There's a really good book about Scandis and Finns in general. A good laugh too.“Coffee table” tradition sounds like what the Swedish call a “fika”.

The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of th…
Journalist Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavi…
(I've not posted it from Amazon. Please try and order it from your local indie book store if you're not going to need it for a few days.)