The Monocle team heads north in this celebration of all things Nordic. This heavily illustrated book from Monocle is a celebration of the Nordic region, featuring some surprises, quirks—and maybe a sauna or two— along the way. Monocle’s journalists, editors, and photographers have returned time and again to all corners of northern Europe for insights, inspiration, and ideas for living better. This book isn’t about hammering the overhyped hygge trend or fussing over foamy food. Much the opposite—it’s about a shared but distinct set of values that have helped these nations excel in quiet diplomacy, thoughtful design, and reasoned debate. Monocle looks beyond the clichés and uncovers the people, companies, and stories that help the Nordic region rank highly in everything from art and architecture to eating well. Far from lumping these different nations together, the Monocle team will highlight the people, places and products that show the Nordics in all their nuances: lessons we can all learn from makers in Norway’s high north or retailers reaching higher in Reykjavík; the firms building bridges in Denmark or selling Swedish soft power abroad. The world can learn a lot from these northern countries and The Monocle Book of the Nordics is the ideal place to start.

The Monocle team celebrates the endlessly fascinating and culturally rich country of Japan.

Monocle's latest book unpacks what makes a perfect shopping experience and offers tips on how to launch, design and run your own store. A must-have guide. The world of retail has never been so -challenged thanks to a mix of e-commerce, unimaginative brand owners and greedy landlords. Yet while many stores have -stumbled, a new generation of storekeepers and department store owners is arising. Is this the dawn of a new, independent age of bricks and mortar retail? Since launch the retail world has been one of the pillars of Monocle's editorial -coverage. On their travels around the world, the magazine's editors are constantly looking for well-designed fit-outs, the people setting new benchmarks in service and the stores offering the smartest product mix. At the heart of all this is an understanding that a memorable shopping experience relies on a delicate balance of an inviting space, a warm welcome and a sense of discovery (not to mention covetable products)--but an understanding, too, that shops and shopkeepers play an indispensable role in creating lively neighbourhoods and vibrant high streets. This new book from Monocle reveals the global media brand's 100 favourite shops worldwide, from the independent fashion boutique to the department store that takes up a city block. It also offers a few top tips and advice on how to launch and run your own retail venture, as well as a collection of sharp essays and snappy interviews. The Monocle Guide to Shops, Kiosks and Markets is a handbook for any aspiring shopkeeper, stocking a wealth of insight and inspiration.

Which cities offer the best quality of life? How do you build a good school? How do you run a city? Who makes the best coffee? And how do you start your own inspirational business? With chapters on the city, culture, travel, food, and work, the book also provides answers to some key questions. Works as a guide but also includes essays that explore what makes a great city, how to make a home and why culture is good for you

At a time of unprecedented change in the way we work, the editors of Monocle are here to help us envision, create, and make a success of a new business or reboot an existing one. As we face a world that is undergoing unparalleled change, no area is more dynamic than business. To help us understand, navigate, and succeed in this new world, the team at Monocle brings together its unique knowledge of culture, politics, economics, and business. Featuring stories of people running enterprises on every scale, the inspirational tales in this book provide readers with insights into the challenges and joys of creativity and entrepreneurship. These unmatched case studies reveal, among many success stories, how leaders choose branding, hire teams, and design workspaces for today’s needs. Whether you are planning to make a life change, start a new business, or reinvigorate an existing one, The Monocle Book of Entrepreneurs is a resource for anyone who wants to make a difference in their work and life.

The Christian Science Monitor's #1 Best Book of the Year A witty, informative, and popular travelogue about the Scandinavian countries and how they may not be as happy or as perfect as we assume, “The Almost Nearly Perfect People offers up the ideal mixture of intriguing and revealing facts” (Laura Miller, Salon). Journalist Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavians for more than ten years, and he has grown increasingly frustrated with the rose-tinted view of this part of the world offered up by the Western media. In this timely book he leaves his adopted home of Denmark and embarks on a journey through all five of the Nordic countries to discover who these curious tribes are, the secrets of their success, and, most intriguing of all, what they think of one another. Why are the Danes so happy, despite having the highest taxes? Do the Finns really have the best education system? Are the Icelanders as feral as they sometimes appear? How are the Norwegians spending their fantastic oil wealth? And why do all of them hate the Swedes? In The Almost Nearly Perfect People Michael Booth explains who the Scandinavians are, how they differ and why, and what their quirks and foibles are, and he explores why these societies have become so successful and models for the world. Along the way a more nuanced, often darker picture emerges of a region plagued by taboos, characterized by suffocating parochialism, and populated by extremists of various shades. They may very well be almost nearly perfect, but it isn’t easy being Scandinavian.

From the team at Monocle, a look at some of the coziest and most creative homes around the world. Good homes are places where lives unfold, families grow up, dogs jump on sofas, and friends share meals. They’re also spaces to find some solitude—a quiet corner to read a book or have a Saturday afternoon nap. Homes need to do it all—they sustain you, inspire you, and tell your story through architecture, design, and collections. Monocle has always celebrated everything that makes a space a home when covering residences—whether featuring a city hideaway, a modernist seaside residence, or a summer outpost in a forest. The Monocle team brings this all together in one volume that explores individual homes, housing projects old and new, communities of self-builders, even whole neighborhoods where a simple philosophy of building well has created quality of life for many. The Monocle Book of the Home is packed with great photography that delivers the bigger picture and the smallest details alongside fascinating essays full of advice by key thinkers, writers, and designers. As we spend more time at home than ever, this is a book that could change how you live.

A timely handbook helping readers think about how to slow down, reconnect, and live a gentler life. Monocle has always been a champion of taking it slow. Past issues have encouraged readers to dive into a lake and go for a run. To sleep well. To eat food made with love. Even today, in a tense moment in history, the magazine has done its bit to argue for a new modern etiquette where communities are generous with their time, hospitality, and forgiveness. Now its editors and correspondents have brought all of this together into one volume with The Monocle Manifesto for a Gentler Life, a book that urges us all to slow down, reconnect, make good things, and think about the spaces we call home. Some of the highlights of this volume include: An illustrated guide to being nice, respecting your neighbors, and controlling your social media rants; practical tips on how to design a house that’s good for you and your family; Q&As with the people who have decided to take a gentler approach to work and living; and a celebration of locally made food—with featured recipes—as well as the chefs that bring people together. The helpful tips and insights in this guide make it the perfect handbook for anyone looking to slow down and enjoy life.

This critical and empirically based volume examines the multiple existing Nordic models, providing analytically innovative attention to the multitude of circulating ideas, images and experiences referred to as "Nordic". It addresses related paradoxes as well as patterns of circulation, claims about the exceptionality of Nordic models, and the diffusion and impact of Nordic experiences and ideas. Providing original case studies, the book further examines how the Nordic models have been constructed, transformed and circulated in time and in space. It investigates the actors and channels that have been involved in circulating models: journalists and media, bureaucrats and policy-makers, international organizations, national politicians and institutions, scholars, public diplomats and analyses where and why models have travelled. Finally, the book shows that Nordic models, perspectives, or ideas do not always originate in the Nordic region, nor do they always develop as deliberate efforts to promote Nordic interests. This book will be of key interest to Nordic and Scandinavian studies, European studies, and more broadly to history, sociology, political science, marketing, social policy, organizational theory and public management. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

Discover how the happiest people on earth survive—and thrive—through tough times using inner strength and courage. Sisu is a powerful mindset that makes Finland one of the happiest countries in the world, despite long winters, social isolation, and a history of challenging times. In Everyday Sisu, journalist Katja Pantzar explores the simple practices that make Finnish life so stable, sustainable, and healthy for body and mind, even when life doesn’t go as planned. You’ll discover ways to boost your mental and physical resilience to face life’s challenges head-on, including: • connecting with nature • strengthening community • using what you have • reframing what you can’t control • adopting a solutions mindset • finding strength in the struggle Featuring insights from Finnish experts in mental health, wellness, sustainability, social justice, and more, this practical and empowering guide presents a road map for overcoming what you thought you couldn’t—and finding hope and tools to create a brighter way forward.