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Estonia and Finland are linguistic and cultural cousins and have a love-hate relationship. Now foreign readers can also be entertained by the stories. The Kindle version of the book will be available on Amazon starting April 6.
This is probably the first and only work about real life in Finland written by a local taxi driver. The book reveals the true face of Finland and Finnish national character as seen through the eyes of a foreign cabbie. The author shows that Finland is more than its popular image of calm and stoic race car drivers and hot saunas in beautiful woodland landscapes.
Indeed, Finns come in all types - ranging from calm and funny to wild and furious. The author's descriptions of nightlife in Finland are a particular treat. The book contains appearances by other nationalities as well. Part One and Two contain tales about other nationalities – Estonians, Russians, Swedish, Americans, Germans, Jamaicans, Thais and others. The stories vary from pleasant encounters to unpleasant and dangerous episodes.
The book includes many photos and maps, doubles as a phrasebook, and includes over 90 references about different people and places in Finland.
The book is not recommended for aesthetes and persons under the age of 18!
: “The book was published in Estonia at the end of last year. At first, many people who had not read the book were convinced that it could have been a little more diplomatic. But the people who did read it didn’t have the same opinion. The purpose of the book is not to vilify or offend anybody. The purpose of the book is to show that Finns and Finland can be really different from the stereotypes. As we know, there are a lot of non-Finns who imagine Finland as a calm, calculating, even staid nation. I have several good acquaintances and friends among Finns and I like Finland as a country a lot. Furthermore, it’s like my second homeland. In some stories, I wanted to show the things that can happen in taxis in Finnish nightlife. I’m quite sure that can be pretty uncomfortable for some people. But in my opinion a taxi is a service area just like a bus, a train or even a grocery store where we should act politely.“
A free abridged version of the full-length book can be downloaded here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/515945
You can find additional information about the book and Finland here: http://lifeinfinland.net/
About the author – Tommi has worked in marketing and sales for over 15 years, selling newspapers, books and alcohol products. He has a degree in international business administration.
After he was laid off, he traveled all over Europe. He worked on farms in Germany, in construction in the Nordic countries and, of course, in the taxi business in Finland. He’s like the average Estonian, who has done a bit of everything in his life to pay his bills.
Please find a free abridged version of the full-length book in attachment.
For additional information, please contact Tommi.Topelund@gmail.com