On my fall trip to Europe, I spotted Ben Coates’ Why the Dutch are Different at a Waterstones Bookshop in London. Just a few days later, I would be traveling with my husband via Eurostar to Amsterdam, so I thought this would be the perfect book for the second half of my trip. I even started reading it on our train journey.

If you are traveling to the Netherlands or interested in the Netherlands, Coates’ book is a fantastic dive into the history and culture of the country. I think many people know about the tulip craze in the Netherlands, but I had no idea that the Netherlands was the world’s first financial center and had the world’s first stock market. I even visited the financial area on my recent trip.

I suspect that many people have the notion that the Netherlands, specifically the city of Amsterdam, is just one big hedonistic party, but Coates explains how this image is not accurate. He shares the Dutch view of the concept of tolerance, which should not be confused for acceptance or even mean that certain behaviors are legal. For example, many tourists mistakenly believe that marijuana is legal in Amsterdam, but it is not. It is tolerated. Meaning, you can buy it at certain coffee shops and consume it specific areas, and generally, the police will turn a blind-eye to the situation, even though, technically, it is illegal. Historically, this has also been the case for prostitution, however, recent legal changes have been made to legitimize sex workers.

In the past, the concept of tolerance has also been used for religion, for example, when protestants were the dominate religious group. and it was illegal to practice catholicism. I went on a walking tour of Amsterdam, where a hidden catholic church was pointed out and we were told that in the 1600’s, catholics would attend mass here. There was a pretense of secrecy, although the hidden church was well-known amongst local protestants and tolerated, as long as the pretense of secrecy was maintained.

Coates explains the Netherland’s unique geographical position and the use of windmills to pump water and reclaim land. He explores the diverse cultures and religions that coexist in the country, including the influence of the Netherland’s former colonies. On my first trip to the Netherlands, I learned that Surinam was a former colony. People from former colony were given the choice to immigrate to the Netherlands, so today, there is a vibrant Surinamese community. On my first trip to Amsterdam, I went on a food tour and we visited a Surinamese sandwich shop. The flavors were nothing like I had ever tasted and absolutely delicious.

These are just a few of the topics that Coates explores in Why the Dutch are Different. The Netherlands is a unique country that has made a big impact on the larger world. It’s fascinating to see how the Dutch have handled changes within their culture and with their landscape, both through the centuries and in the present day.