The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cultural Etiquette

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cultural Etiquette is a lifesaver for all travelers, especially those attempting business trips on foreign turf. Even before the Guide gets into the particulars of Israel, India, Singapore, and Japan, its "Overview of International Etiquette" offers enough pointers, reminders, and general cultural sagacity to make it worth the purchase, introducing conventions whose norms differ from culture to culture (thereby providing fertile fields for insults and misunderstandings) such as gestures, table manners, dress, gifts, punctuality, and interpersonal space. Geared toward the businessperson, Turkington's guide suggests you dress conservatively, behave with respect, and refrain from telling jokes in languages you barely know. It also points out that it's always worthwhile learning your host country's history, culture, and language before you get there, and recommends obtaining business cards printed in English on one side and the language of the country you're visiting on the reverse.

Most of the book is dedicated to specific cultural phenomena in 26 regions, covering Canada to Latin America, Belgium to Russia, and Taiwan to Saudi Arabia. In Portugal, for instance, dress is formal, small talk doesn't include politics or government, business cards are vital, chrysanthemums are associated with death, and dinner is generally eaten around 8 p.m., whereas in Hungary, punctuality is prized, halo can be used for both hello and goodbye, and you should never chew gum in public.

With her Complete Idiot's Guide to Cultural Etiquette, Turkington offers a major contribution to world peace and compatibility. All you need for avoiding international egg on your face is to read the appropriate chapters in advance and remember never to turn your back on royalty when leaving a room--back up three paces first and then pivot. --Stephanie Gold

Product Description

You're no idiot, of course. You know you're supposed to bow when greeting someone in China and noisily slurp your noodles in Japan. But when it comes to really knowing what to do in foreign countries, you feel as confident as a bowl of wet noodles! Don't burn your passport yet! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cultural Etiquette is a fun, fascinating, 'round-the-world' guide to how different cultures eat, meet, and greet. In this Complete Idiot's Guide, you get:

Includes a glossary, a list of recommended books to read and a list of its contry's embassies including addresses and phone number where you can contact for more infomation.

I rated this book 3 stars because I don't know if everything in this book is correct. So my recommendation is to check out different sources to make sure you know the proper etiqutte if you are wondering about the proper etiquette for that country.


For Idiots, Indeed   March 1, 2001
 4 out of 6 found this review helpful

I'm a German living in the U.S., so naturally, I scanned through the section dealing with Germany. What I found was a list of factual errors and stupid stereotypes. I could not read a single sentence without either cringing or laughing hysterically. It's all so very wrong. I doubt if the author has ever been to Germany, or has ever talked to someone who has been to Germany.

As a positive aside, the title is very descriptive. Follow the book's advise, and people will take you for a complete idiot.


Interesting information, some errors though   March 27, 2000
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This is a really interesting book, as it contains cultural information for many places around the world, which you may even find useful for your contacts and trips. However: 1) It is addressed mainly to US citizens and their specific cultural background, and 2) Contains some errors (at least some I could notice about the Greek and the Japanese cultures). So, please enjoy the book, but do not take it as a textbook... Anyway, if I would ever wanted to conduct serious business with an Indonesian (and not a one-time contact), I would spend much more time on investigating cultural issues :)