Behave Yourself!: The Essential Guide to International Etiquette

by Michael Powell

Paperback, 2005

Status

Available

Call number

395.09

Genres

Collection

Travel

Publication

Insiders' Guide (2005), Edition: Second, Paperback, 144 pages

Description

This book is for travelers heading away from home who are unsure whether to kiss the air, shake hands, or bow; what to wear; and how to eat, speak, or dress. Learn how to walk the walk and talk the talk in foreign climes with this stylish reference book, an essential guide for those traveling abroad. Very easy to use and organized by country, Behave Yourself is a must for those traveling or doing business away from their natural habitat. Special icons identify helpful information on * Greeting* Eating & Drinking* Physicality * Dress * Gifts & TipsCountries discussed include: * Argentina* Australia* Austria* Belgium* Brazil* Bulgaria* Canada* Chile* China* Croatia* The Czech Republic* Denmark* Egypt* Finland* France* Germany* Greece* Hong Kong* Hungary* Iceland* India* Israel* Italy* Japan* Mexico* Morocco* The Netherlands* New Zealand* Norway* Pakistan0* Poland* Portugal* Romania* Russia* Saudi Arabia* Singapore* South Africa* Spain* Sweden* Switzerland* Taiwan* Thailand* Turkey* United Kingdom* United States… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member nmhale

This short book is devoted to the bit of travel advice that is often underdeveloped in other guides: the unspoken rules of different countries, the hidden culture. The book dedicates between two to four pages to fifty different countries, detailing in quick bits the cultural mores that attend such

daily rituals as dining, meeting and greeting, gift giving, and so on. The text is accompanied by lovely full and half page photographs. We received this book as a gift for our China trip, but I had so much fun reading about the differences in other countries that I read the entire thing. Did you know that in some countries it's rude to back away from physical nearness, but in others it's rude to get too close? Or that in another country, nodding means no? That the okay sign is considered obscene in some locales? I was fascinated by how different and similar cultures can be. Some of the "rules" I already knew, but many of them caught me by complete surprise. I even read up on countries I already visited, like Germany and Switzerland, and was embarrassed to recognize some of the mistakes I made. Made me wish that I had read this book earlier! Of course, this is no in depth exploration of cultures, not with a maximum of four pages per country. If you are planning a long trip to another country, or want to learn more about the culture, this isn't the book for you. However, if you are planning a short vacation, this is a great book to check out for quick tips, besides being just fun to read and learn some of the quirks of a lot of different countries.
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