Don’t just see the sights—get to know the people.
The French are different. You'll often hear this in conversations among the Anglo-Saxons, as the French like to call English speakers. Different means charming, challenging, questioning, stylish, and doing things in their own way and to their own advantage.
By looking at the attitudes and values of the French, and explaining how French life and business works, Culture Smart! France shows you how to fit in as a foreigner. It gives practical advice on how to avoid faux pas and how to behave in different contexts. It takes you through French history, festivals, and traditions, and describes the French at home and at work. Above all, it shows you how the French communicate, and how to get the best out of this idiosyncratic and brilliant people.
Have a more meaningful and successful time abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on values, attitudes, customs, and daily life will help you make the most of your visit, while tips on etiquette and communication will help you navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.
This collection of Culture Smart guidebooks introduces listeners to Italy, Germany, and Spain.
Each guidebook includes concise chapters on the local customs, traditions, and values of the country's inhabitants and, crucially, the key historical and cultural events that have shaped them. There are sections on social and business etiquette, tips on communication, both verbal and non-verbal, and advice on how to be a good guest.
The guidebooks on Italy and Germany are written by Barry Tomalin. The guidebook on Spain is written by Bélen Aguado Viguer and Marian Meaney.
Italy delights and stimulates with its magnificent cities and monuments, stunningly beautiful landscapes, the glory of its art and architecture, the richness and variety of its food, the elegance of its design and fashion, and the vitality and charm of its people. Italian style and culture have been exported all over the world. At home, however, Italian society and politics are facing challenges as the country struggles to maintain its standard of living, the stability of its currency, and its ability to provide jobs. The influx of refugees across the Mediterranean is putting pressure on both its social fabric and its economy. Culture Smart! Italy is an insider's guide to their daily lives, passions, and preoccupations. It introduces you to their history and culture and provides vital information and practical tips to help smooth your path in different social situations.
Germany-the powerhouse of Europe and pillar of the Eurozone-feels reassuringly familiar. However, despite superficial appearances, this is a country that operates very differently from the USA and Britain. German history is more than a thousand years old and the relatively new German nation-state encompasses an astonishing variety of cultural and regional differences. German society is also in a state of flux, as people respond to immigration and a tough economic climate, and traditional attitudes such as formality and rigid protocol are softening as German business globalizes. Culture Smart! Germany sets out to show you how to be a good and sensitive guest. With chapters on core values and attitudes and a practical business briefing, it is a valuable introduction to the German way of life. It tells you what treatment to expect, what pitfalls to avoid, and how to build rapport and credibility with these culturally rich and inventive people at the heart of Europe.
This new, updated edition of Culture Smart! Germany examines the vast changes that have lead to Germany's new world confidence. It explains how German traditional values and working methods are adapting to take advantage of international opportunities and global society while maintaining the commitment to quality, organization, and time that marks out German business life. It shows how the traditional differences between Germany's regions are lessening, enabling society to come together and better absorb new immigrants, and above all how Germans are losing the fear and guilt associated with their twentieth-century wars and finding a new voice on the international stage.
This new, updated edition of Culture Smart! Germany examines the vast changes that have lead to Germany's new world confidence. It explains how German traditional values and working methods are adapting to take advantage of international opportunities and global society while maintaining the commitment to quality, organization, and time that marks out German business life. It shows how the traditional differences between Germany's regions are lessening, enabling society to come together and better absorb new immigrants, and above all how Germans are losing the fear and guilt associated with their twentieth-century wars and finding a new voice on the international stage.
Italy delights and stimulates with its magnificent cities and monuments, its stunningly beautiful landscapes, the glory of its art and architecture, the richness and variety of its food, the elegance of its design and fashion, and the vitality and charm of its people. Italian style and culture have been exported all over the world. The Italians are the most European-minded of nations, having emerged from a long history of regional fragmentation. Culture Smart! Italy introduces you to their history and culture and offers an insider's guide to their daily lives, passions, and preoccupations. This is your chance to get to know Italy.
