The Almost Nearly Perfect People

Booth does what the British do well. He writes irresistibly, ranging freely from serious, documented reportage to surprising conclusions... Simply a pleasure to read - 5 stars

Berlingske

You get cleverer by reading him... funny and insightful - 4 stars

Jyllands Posten

The closest of this year’s books to manna from heaven - 5 stars

Weekendavisen

Comprehensive and occasionally downright hilarious... I was laughing out loud

Mariella Frostrup, Observer

Every page contains at least one extraordinary fact about one or other of the Nordic countries.

Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday

Booth is an assiduous excavator of entertaining facts.

Damian Whitworth, The Times

His personal insights are what gives this book its charm and it is a well-researched, up-to-date and relevant survey of an extremely appealing topic.

Rosanna Hawkins, We Love This Book

An enjoyable, funny romp through the region...[Booth’s] enthusiasm is contagious.

Telegraph

A welcome rejoinder to those who cling to the idea of the Nordic region as a promised land...the substance, more often than not, is spot on.

Financial Times

The real joy of the book is the accumulation of trivia: the fact that there are more saunas than cars in Finland, that in 1971 the Swedish army ordered 50,000 hairnets so its soldiers could indulge the fashion for men to have long hair.

Alwyn Turner, Daily Telegraph

A thoroughly entertaining read, written brilliantly

Bernard Porter, Literary Review

A gently humorous and fact-rich piece of reportage.

New Statesman

An affectionate and informative study of a region.

Ian Critchley, Sunday Times

Humorous and very readable... If all those references to the wonders of the Nordic world ever become too irritating, this is the book to turn to.

Douglas Osler, Scotsman

Entertaining stuff and very readable.

Susie Mesure, Independent on Sunday

The book was funny, well written and to the point.

Finnair Blue Wings Magazine

[An] entertaining, warts-and-all, English expat look at the Nordic miracle.

Daily Telegraph

Illuminating.

Financial Times

Highly entertaining… If your Nordic knowledge is limited to ABBA, snow and Vikings, read this book… The Almost Nearly Perfect People will give you new perspectives and questions to mull over the next time you hear of another lifestyle ranking topped by the Nordic nations.

Anna Vesterinen, Rationalist

If you want travel writing amply packed with laughs, look no farther than Michael Booth’s The Almost Nearly Perfect People…, which does for the Scandinavian countries what James Bond has done for fast cars – made them impossible to resist. It’s a ride not to miss.

Tom Adair, Scotsman

Filled with facts, and some very funny escapades, it’s a great guide to understanding the utopian myth of these seemingly "perfect" countries.

Bill Bailey, Week

If your Nordic knowledge is limited to ABBA, snow and Vikings, read this book. Even if you are a seasoned traveller, or one of the "humbly proud" inhabitants, The Almost Nearly Perfect People will give you new perspectives and questions to mull over.

Anna Vesterinen, New Humanist