Going Dutch in Beijing

by Mark McCrum

New

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite well written and appropriately funny at just the right moments. It was arranged topic wise not country wise, so it is more of reading for fun than for an actual traveler, but the author has given a list of books at the end which covers the cultural rules of specific countries.

It covered all countries but mainly divided it into the east and the west. The main focus being on countries in Africa, Northern Europe, East Asia and of course the USA and the UK.

[Camilla Spagnolo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Delusione. Accozzaglia di luoghi comuni, alcuni perfino falsi, senza alcun approfondimento. Letto in una serata, ma meno male che era della biblioteca

[Marzia · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Il viaggiatore maldestro - Le gaffe e i modi per evitarle" M. McCrum: 2
Me l'aspettavo molto più divertente invece l'ho trovato solo nozionistico.
Il libro è diviso in argomenti salienti come 'gesti', 'saluti', 'abiti e regali' o 'i rapporti con l'altro sesso'. Ogni capitolo ha quindi un tema preciso in cui l'autore ha cercato di riassumere la visione di varie culture in poche righe. Se da un lato può essere interessante, dall'altro è assai poco esaustivo e non entra in dettaglio su nulla. L'idea è molto carina, ma non trovo che sia un libro utile nè dal punto di vista del semplice intrattenimento nè per evitarsi le tanto temute gaffe.

[Ryan Devlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for the world traveler or the traveling soul alike. I myself don't travel as often as I wish I could, but this book is a nice read for someone like me who likes knowing those random facts that are great icebreakers. I think that my favorite part of the book is the index, as the author tells you that this book is not a guide per-say as it is a guide rail. It's not something to follow to the letter, but a good reference when needed.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing overview of habits and customs around the world. It only hits the big players or outliers though, so lots is overlooked.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wouldn't use this as a comprehensive guide by any means but it's very eye-opening and interesting!

[Nippon]

L'autore ha saputo dividere bene gli argomenti toccando tutti i paesi insieme e non uno alla volta. Forse sarebbe stato bene farlo per avere un quadro preciso per ogni nazione, ma anche così non è malvagio. Su halloween c'è un'imprecisione: non è proprio una festa cristiana! I cristiani li onorano, li portano dei fiori, pregano per loro e credono nella resurrezione. Non si vestono in maschera o cercano di spaventarli e scacciarli via. Sono due concetti completamente diversi, quindi se le cose stanno così, chissà quanti altri errori ci sono!

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought when I picked this up that it was going to be anecdotal examples but it is organized more like a reference book - but it isn't a particularly comprehensive or well organized to serve as a reference book (there is an index, at least).

If you were going to a particular country and wanted to make sure you didn't make any cultural errors, this book wouldn't give you a sold background. It isn't clear that isn't good for anything.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skimmed this book for what not to do in China, reading most of it in course. The book is arranged topically rather than by country, so it's most interesting if you want to know how cultures compare in different areas, (e.g., business, greetings, hand gestures, dating, table manners, etc.).

[Philia · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very clever book title which caught my attention!

Some interesting discovery about the different customs and habits of people in our global village!

It's an okay read!

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and interesting quick read about international customs and traditions.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, quick read, but too scattered to be really useful.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good culture junkie fix. Not as long, detailed, or business-focused as "Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands", but fascinating and entertaining to read

[Ben Rogers]

Informative... but pretty dull...

[Emily Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. It is a great guide to being culturally aware when abroad

[Tampines House]

B21059163E

[Blowersdaughter · Rating 1 out of 5]

L'idea attrae, ma in realtà l'ho trovato per la maggior parte monotono e per niente originale. Un paio di chicche ci sono, ma vanno cercate. Da sfogliare nei tempi morti.

[Theut · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mi aspettavo un libro un po' più strutturato, invece, almeno per quanto riguarda le usanze di un paio di paesi, ci sono molte imprecisioni/incongruenze.

[Ffiamma · Rating 3 out of 5]

buffo, anche se non sempre preciso (i luoghi comuni su francesi e italiani non sono sempre veri)

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice book of the things you should and not do around the world.

[Lorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast and fun read.

[JMJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Entirely repetitive and uninteresting.