Secrets of the Sprakkar: What the Outstanding Women of Iceland Know about Equality [B1287]

2022 HCDJ. Eliza Reid, the First Lady of Iceland, examines her adopted homeland's attitude toward women--the deep-seated cultural sense of fairness, the influence of current and historical role models, and, crucially, the areas where Iceland still has room for improvement. Iceland is the best place on earth to be a woman--but why? For the past twelve years, the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report has ranked Iceland number one on its list of countries closing the gap in equality between men and women. What is it about Iceland that makes many women's experience there so positive? Why has their society made such meaningful progress in this ongoing battle, from electing the world's first female president to passing legislation specifically designed to help even the playing field at work and at home? And how can we learn from what Icelanders have already discovered about women's powerful place in society and how increased fairness benefits everyone? Reid's own experience as an immigrant from small-town Canada who never expected to become a first lady is expertly interwoven with interviews with dozens of sprakkar("extraordinary women") to form the backbone of an illuminating discussion of what it means to move through the world as a woman, and how the rules of society play more of a role in who we view as "equal" than we may understand. Secrets of the Sprakkaris a powerful and atmospheric portrait of a tiny country that could lead the way forward for us all.

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Having visited Iceland in 2017, I was immensely interested in hearing the stories Canadian Immigrant and now First Lady of Iceland had to share on gender equality in Iceland. The stories of these highly accomplished yet simple women is an inspirational story for all of us."; "What's so striking is how Reid blends joy and struggle, optimism and realism. Her interviews with Icelandic women reveal a quiet revolution, one that's redefining gender equality without the drama, simply by insisting on equal space. It's a book that asks big questions about how we value women's work, but it also leaves you feeling inspired and empowered, offering a blueprint for what a truly equal world could look like."; "Interesting about Iceland - made me want to live there."; "I really enjoyed this book, especially since I had been in Iceland in recent years. Eliza Reid relates easily and often humorously to her readers. I will say that I felt some of the chapters were somewhat redundant near the end, but, overall, the book was inspiring and even motivating. It also brought me right back to my travels there."