Swedish Mentality (Pennsylvania State University Press)

Ake Daun, a respected ethnologist who is sometimes referred to as the 'guru' of Swedish character, goes beyond stereotype, drawing upon statistics gathered during more than a decade of research. He quotes from interviews with native Swedes and immigrants as well as from travel accounts, folklore, and proverbs. We learn why some Swedes might prefer to walk up a flight of stairs rather than share an elevator with a neighbor and why some gain satisfaction from walking alone in the woods or going fishing. 'Swedish Mentality' is an entertaining and engagingly written book that should interest a wide range of readers, whether or not of Swedish descent.