Customer Reviews

Culture Shock! China: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

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I read "Culture Shock : China" before my first visit to the Middle Kingdom. Anything and everything shocking was revealed to me before my visit. True, it was still a fresh, new, and exciting experience even with all the hints I got from this book. Most people who aren't going far off the beaten path, will never even experience allot of what's discussed in the book. Most will be in cities or nice hotels. I took the road less traveled. No joke. So I witnessed every ounce of culture mentioned. I lived on a farm and ate local food only... I met children and people of all ages and had someone to translate the whole time. I found the tips made me easier to fit in but, the people so willing to accept me as I was.

Cities visited.... Xi'an, Baoji, Beijing... some rural cities in between. I'd love to go back someday. If you are planning on going. Get this book! You will not regret it. The whole series is extremely valuable.

Cultureshock covers most if not all the content of about 3 other books I've read on traveling to china. Had I read this first I would have not made some of my initial mistakes in arranging travel.

Note: I've been living in Shanghai for four years.

This is a first-time or temporary resident's guide to life in China, covering some history and cultural issues and focusing on what such residents will probably spend most of their time doing: working, eating, exploring China and the Chinese, learning the language, and just socializing. There's a brief section on language, which helpfully explains why Chinese is so hard to learn. The book is also extremely up-to-date, which is important in a country that changes so rapidly.

This little book is without a doubt the most helpful of any of the introductions to life in China that I've had the chance to read. It has a much better section on Chinese culture than others I've run into, highlighting cultural aspects (such as guanxi and courtyard culture) that can really cause problems for a clueless Westerner. The material is also very well organized. The section on business is concise and very helpful, even if you aren't a regular businessperson, and the little `Chinese Culture Quiz' at the end is fun and integrates a lot of concepts from the book. I would definitely recommend this as a first stop for anyone coming to China for temporary or short-term work.

I found it interesting. Lots of insights into Chinese etiquette and manners, as well as some historical info. Also info. on life in China for expats.