?Nordstrom's work fills a serious gap in English-language reference sources on the Scandinavian countries. The dictionary spans the period from the Viking Age to the present. Entries written by more than 70 contributors cover subjects common to the five Scandinavian countries (for example, women's studies and the welfare state), followed by a detailed discussion of the subject in the various countries. This approach permits the user to learn about the differences between the countries on a particular issue. The dictionary also covers events and personalities unique to each country.... There are five appendixes: a useful bibliography of English-language books on each of the countries, a chronology, lists of prime ministers and governments, presidents of Finland and Iceland, and Monarchs.?-Choice