Customer Reviews

Dos and Don'ts in Sweden: The Traveler's Guide to Culture

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Of all the "cross-cultural" business books I've seen, none of them distill the information I really need to know about a culture into about 10 readable pages, as this "Wonderworks" booklet does. You can easily read it while waiting for your flight and review it before you land.

The information stays fresh because 1) it's concise and 2) it's relevant. You will actually USE this information in a business meeting, or in any social gathering. And it's obvious that the information is grounded in up-to-date research.

Particularly useful is a graph that shows which cultures are more "task-directed," like mine, and more "people-directed," like Sweden's. This knowledge has saved me from getting down to business too abruptly and jeopardizing crucial relationships. Then the booklet covers the specific protocols you will need to know in most any given situation.

One last thing. I've been frustrated with other books on cross-culture relationships that seem to add a lot of filler, so they can be sold as expensive books. This "Wonderworks" booklet gives you exactly what you need for a successful meeting and offers an appropriate price.

Wilson Learning Corp.'s book about Swedish customs and culture is a start in the right direction, but unfortunately it is only a start. There are several good points brought up which may help the non-Swede avoid making a serious fool of himself or herself at a business luncheon, but that's about all there is. It's not really a book -- just a very thin pamphlet -- and it brings up only about a dozen points total, most of which anyone going to Sweden will already know. All of its points are related to business and business people, with nothing of interest for average people, tourists, motorists, hikers, or job-seekers, and nothing for people who simply want to meet and understand Swedes as people and friends. Sorry, it's not worth buying.

I wouldn't buy this panflet that is what it is. I would buy a real book. It was so generic that I am suprized any one would publish it.