The Nordic welfare model is for some a Utopia and for others a Dystopia. However, often the views on the Nordic model are not strongly informed by knowledge on how the Nordic model looks and works. In this paper “A recipe for a better life: Experiences from the Nordic countries” ” – we – Heikki Hiilamo, Olli Kangas, Johan Fritzell, Joakim Palme and myself – set out the Nordic experience and describe the Nordic take on social investments. The study was commissioned by the Martti Ahtisaari Centre in Helsinki and led by Hiilamo and Kangas. You can access the paper here.