One of the stranger trends in publishing recently has been the spate of self-help books espousing Scandinavian lifestyle advice based upon practices that are embedded in the cultures of countries like Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and most recently, Finland.
Katja Pantzar is a Canadian of Finnish descent and when she went to Finland she discovered that many Finns have lifestyles that they would describe as being "Sisu." So what is "Sisu?" In her book "The Finnish Way - Finding Courage, Wellness, and Happiness Through the Power of Sisu" the author attempts to capture some of the elements of what the Finns mean by that.
The author reveals how she adopted a rather extreme swimming habit that she soon recognized was emblematic of "Sisu." She began swimming in the ocean every day in the dead of winter for just a moment, then she would head for the sauna. The Finns possess more saunas per capita than just about anybody.
Then she started riding her bicycle year round in all sorts of weather. She took long walks out in nature. She began eating a healthier diet. Are you starting to obtain a sense of "Sisu" yet? Listen to the interview for more suggestions of how you can embrace this lifestyle. And if you are intrigued just wait because I guarantee that there will be another book coming out about Sisu before you know it. Actually, I just checked Amazon.com and I see there's another book about "Sisu" slated to be released this fall just in time for the winter swimming season!
The Book Nook on WYSO is presented by the Greene County Public Library with additional support from Washington-Centerville Public Library, Clark County Public Library, Dayton Metro Library, and Wright Memorial Public Library.
