lingua inglese e la cultura danese.

Enjoyable read and made some aspects of Danish life make more sense

I've read this book several times (first with the Kindle version and then I loved it so much an bought the paperback version too) and love its humour and facts about living in Denmark - it's a must-read for any Scandiphile or anyone interested in moving to Denmark.

While the title would indicate there are twelve chapters in the book (one per month), there are actually thirteen, along with a hefty prologue, a significant epilogue, and another section called "Top ten tips for living Danishly". This is much more than a quick romp through living in Denmark as a ex-pat. I love the author's writing style - humorous, honest, and introspective - and she gives the reader such great understanding of how she and her husband ended up leaving London for a year in Denmark. While treated with frequent funny asides, the factors coming together to prompt this move are actually significant and relatable. There were so many notes I highlighted while reading, but this one was very early on: "wishing away half your life in anticipation of retirement (albeit an awesome one) was verging on the medieval....the fact that I was dreaming of retirement at the age of 33 was probably an indicator that something had to change." Once in Denmark, there are a huge number of facts relevant to Danes, Danish living, and human experience in general. In the January chapter, the element of design is explored such as "research shows that great art and design can even induce the same brain activity as being in love", and "In 2011, scientists at University College London studied this phenomenon and confirmed that looking at something beautiful really can make us happier", and "Paul Henningsen's lamps are so popular here that 50 per cent of Danes have at least one in their home." In February's chapter, the work culture is explored and comparisons to the norm in London made: "Back home, answering an email at midnight or staying at your desk until 8pm was considered a badge of honour. But in Danish work culture, this implies you're incapable of doing your work in the time available." and "Because the welfare state offers a safety net, Danes can change career relatively easily. .......... 25 per cent of the Danish workforce gets a new job every year." Not all is rosy and the July chapter talks about the high divorce rate (the fourth highest in Europe) with August explores the phenomenon of "curling parents" - "parents with the brooms who keep brushing in front of their kids, removing any obstacles to make their lives easier". By the time I completed the book, I felt like I had a much better understanding of the country and its culture. I learned so much but it was presented in such a lovely way that I happily kept reading from one page to the next, no idea I was being educated along the way. Bottom line: I LOVED this book. While I often read books downloaded from the library, I'm so pleased I own this one as I can see myself going back an re-reading sections of it on a regular basis. A trip to Denmark will definitely be in my future and a complete re-read of this fabulous book will be completed before departure.