Belarus - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture [Paperback]

Anne Coombes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 2008 | Series: Culture Smart!

Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships.

Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whether on business or for pleasure-into a memorable and enriching experience. Contents include:

* customs, values, and traditions
* historical, religious, and political background
* life at home
* leisure, social, and cultural life
* eating and drinking
* dos, don'ts, and taboos
* business practices
* communication, spoken and unspoken

"Culture Smart has come to the rescue of hapless travellers." Sunday Times Travel

"... the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries." Global Travel

"...full of fascinating-as well as common-sense-tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas." Observer

"...as useful as they are entertaining." Easyjet Magazine

"...offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world." New York Times

Editorial Reviews

Review

Culture Smart! has come to the rescue of hapless travellers, Sunday Times Travel - ...the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries, Global Travel - ...full of fascinating, as well as common sense, tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas, Observer - ...as useful as they are entertaining, Easy Jet Magazine - ...offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world, New York Times.

About the Author

ANNE COOMBES edits the English-language editions of Belarusian state publications such as the Minsk Times, Belexport Magazine, and the Foreign Economic Review. She also works as a copy editor for the International Finance Corporation and the United Nations Development Programme in Belarus (IFC is part of the World Bank) in addition to editing the English pages of the Where Minsk city guide. She spent three years in Minsk, where her husband was posted as a diplomat, and now lives in the USA, working as a copywriter and travel journalist.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Kuperard (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857334728
• ISBN-13: 978-1857334722
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 0.5 x 6.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,035,996 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > History > Asia > Belarus
  • #39 in Books > Travel > Europe > Belarus & Ukraine
  • #71 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Customs & Traditions

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, November 12, 2008

By 

Sandra "Sandra" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belarus - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture (Paperback)

Having lived in Minsk myself for a while, I wish this guide had been available then, not only to enthuse me beforehand but to steer me in my interactions with Belarusans once I had arrived. I shall be looking for others in the series.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars useful guide, November 2, 2008

By 

Man of the World (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belarus - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture (Paperback)

concise and insightful - a clear take on the 'real' Belarus .... not a guide book in the traditional sense, but a Bible on understanding the local psyche

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, Helpful but mostly covers Minsk and little of the rest of country, May 31, 2010

By 

J. Reeves "smithwickmachine2" (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Belarus - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture (Paperback)

Decent, worthwhile read about various aspects of Belarus society, and not a travel guide per se. When the book gets into things to do and see in Belarus though it generally doesn't offer much beyond what's in Minsk. I was just in Gomel for 10 days, not long enough and I didn't cover enough ground of the country to sense how accurate the authors views are, but generally I didn't find anything wrong here. Overall it was a helpful book.