Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #115952 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 302 pages

Synopsis
"The CultureShock!" series is a dynamic and indispensable range of guides for those travellers who are looking to truly understand the countries they are visiting. Each title explains the customs, traditions, social and business etiquette in a lively and informative style."CultureShock!" authors, all of whom have experienced the joys and pitfalls of cultural adaptation, are ideally placed to provide warm and informative advice to those who seek to integrate seamlessly into diverse cultures. The books in this series have a friendly and honest writing style and are full of personal experiences, practical advice and useful information.Each "CultureShock!" book contains: insights into the people and their culture and traditions; advice on adapting into the local environment; linguistic help and hints on how to learn the language and do business; a useful list of foreign words and phrases and a comprehensive resource guide; information on how to get the most out of your travel experience; discussion about "CultureShock!"

; Table of Contents; Introduction/Preface/Acknowledgements/Dedication; and, Map - First Impressions, Overview of Land and History, People, Fitting into Society/Socialising with the Locals, Settling In, Food and Entertainment, Enjoying the Culture/Travel, Learning the Language, Doing Business, and Fast Facts.This book also contains: Culture Quiz; Do's and Don'ts; Glossary; Resource Guide; Further Reading;and information about the author. It is intended for expatriate workers settling into a new assignment in a foreign land. They could be single or married with and without families. It is suitable for visitors planning a long-term stay in a foreign country for other reasons other than work e.g. students, short-term overseas attachment, volunteer workers etc.; tourists who are more interested in getting to know the culture and people of a country than the usual tourist spots; and, inquisitive armchair travellers.

About the Author
CultureShock! authors, all of whom have experienced the joys and pitfalls of cultural adaptation, are ideally placed to provide warm and informative advice to those who seek to integrate seamlessly into diverse cultures. The books in this series have a friendly and honest writing style and are full of personal experiences, practical advice and useful information.

Customer Reviews

For anyone with Finnish connections, this is a must!
The book is well written and an easy and engaging read. The author seems to be very perceptive in her observations, and well researched. After I finished reading this, I made my Finnish husband read it, and he has been laughing out loud at his own nation. I personally agree with 90% of the author's views, but I must say I would never describe Finnish summers as humid, and as for there not being a Finnish 'look' - well, I can spot a Finn a mile off!

Strong on culture but flawed as a guidebook
We bought this book for a slightly different perspective on Finland, in advance of a two-week trip there, as we wanted to know a little bit more about the character of Finland than guide books would tell us. Mostly, this book served us well in that respect, giving a bit more detail about the nature of Finnish culture, why Finns behave the way they do, common mistakes and faux pas for foreigners to avoid when in the country, that kind of thing. Besides the writing style being a tiny bit glib, this book does that job well.

What did disappoint me about this book is that it doesn't appear to have been checked over during a recent re-write. Facts and figures change during the course of the book- for example on page 131 the Winter motorway driving speed is listed as 80kmph, but two pages later apparently it's 100kmph? The distance of Helsinki Vantaa airport from the city centre changes between chapters as well. With little mistakes like this it does undermine your trust in using the book as a definitive guide.

So, strong on the Culture but a little flawed as a guidebook.