Customer Reviews

Border Crossings: American Interactions with Israelis

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Anyone in either Israel or the US that is interested in working with a factor from the other country cannot afford not to read this book. It has nothing to do with intuition or intelligence - the differences can only be learned, either through tiresome and costly experience or through reading Border Crossings.

The United States and Israel are two modern industrial and hitech powers. Forms of government and political freedoms are similar. Both are innovative in industry and fast-moving in business. And Israelis speak English very well. But to go from those similarities to being able to avoid surprises at work between these two cultures you need a guide. "Border Crossings" is an impressively even-handed and accurate guide. Lucy Shahar and David Kurz start with a short history and background of the country and its people, with accurate, if minimal mentions of the Arab population, both citizens and non-citizens. The book continues with impressions and interpretations of what an American sees visiting Israel, and leads into specific scenes on the street, in stores and government offices, and finally, in the workplace. Covers Americans working and doing business in Israel, as well as Israelis representing their companies in America. No book is a substitute for actual experience, but "Border Crossings" really is the next best thing to being there.

I work in a multinational company and am in daily contact with colleagues and clients abroad. They come from r&d, marketing and sales. When I read the book, everything clicked. All of a sudden, I understood why problems dealing with contracts, managing time and solving conflicts had arisen in the past. "Border Crossings" also gave me some good ideas about how to solve intercultural conflicts. When I first started out, I needed a dictionary to understand the language. Now that I understand the language, I need a cultural interpreter to figure out what the words and behavior really mean. "Border Crossings" is my interpreter.

This is an easy read with a lot of insight. They are very good about reminding the reader that their findings are framework for building professional relationships, not meant to enable stereotypes. I would recommend this book to others doing business with Israeli's or as well as Jewish Americans as there is history that many "Americans" have not been enlightened with. An easy and quick read for the business person.