Finland - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Culture Smart / Cultuur Bewust

by Terttu Leney, Elena Barrett

Don’t just see the sights—get to know the people.

The people of this land of white summer nights and pristine lakes are famous for their sisu, a form of enterprising stoicism. They are survivors: if you were stranded on a desert island, your ideal companion would be a Finn. Before you knew it, the sauna would be ready, fishhooks positioned, a fire burning, and any edible berries picked and prepared for eating. Shaped by the harsh physical beauty around them, the Finns can be melancholy, yet have a great sense of humor. Their music is often in the minor key, but they love to dance, sing, and perform. They cherish their traditions, from name days to near-pagan rituals, yet they are great innovators.

Culture Smart! Finland describes the historical, geographical, and cultural influences that have shaped the Finnish psyche, and guides you through the working and social lives of the Finns today, offering you a deeper, more rewarding experience of this beautiful land.

Have a richer and more meaningful experience abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on history, values, attitudes, and traditions will help you to better understand your hosts, while tips on etiquette and communicating will help you to navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Cultural, History, Finnish Literature

200 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

Reviews

[Lena]

“You can’t go anywhere in the world without running into Nokia!”

And that is when I realized this was written in 2005. Lol, back to the library!

[Karen Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive and enjoyable. Having some Finnish roots in my backround many of the observations were appreciated including the thought “Meilla on sellaiset saannot”( meaning “those are the rules”). Yes Finns love honesty and do not mind following rules. A good book to read before traveling there!

[Bill Magill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A handy guide for the basic customs and etiquette of Finland. Overall I liked it. I know a lot more about Finland, its people, geography, culture, etc. than I did before I read it. Two items that were negatives. The first is no fault of the author. The book is outdated (published in 2005), so info on population, government, statistics, current trends, etc., are a bit off. It could use some updating. The second item is generalization; it seems the author did a lot of that. "All Finns are honest." "All Finns are thoughtful, punctual, quiet, etc." All Finns drink a lot, for example. It is not realistic to think that is true. Now from what I have personally experienced, Finnish people are like Americans (my country of origin) in that they come in all forms and shapes. You get my meaning, I'm sure. Anyway, overall it is a good book, and I would recommend it to anyone who might be preparing to visit Finland or be around Finns. You will have a much better idea of what is going on.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in a 2021 ed., so Nokia's fall from world domination post-iPhone is duly noted. The firm had long ago begun by making rubber boots, among other diversified products, so it's stable. Overall, as this series serves business clients and sensitive travellers, it's strong on etiquette, social cues, and how to interpret the famously reticent Finns, who don't mind silence, don't do small talk, being frank.

Which makes me aware I'm more similar to them, discounting I hate coffee (they rank #1 at 24 lbs./11 kg. per capita annually). I'd have wished for more guidance as to cultural contexts (while how-to and "sisu"-boosting guides are listed, no fiction and no films are, and one Nordic Noir series). Such added aspects always assist me, whether visiting a land or merely reading about it (I picked this up to briefly inform my taking on Karl Marlantes' immigrant saga Deep River). But overall, a snappy reference.

There's a few photos, although they tend to be stock images, offering less of the natural beauty and the architectural innovation than seem fitting for Suomi. Yet, as libraries don't feature many stand-alone titles on this land, properly closer to its Baltic neighbors in ethnicity than to Sweden, and of course distinct from that other occupier of Karelia, Russia, this fills an evening efficiently and briskly.

[Tara van Beurden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Years ago, when I worked in the UK, I got given one of these culture smart books to read to acclimatise myself to the UK culture (which felt kind of hilarious given I'd been there for six weeks by that stage). Either way, I found it quite interesting, so given I'm going to Finland in November, I decided to pick up one for that country. This is an interesting book, even if it is out of date (written in 2005 - talks a lot about Nokia!). Some good tid bits on the culture of Finnish people (quiet, blunt, apparently). Also gives some good info on getting around, communications, the history of the country, things to do etc. I definitely recommend picking up one of these books before an overseas holiday - if its a country you know little about it, they are a great intro.

[Mark Zodda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and clear guide. If only I had this guide some years ago when I first met my Finnish father-in-law. Nah, nothing would have changed, but I would have had a better insight into Finnish people. Some things don't quite jive with my experiences, but overall, I can't think of a better guide than this one.Recommended.

[John Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book is quite informative, although I'll need to wait until I actually get to Finland to find out how accurate/useful it is. There's a bit of duplication (e.g. the joke about Finland being the centre of the world), but overall it's clearly written and not too long, so it's the type of book that you can read cover to cover. It has a decent balance between history (e.g. various wars/invasions) and the current state of the country (e.g. the etiquette for nightclubs).

[Katie Cat Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonfiction. Travel guide. Culture.

A modern guide to Finland and culture.

Compact yet concise. Less about tourist spots to visit and more things to know before you go.

Ideal for visitors and residents.

[LHN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ngắn gọn, đầy đủ những thông tin căn bản cho những ai mới đến Phần Lan, cả tình yêu với thiên nhiên, con người và văn hoá, thoảng qua những điểm mà nhiều người ở xứ sở ngàn hồ e dè khi nói đến.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific overview of everything Finnish. Of course it doesn't delve each topic in detail but, it does give you some very valuable insights into many aspects of Finnish life.