Lagom - The Swedish Secret of Living Well

Now for something really different... a book! A friend, fellow blogger and Rival fan, Lola A Åkerström, has written a great book called "Lagom - The Swedish Secret of Living Well". I don't usually write about books in this blog, but I am currently reading (and enjoying) it and thought that this would be a good book for visitors to Stockholm (pre or post trip) who want to understand the Swedish way of living a little better.

The Swedish word lagom basically means "just the right amount" (as a concept it means so much more) and it has been bubbling in the collective international consciousness for several years now, recently becoming more on trend as the latest Swedish export to the world. We have exported cars, music, furniture, fashion... so why not a concept/word? Over the years I have seen lagom mentioned in articles about Stockholm or Sweden, often as being a word (along with fika) with no direct word-to-word English translation available. But lately there have even been articles completely devoted to the concept. So a book about lagom seems perfectly timed! Nigerian-born and American-educated, Lola has now called Stockholm her home for years along with her Swedish husband and children and this makes her perspective on lagom all the more interesting. She is an award winning photographer and travel writer and her work has appeared in The Guardian, National Geographic Traveler, Lonely Planet, BBC, CNN, New York Times and much more. And for extra recommendations on what to see & do in Stockholm, keep your eyes on the website Slow Travel Stockholm where she is editor-in-chief. "Lagom - The Swedish Secret of Living Well" can be found now in book shops or to order online. Learn the secret!