This book claims to contain "everything you need to know for business and travel success." It is divided into sections organized by culture (for example, Latin culture) that are further divided into chapters organized by country (for example, Italy and Spain are Latin cultures that each have their own chapters). Each chapter is organized the same way and shares that country's customs, manners (etiquette!) necessary for a successful business trip to that country; it offers insights into how and why a specific country's people behave in a certain way. Each chapter opens with brief descriptions of the country's history and culture as a people before getting into other details, like government and demography or its educational system.
While it is interesting to read about the differences and similarities in customs, peoples, and their respective behaviors and histories, chapter after chapter of the same organizational structure--right down to repetition of phrases word for word!--gets monotonous and boring after the first three or four chapters. Many times the accompanying explanations and descriptions of a country's history or background lacked sufficient detail. That's probably the point and why they're brief, but I still felt like I wanted to look up a more detailed discussion of a country's culture and its customs after the each chapter.
Ultimately, this book is an interesting read, and if you are making a trip to another country, it is a good starting place for research. It is available upon request from Lebanon Community Library.
--Reviewed by Ms. Angie
While it is interesting to read about the differences and similarities in customs, peoples, and their respective behaviors and histories, chapter after chapter of the same organizational structure--right down to repetition of phrases word for word!--gets monotonous and boring after the first three or four chapters. Many times the accompanying explanations and descriptions of a country's history or background lacked sufficient detail. That's probably the point and why they're brief, but I still felt like I wanted to look up a more detailed discussion of a country's culture and its customs after the each chapter.
Ultimately, this book is an interesting read, and if you are making a trip to another country, it is a good starting place for research. It is available upon request from Lebanon Community Library.
--Reviewed by Ms. Angie
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