10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
extremely enjoyable, June 25, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Culture Shock! Turkey (Culture Shock! A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette) (Paperback)
This is not an academic book with pedantic overtones, nor is it a promotional book which shows only what the Turks would like the outsiders to see. One cannot claim it is a literary piece either, although it is dotted with some poetic expressions. Instead, it is an extremely enjoyable book with useful explanations and tips to prepare the reader for a variety of contexts and characteristics, well beyond the stereotypes. The style is chat-like and personal, the tone is level-headed.
Certain things need updating. For instance, since the publication of this book, Istanbul has been introduced to a new subway system and a second bridge. The author, however, excels in the description of the national spirit and the cultural features, which do not change so easily. Furthermore, local characteristics such as the vitality of an Istanbul street, the rustic colours of the intercity areas, the serenity of the old graveyards on the Bosphorus, the slow-paced offices of the state sector, the friendly `corner-shop`, etc. are so vividly portrayed that ones feels as if one strolling through these places.
I think it is an essential text for not only those who are planning to settle down in Turkey, but also those who are going there on a short visit.
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17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
UNREALISTIC, May 3, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Culture Shock! Turkey (Culture Shock! A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette) (Paperback)
This book is full of exaggerations about Turkey. No wonder that the author has spent ``a month per year'' there in the last dozen years or so... The Turkey described by this book belongs to the 1970's and not so much to the dynamic society of the 1990's. If you read this book, the REAL Turkey (as it actually exists) will be a pleasant surprize to you. So read it and go there and have a real shock! Turkey is a modern democratic society with Western values which at the same time keeps the cultural heritage of the Caucasus, Siberia, Balkans, ancient Anatolia, the Ottomans, the Byzantines etc
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17 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
BAD!, December 17, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Culture Shock! Turkey (Culture Shock! A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette) (Paperback)
This book is a complete failure. Read Mary Lee Settle's "Turkish Reflections" instead!
Arin Bayraktaroglu (apparently an expatriate Turk living in London) seems even more ignorant about Turkey than the avarage tourist. At some points, the book is deliberately misleading, and the attempts at humor are particularly unsuccesful. Don't waste your money on this. Buy Mary Lee Settle's "Turkish Reflections" instead.
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