Review by Choice Review
Finland occupies an odd betwixt and between place in global geography. It is Nordic but not Scandinavian; it sits on the border of Russia but was never communist. Linguist Haarmann (Institute of Archaeomythology), as much a cultural geographer in this book, provides an overview of contemporary Finland by asking questions in his chapter titles. Where did the Finns come from? What ethnic groups make up the country? How did Finland modernize? And he looks at the famous Finnish educational system, for many Americans a key issue. What comes through is the diversity of the country, despite seeming homogenous ethnically (which it is not), and the Finnish people's creativity, resourcefulness, and courage and the history of their resistance to foreign invasion. In a way, Haarmann's book replaces the 1990 country study done by the Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. This book fills a niche that no other English-language book on Finland does, so it is an important purchase for all academic libraries. Summing Up: Essential. All academic levels/libraries. --David S. Azzolina, University of Pennsylvania
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
