Welcome to the 21st Century or, rather, 21st Century Wellness and Wellbeing.
Wander the aisles of any bookstore and you may find yourself perusing the numerous volumes of self-help books. If you look at one particular one, with an orange cover, you will also see that, to quote Bob Dylan, the times they are a-changin’.
No longer do we need to seek out the psychologically-sound approach of self-help, driven by a need to understand our psyche, our self-doubting, and our fears (particularly the Fear of Missing Out, or FOMO). No more! What we need to understand and embrace is the Finnish way. The way of Päntsdrunk: The Finnish Art of Drinking at Home. Alone. In your Underwear.
This is not a tome that encourages the Western World’s out of control binge drinking, but rather is a guide to the reasoning and rationale for embracing the bottle, its contents and the freedom that comes from imbibing, whilst wrapped in the safety of your own home and freed from the oppression of tight-fitting clothes.
Rantanen’s book gives you the foundations, the methodologies, the accompaniments (from clothing to snacks), and the reflections of those who have been successful in the utilisation of Päntsdrunk for personal freedom and enlightenment.
Like any good self-help guide, all you need to succeed is contained within these pages, including:
- The 100 Top Reasons for Päntsdrunk
- A Guide to Social Media Use while Päntsdrunk
- The Activities to Avoid while Päntsdrunk.
It’s all there and more, including an assessment of media representation, both right and wrong, and identification of your big and small screen Päntsdrunk heroes.
In all seriousness, though – and I do mean this sincerely – Päntsdrunk is, ultimately, an allusion to why the Finnish people are continually recognised as the happiest people in the world. It’s your path from now to Zen.
Reviewed by Glen Christie
Rating out of 10: 9
Distributed by: Penguin Random House Australia
Released: September 2018
RRP: $29.99 hardcover
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