My letter “F” pick for this year’s A to Z Book Challenge was THE FINNISH GUIDE TO HAPPINESS by Melanie Dower. This is an Audible Original, so if you have a subscription, it’s a free listen.

Melanie is an ex-pat New Zealander who moved to Finland with her husband when he was offered a job in Helsinki. Despite the colder weather (and the abject beauty of the home country she left behind), she has found great peace and contentment among the Finns. Finland is consistently rated as one of the happiest nations on the planet by several measurable variables, as well as the affirmation of their own population.

Some of this is based on their government. Taxes are higher than a lot of countries, but they also have excellent healthcare, government subsidized child care, robust support programs for at-risk citizens, and a strong commitment to environmental conservation and sustainability efforts.

Aside from that, the Finns have a shared commitment to the common good. Schools (including colleges and universities) are paid for because education betters them all as a nation. Fines for breaking laws are assigned on a sliding scale by income. In fact, a Finnish millionaire once paid a $130,000 speeding ticket (based on his generous income) and when interviewed, he stated that he wasn’t angry about it. He did break the law, and the money would go toward schools and parks and other subsidized programs. I cannot imagine a millionaire in America doing anything but suing the hell out of someone for a fine like that.

Finns also embrace simplicity, believe in responsible consumption – gifting away excess items in their homes and unused clothing regularly, eating fresh and local as much as possible, and spending a lot of time out of doors (even in freezing weather as long as it’s not a blizzard). They also cultivate a culture of resilience, raising their children to be problem solvers for themselves as much as possible. A lot of this sounds like good, common sense, but it’s not in practice much in our own lives, unfortunately.

This was a quick, but somewhat enlightening read, so I’ll give it three and a half stars.