Culture Shock! Egypt: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

Culture Shock!

by Susan L. Wilson

A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette in Egypt

Genres: Travel, Egypt, Nonfiction

330 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1998

Reviews

[Zeljka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative book and full of useful advice, although I feel it was a kind of outdated in some aspects. From the year 2011 (the date of the edition I was reading) till today a lot of things happened to Egypt, starting from the revolution, COVID pandemics and the availability of the modern technology. There were palpable advancements in ecological and urban development, which I think all intended to improve living conditions of the Egyptians today. They were visibly better in comparison with the visit I made 13 years ago. Bureaucracy didn't change much, and the global financial crisis is also taking a toll in Egypt. The modern Egypt is more than welcoming the tourists, although they'll still try every trick they know to outwit you in the haggle. Egyptians today are not judging you and your appearance - although it helps to look decent - so please do likewise, don't judge them and their religious and other preferences. Respect their boundaries and they'll respect yours.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

At this point, a lot of the information seems outdated as this book was written in the 90s. There is no mention of New Cairo as a neighborhood option and the government situation is history. This gives a decent overall picture of some things you might encounter in Egypt and is a good first primer on getting your head around things but it certainly isn't enough.

[Cristel Verhaegen · Rating 4 out of 5]

een geweldige reeks en deze over Egypte is bij wijlen hilarisch

[Cesar Guadarrama · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is useful, although I was expecting hoping to understand more business oriented guidance. Also it seems that some of the chapters need to be updated as cultures continuously evolve.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had already been to Egypt several months before I read this book. I enjoyed learning about Egyptian culture, in some cases having knowledge reinforced. I also need a constant reminder that it is a very different culture than the US, and what is acceptable here - smiling, making eye contact, and conversation with the opposite sex - is not acceptable there. In fact, according this book, that awkward, unwanted kiss from the drum merchant could have been handily avoided if I had been a bit more standoffish and avoided all eye contact, friendly conversation or smiling. It seems like a tall order to fill! How ever do you make friends, or, in this high-context culture, make a business deal?

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is this cheating? I know it's a guidebook, but this is the first I've read in the Culture Shock series. It's a whole different ball game than Lonely Planet or what have you. The series is a great preparation for travel, going over all the local customs, key phrases and cultural sensitivities you need to get by. Also good crash-course in history/politics. Immensely helpful. Maybe I should update this review after the trek, then we'll know how helpful it really was!

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as part of my research for a novel I'm writing because one of my characters is part Egyptian, so I was looking for a book that would cover the most basic aspects of the Egyptian culture. This book gave me exactly the kind of knowledge I needed. You can tell that the author knows from experience what she's talking about. Furthermore, the book is well-written and a fairly easy read; it made me want to check out other books in the "Culture Shock!" series.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had some recommendations (cruise ships, tour guides), and was nominally worth reading as a preparation to enter Egypt. I found it interesting, but not intriguing, and the author tended to use the same vocabulary too often. It did lead me to wonder about other Culture Shock books (there is one for Hawaii) and I may read more of the series at some point.

[Kipahni · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good platform to jump off into the egyptian culture. Do not read though if you are looking for suggestions for places to go or other tourist tips. This book is mainly just educates one how to "walk like an egyptian"

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the culture shock books. It gives you a good idea of what to expect for countries that would be culturally different from what I experience on a daily basis. This book prepared me for my vacation and enabled me to experience the Egyptian culture like a native.

[Omm Aburahman Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book its really nice, it gave an idea how western think about Arab