Danny Dorling - Finntopia

FINNTOPIA

Among the worlds countries, Finland ranks at or near the top in air quality, education, equality, happiness, honest government, milk consumption, opportunities for children, preparedness, safety, trust in its police, and many other things. Eighty years ago, most of those things were not true. How did Finland become so successful, so quickly, across such a broad spectrum? How can other countries achieve Finlands happiness? Read this wonderful book, and learn the answers!

JARED DIAMOND, Professor of Geography, UCLA and Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel

As inequality reaches eye-watering levels around the world, this book contains some fascinating and important lessons on how policies like progressive taxation and investing in public services can lead to more equal and happier societies.

DANNY SRISKANDARAJAH, chief executive, Oxfam GB

Finland is one of the fairest, most inclusive and dynamic countries to live in. This is not because it is small or culturally homogeneous, or enjoys a great deal of oil wealth. As Danny Dorling and Annika Koljonen show us in this marvellous book, it is because of what Finns have learned about caring for each other more and more cleverly over recent decades. We would do well to follow their example.

SIMON REID-HENRY, Reader in Geography, Queen Mary University of London, and Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute in Oslo

Good enough to be true just like the story of Finland.

ANNA SIEVL, journalist, Joensuu

An absorbing, insightful and scholarly book, grounded in emancipatory hope and humility, that captures the very essence of why Finland has become one of the most equitable countries in a highly unequal world.

PAUL STEPNEY, Adjunct Professor of Social Work, Tampere University, Finland

Finntopiais the remarkable story of a country on Europes perceived fringes that should instead be in the centre of our view for creating a better society. Dorling and Koljonen provide a compelling picture of why Finland may not be the Utopia that it sometimes is portrayed as, but can still teach us many lessons about a different kind of politics, one that has the interest of people at its heart.

BENJAMIN HENNIG, Professor of Geography, University of Iceland

. . . in simple terms, the image of Finland I see in your book is precisely how I see things.

MARKKU LYTNEN, Professor of Geography, University of Helsinki

A fascinating book which reads like a detective story. It makes one wonder if the secret behind the happiness of Finns is their ignorance of their own happiness. There is much to learn from Finntopia, even for a native Finn.

JUHA KAAKINEN, chief executive of the Y-Foundation (that has built 6500 homes for the homeless in Finland)

Danny Dorling and Annika Koljonens portrait of Finlands socio-political system and history is a thought-provoking read. They convincingly demonstrate that the most profitable investment any institution or country can make is to invest in the well-being, education, and capabilities of its people.

MIKKO WECKROTH, postdoctoral researcher, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science

Danny Dorling and Annika Koljonen 2020

This book is copyright under the Berne Convention.

No reproduction without permission.

All rights reserved.

First published in 2020 by Agenda Publishing

Agenda Publishing Limited

The Core

Bath Lane

Newcastle Helix

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE4 5TF

www.agendapub.com

ISBN 978-1-78821-215-1

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Typeset in Nocturne by Patty Rennie

Printed and bound in the UK by TJ International

To our grandmothers

Leena Asikainen and Ritva Koljonen (ne Viiala)
Mary Charlesworth (ne Kershaw) and Phyllis Dorling (ne Bing)