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1800s: the Nordic countries are among the poorest in Europe. The Swedes are so poor that they auction off orphans as cheap labour.

Our time: the Nordic countries are one of the most successful. They have a high standard of living, high-quality medicine, free education, and the happiest people in the world.

What is the secret? It's in bildung, as the Scandinavians call the comprehensive and harmonious development of the individual and society. The word is German, but it has become a Nordic miracle. Why? Because the Scandinavians turned it from a philosophical concept into a practical idea. They deliberately transformed the education system and tackled the weakest link: they began to cultivate the peasants culturally, intellectually, morally and emotionally. It was nothing special, but over the centuries it changed the Nordic states beyond recognition.

Can this idea be used now, when the world has changed significantly? Is it relevant, for example, for Ukraine? Why is it so important to develop the potential of each individual? These and other questions are answered by the authors of the book.