Culture Shock! Bolivia [Paperback]

Mark Cramer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003 | Series: Culture Shock! A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette

Whether you travel for business, pleasure, or a combination of the two, the ever-popular "Culture Shock!" series belongs in your backpack or briefcase. Get the nuts-and-bolts information you need to survive and thrive wherever you go. "Culture Shock!" country guides are easy-to-read, accurate, and entertaining crash courses in local customs and etiquette. "Culture Shock!" practical guides offer the inside information you need whether you're a student, a parent, a globetrotter, or a working traveler. "Culture Shock!" at your Door guides equip you for daily life in some of the world's most cosmopolitan cities. And "Culture Shock!" Success Secrets guides offer relevant, practical information with the real-life insights and cultural know-how that can make the difference between business success and failure.

Each "Culture Shock!" title is written by someone who's lived and worked in the country, and each book is packed with practical, accurate, and enjoyable information to help you find your way and feel at home.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company; Revised edition (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558686401
• ISBN-13: 978-1558686403
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,234,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great supplement to guidebooks, July 25, 2000

By 

Liz Fischelis (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Culture Shock! Bolivia (Culture Shock! A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette) (Paperback)

When I learned I would be moving to La Paz for a year, I searched for a book that would provide more insight on the cultural and daily realities of life in Bolivia than guidebooks usually provide. This was just the right book. While it provides information that is very useful for soon-to-be residents (how to navigate the black markets to get household necessities; the fact that it costs $1500 for a phone number, so rent an apartment that already has one!), I think it is also a great supplement to the guidebooks for any traveller who will be spending a decent amount of time in Bolivia and wants to understand more about the country than just the history and the sights. The author describes typical economic and social lives of Bolivians, outlines current social and political issues, gives cultural tips on interacting with Bolivians, and provides qualitative, highlights-type descriptions of some of the sights in La Paz and Bolivia. It is very readable and entertaining, so it makes a good introductory, overview book. A good guidebook may have lots of the same information somewhere in there, but it has a "thoroughness" job to do, making it less fun and easy to read. (The Lonely Planet Guide to Bolivia is excellent, though.) If the other Culture Shock series books are as good, I will read them before travelling to other S. American countries.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy and informative!, May 22, 2000

By 

Mary Youmans (Virginia, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Culture Shock! Bolivia (Culture Shock! A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette) (Paperback)

This book is packed with all kinds of information on Bolivia as a country and as a culture. It reads like a novel, as opposed to most fact-filled books. I sat down with this book knowing very little about Bolivia; Now I feel like I've been there. I look forward to seeing the pages come to life this summer as I venture into this amazing country. This is a MUST read for those wanting to know about Bolivia and its people.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent information, but at times too PC, September 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Culture Shock! Bolivia (Culture Shock! A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette) (Paperback)

Cramer provides excellent information for anyone traveling to Bolivia who wishes to make his visit more than a postcard stop. From festivals to daily activities, he guides the reader over the true Bolivian landscape (real and psychological). His tips are straight forward and will address most questions or concerns the reader might have. My only complaint is his need to be so PC. Every culture has wonderful and less wonderful things. I think it shows true respect for a culture to be able to proudly display its strengths and honestly discuss what 'stinks.' Arrogance in the Bolivian professional world that forces the 'unconnected' to be treated dismissively is not just an opportunity for the disenfranchised to learn patience. It is a flaw in that culture...just as it is in any culture where it occurs (there, I've said it and the PC God didn't strike me dead!) Having said that, I must admit that Cramer does not sugar coat everything. Also, my complaint is a minor one in light of everything that he does well.