Author: Niki Brantmark
Started: October 8, 2018
Finished: October 20, 2018
Pages: 281
Genre: Non-fiction
First Sentence: Fourteen years ago, I was invited to spend my summer holiday with a Swedish friend.
Summary: [From BN] In a fast-paced world, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could slow down and enjoy a life with less pressure, less stress, and more time for the things you love? Sweden is ranked in the top three of the world’s happiest places to live, and lagom, which means “not too much and not too little—just right,” is the Swedish philosophy for enjoying balance in every aspect of life—from work and leisure to family and food, and everything in between. Experienced bakers know by touch when the dough they are kneading is lagom—not too moist and not too dry. At the office, professionals who work hard—but not to the detriment of other parts of their lives—are following the lagom ideal. Lagom is moderation, balance, and equality. By using the Swedish lifestyle as an example, Niki Brantmark offers insightful suggestions and bite-sized actions to help you make subtle changes to your life, so you too can make time for the things that matter most and find greater happiness.
Thoughts: I wanted to love this book because I'm all about finding the happy medium, but the author's tone started to get to me. Brantmark argues that we should all aim for "just right" in all the things we do. Sadly, her writing tends to come across as "The Swedes are better than all of us. We should all be like the Swedes." She has some tangible actions that readers can take to be a bit more Swedish but the majority of the book is so based in societal change that it's hard to see how we can all be more Lagom. Lagom works because Swedish society, mores, laws, and government all support it. That does not exist everywhere so it's a bit dispiriting to know that you can never be fully Lagom in the US. Lagom is a good book because it reinforces the idea of balance, I just wish it was more realistic about what it's readers can accomplish.
Rating: 6/10 [Good]
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