Product Description

Why is Finland number one in Global Competitiveness? Why is Finland number one in mobile phones? Why is Finland regularly voted as the least corrupt country in the world? How did Finland become the world leader in managing water resources? Why are Finns regarded as the ideal "peacekeepers"? Why are Finns the world's biggest consumers of coffee and alcohol? Why are Finns the most silent people in Europe? Why is the future Finnish?

Finland, Cultural Lone Wolf is the story of an accomplished nation and her extraordinary people. Pursuing a "Lone Wolf" policy, Finland raised itself from a struggling, war-battered state in 1945 to one of the most developed countries in the world. Finland, blending the individualism of the West with cultural characteristics of the East, has retained its reputation as a stand-alone nation. These remarkable Finns speak a language unique in its origins and have kept their cultural identity intact despite the influences of powerful neighbors, Sweden and Russia. As business partners Finns are unsurpassed in leadership qualities yet inspire the successful team building that created the largest company in Europe. The exponential rise of Nokia from tire and timbers to leading the world's telecommunication industry is indicative of the Finns and their characteristic business style. Uniquely qualified to write about Finland, best-selling author Richard Lewis traces the fascinating Finnish origins, as well as her history and geography. He compares communication styles among the Finns and other cultures, including Asians, Americans and Europeans, and he explores the most dominant cultural values that define the Finns. His extensive experience with Finnish business allows him keen insight on leadership style, negotiation strategies and the uniquely Finnish suomi kuva (Finland image). And Lewis shines when describing the Finnish humor, complete with hilarious jokes and stories.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #205924 in Books
• Published on: 2004-11
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 227 pages

Reference & Research Book News, February 2005
Lewis attributes Finnish achievements in the last century to the culture rather than to political or business prowess.

About the Author
RICHARD D. LEWIS was knighted in 1997 by President Ahtisaari of Finland for his services to the country spanning 50 years. He is chairman of Richard Lewis Communications, an international institute for cross-cultural and language training with offices in more than a dozen countries. Richard Lewis lectures and consults worldwide withclients that include Mercedes-Benz, Nokia, Rolls Royce, Volvo, Deutsche Bank and Unilever. Among his many books are When Cultures Collide and The Cultural Imperative.

Customer Reviews

Very enlightening
Finland, Cultural Lone Wolf
Bought this to get a better undertanding of Finland and it's people to put in perspective the family stories of family members who emigrated to the US at the turn or the century.
Got more than I asked for. I am beginning to understand why I get along with some people better than others. I also can understand why some do not like "Americans".
This was written in an easy to read style. It was written by someone who likes and understands Finland and its people while not being Finnish.
I would recommend it highly.

Disappointing
The author has a business which provides training in languages and cross-cultural communication, primarily to business persons. I can imagine this book stemming from a series of Powerpoint slides, with bulleted lists, from a course on doing business in Finland. It has a narrow agenda, focusing on patterns of communication and leadership. There is very little on Finnish life and culture - on marriage, family, religion, work life... You will come away from it with a lot of generalizations about the Finnish people but no clue as to how they live their lives. The book begins with a brief introductory sketch of the history and geography of Finland and the Finnish language. This is followed by a more detailed discussion of communication, leadership, national character or identity, humor, and comparisons of Finns with other peoples. The author presents a very favorable image of Finns and Finland. In particular, he ceaselessly cites ways in which Finland leads the world. One thing that annoyed me is an excessive reliance on stereotypes and cliches, which are confidently presented as facts, when in fact there are no citations or references to research to support them. Also annoying is the frequent reduction of complex patterns of behavior to simplistic diagrams and typologies (such as "linear-active," "multi-active," and "reactive cultures"). The book is easy to read but redundant and simplistic. I can't recommend it. Try Culture Smart Finland instead.

KNOW THE FINNS AND FINLAND
This book if for anybody who has been to Finland or has dealt with Finns or plans to do either of the above. The author is an Englishman who has dealt with Finns for years in business ventures. He is also somewhat of a social historian and that makes his book very enjoyable. The book is a fast read filled with anecdotes and jokes and also covers how many other
cultures do business in contrast to the Finns including Americans and Japanese. I have dealt with Finns in business and in teaching and this expained a lot of my observations and added some insights.

If vacation or business brings you to Finland this is a must read.

I immediately lent my copy to a friend who has been mystified by his occasionl dealings with this interesting culture.