Table of Contents - 6[-]Introduction - 12[-]CH1: Citizens, Coalitions and the Crown - 20[-]CH2: The Economy of the Polder - 34[-]CH3: Dilemmas of the Welfare State - 46[-]CH4: Randstad Holland - 58[-]CH5: Idealism and Self-Interest in World Politics - 72[-]CH6: From the Periphery to the Center - 86[-]CH7: The Golden Age - 98[-]CH8: A Tradition of Tolerance - 110[-]CH9: Politics between Accommodation and Commotion - 122[-]CH10: The Second World War: Dilemmas of Occupation - 136[-]CH11: The Making of Rembrandt and Van Gogh - 150[-]CH12: Style and Lifestyle in Architecture - 164[-]CH13: Literature, Authors and Public Debate - 180[-]CH14: Three Feminist Waves - 192[-]CH15: Excellence and Egalitarianism in Higher Education - 204[-]CH16: Religious Diversification or Secularization? - 218[-]CH17: Immigration and Multiculturalism - 232[-]CH18: Law in Action - 244[-]CH19: Living with Water - 256[-]CH20: In Foreign Eyes - 268[-]Notes - 280[-]About the Authors - 291[-]Illustrations - 296[-]Index - 298What are the most salient and sparking facts about the Netherlands? This updated edition of 'Discovering the Dutch' tackles the heart of the question of Dutch identity through a number of essential themes that span the culture, history and society of the Netherlands. Running the gamut from the Randstad to the Dutch Golden Age, from William of Orange to Anne Frank, this volume uses a series of vignettes written by academic experts in their fields to address historical and contemporary topics such as immigration, tolerance, and the struggle against water, as well as issues of culture - painting, literature, architecture, and design among them.

All chapters are written by academic experts in their fields who have extensive experience in explaining the many features of "Dutchness" to a foreign audience. Each chapter comes to life in vignettes that illustrate characteristic historical figures or essential aspects in Dutch culture and society from William of Orange and Anne Frank to Dutch cheese and the inevitable coffeeshop.