Product Description

Enjoy Germany and its culture without feeling like a Dummkopf. Do you want to blend in when visiting Berlin? To feel like you belong in Bavaria? "When in Germany, Do as the Germans Do" makes it simple! If you long to navigate the narrow streets of an Alpine village unnoticed or go to a movie in Munich without turning heads, transform yourself from a typical tourist into a connoisseur of culture. With this crash course in German customs and heritage, you'll avoid embarrassing blunders and enrich your travel experience. Packed with almost one hundred articles, this handy collection of cultural dos and don'ts covers a broad range of topics, including food, art, pop culture, politics, business, entertainment, home life, history, and education. In these pages, you'll find authoritative answers to questions such as: At a restaurant, should I find my own table or wait to be seated? What is a suitable topic for small talk with a stranger in Germany? Are gas stations open on Sundays? What Goethe novel swept the world in the 1770s? Where do Germans get their fascination with the American Wild West? Can I use an ATM card in Germany? With light-hearted quizzes, cool Internet addresses, and up-to-date insights into all aspects of German culture, "When in Germany, Do as the Germans Do" will delight everyone from students and tourists to armchair travelers and trivia buffs.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #103560 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

From the Back Cover

Enjoy Germany and its culture without feeling like a Dummkopf

Do you want to blend in when visiting Berlin? To feel like you belong in Bavaria? When in Germany, Do as the Germans Do makes it simple! If you long to navigate the narrow streets of an Alpine village unnoticed or go to a movie in Munich without turning heads, transform yourself from a typical tourist into a connoisseur of culture. With this crash course in German customs and heritage, you'll avoid embarrassing blunders and enrich your travel experience.

Packed with almost one hundred articles, this handy collection of cultural dos and don'ts covers a broad range of topics, including food, art, pop culture, politics, business, entertainment, home life, history, and education. In these pages, you'll find authoritative answers to questions such as:

• At a restaurant, should I find my own table or wait to be seated?
• What is a suitable topic for small talk with a stranger in Germany?
• Are gas stations open on Sundays?
• What Goethe novel swept the world in the 1770s?
• Where do Germans get their fascination with the American Wild West?
• Can I use an ATM card in Germany?

With light-hearted quizzes, cool Internet addresses, and up-to-date insights into all aspects of German culture, When in Germany, Do as the Germans Do will delight everyone from students and tourists to armchair travelers and trivia buffs.

About the Author

Hyde Flippo is a German teacher, author, and online guide for the About.com site on German language.

Customer Reviews

Perhaps I don't get the German sense of humour?
No fun to read, very little information, no real insight into the German character, many of the "facts" are contradicted by my personal experiences. How does the revelation that German post offices are a lot more modern than they used to be clue me in? Why does it deserve a star at all? It's short and cheap.

Fine but not the easiest book to read
This book is geared for the American market, so loses a bit of impact for UK readers. It could perhaps have been better, if written in plain english, rather than giving the impression of being a bit padded out. It does have some useful information though

Author should have done more research!
Author seems unaware that English people (as opposed to Americans) do not have a hang-up about the word toilet. He also commits a faux pas by listing famous German companies including Adidas but ommitting to mention Puma - this is a bit like a list of famous American brands that mentions Coca-cola but not Pepsi.