Customer Reviews

Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans (Interact Series)

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

 

 

This book is primarily directed at Americans involved with China but much of what it refers to is also valid for other English speaking westerners. In fact, it is the best book I have read in terms of explaining Chinese culture as x, y, z. It is said that everything you hear about China is true, but not necessarily where you are. This book includes valuable information that is true in most locations in China, not only the coastal cities, nor just Beijing, nor only in academic circles. The book is broken into two sections. The first half of the book contains general culture information about Chinese people which should be applicable to Chinese in general, no matter where they live in the world. The second half contains information specific to Mainland China and situations you may find yourself in there.

A poignant example would be the fact that when Chinese people are visiting you and decide it is time to leave they do just that, leave. There is no extended time of talk after an initial, "I need to go soon," rather they just stand up and say goodbye. This surprised me the first time it happened with some students but I quickly became used to it. I have read other books which recommend against reading books like this because they will only cause more harm than good. However, almost everything in this book was relevant to my time in China and if I had read it before I went my learning curve would have been shallower.

I would hope that they will come out with a third edition of this valuable book. A few items are dated and China is changing so rapidly that some details are sure to be very different in the future.

If you are going to China and seek a better understanding of the courtship between East and West, Hu Wenzhong, who is Chinese, and Cornelius Grove, who is American, wrote this culture-bridging book for you. They clearly reveal not only the differences between Chinese culture and the Western culture, but the origin of many of those differences. They explain both history and culture as a context for contemporary social standards, from practical etiquette to how to conduct yourself on a daily basis as you travel, live or work in China. The authors accomplish their explanatory goals, avoid silly generalities and give the visitor just enough knowledge to avoid being completely humiliated. When you read this, you'll have a framework for determining what else you need to learn before you go. Meanwhile we highly recommends this very readable, consistently interesting book.

I have just finished the book, twice; Encountering the Chinese; A Guide for Americans. by Hu Wenzhong & Cornelius L. Grove.

This is a great book for help in making cross cultural or intercultural communication between Chinese and Americans more rewarding while trying to avoid abrasiveness regarding deep fundamental differences.

Before reading this book I did not know that Chinese culture is one of collectivism, I had thought that everyone is individulistic in the world, I had never known anything different. It was hard for me to understand Chinese life until I got some help from these two authors. It explained many of my questions and concerns for why Chinese do some of the things they do and act in such ways in response to things I do. Why i was treated the way I was, for the way I acted, which I had no idea, was only a response of a disliking of my fundamental character and individualistic personality, one of American born and raised in the Heartland U.S.A..

It showed me the reason, for alot of my confusion and why I received the response I did for my actions.

I acted like an individual and showed anger, which I read to the Chinese are two of the worst ways to act. This difference in fundamentals between myself and the Chinese culture may have led to the misunderstanding and consequential accusations, and or just the overall way of bringing anxiety and frustrations to the surface in my life here in China.

I recommend this book to anyone who would like to know the difference between collectivism and individualism, the predominate theory or doctrines of China & The United States, for better relations between these two ways of thinking for more harmony on both sides for neither one is right or wrong for without education the other has no idea of the inherited fundamental differences each have.

It has helped me see the Chinese way of thinking and acting in response to my way of thinking and acting in my daily life, something that rarely do Americans need to or have to think about. I will forever before instinctly acting on my own individualistically trained nature to see how such acts would be seen from the perspective of one of collectivistic. Like I would never complain aloud in anger about poor pay, nor openly criticize a Chinese person, nor think only of the betterment of myself in matters of personal likes and dislikes. I would also refrain from wearing expensive, name brand, clothing while in the presence of less educated and fashion sensitive people who may feel I am just a selfish American taking advantage of being able to travel the world freely as I my country has given to its citizens. The sometimes I really feel that it is not about cultural differences but something we all have subltely within us, something very known which we all can recognize; jealousy, envy, concite, revenge, hate, and many others that if one is not careful, and educated can appear very similiar to the other as a possible excuse as to say that we have named it a fundamental difference in cultural perspective one of the friction between individualism and collectivism.

>> also if you don't have an idea yet why this book is so important>> a letter to a friend, referring this book and what I had learned from it>

Dear Professor xxxx,

I am not quite sure how to thank you and Prof.xxxx, except to acquire the utmost from this gracious learning opportunity.

Before receiving your email, I had just finished one of the required readings, Encountering the Chinese; A Guide for Americans. By Hu & Grove

How true it really is, I am probably not the first nor the last to say that, but wow I was both amazed and glad that I had read it, to confirm what I had questioned repeatedly and already dealt with and deal with every day. True to it that Americans are fundamentally individualistic, I at least understand that as I was raised by my hard working, blue collar, U.S. Veteran and father, to be self sufficient and self promoting in work and daily affairs, that my survival muchly depended on myself, and that to act in way to promote myself and my priorities is what will make success for myself and family. To depend on another was and is looked down upon, as an American, as one needs to become a compitant providor both to society and his/her family. Such a phrase for this I remember being told as I was growing up, "you need to make a life for yourself, no one else is going to do it for you."

On the other hand, or at the other end of the "continuum," the orientation of the Chinese, collectivism.
Like I had said before, my wife is Chinese, though we are both young and she is somewhat even younger then myself, I have indeed and will continue to make observations on this fundamental orientation in the difference between individualism and collectivism, which if not observed and prepared for will indeed as I have experienced many times, surely cause faux pas, conflicts, and downright hard to explain your way out of -misunderstandings, for it is hard to teach that we both are right from our own orientation, though each of us find from our own conditioning and orientation that the other is wrong. In the moment of such misunderstanding it is not common and hard to say, "ohh, our conflict is one which stems from fundamental differences," instead it is best to be informed beforehand, to be eguipped, and that is exactly why I feel that this course and this book of which is a required text, is of very high importance and benfit.

I am indebt to you for allowing me to expand my knowledge, not only academically but also the practical knowledge that will allow for me to put into practice, at once within my immediate family and that of my surroundings.

Thanks,
-An American Citizen (born & raised on U.S. soil)
-Married interculturally w/ a Chinese Citizen born and raised in one of the two systems one country,-HK
-living with an all Chinese Family, except myself

Having just taught in two major Chinese universities, I found this book very helpful. But based on my conversations with numbers of students (at undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate level), in today's competitive China some things appear to have changed. E.g. granted the diversity of a vast country like China, in those cities that have been more impacted by Western consumer culture there is much more individualism especially among youth. At the more prestiguous universities intense competition means that fewer students are as willing to assist their colleagues as their more traditional counerparts might have once been. Highly recommended (even for tourists) but do be aware of the increasing impact of Western culture.

This 192 page paperback book is an overview of what to expect for anyone who will be travelling to China to negotiate, work, teach, study, engage in diplomacy, and/or live. Of uniqueness is that this book is co-authored by an American and a Chinese. Together, they bring the insight of Chinese culture together with an American's perspective. As a result, this is one of the better such overview books.

This review is for the 2nd edition. I know a 3rd edition will be published soon and some of the comments will not be relevant for that edition.

"Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans" surprised me positively. The book covered the typical Chinese cultural differences well and at times dived a little deeper than a typical Chinese cultural book. The book is targeted to Americans, but it would also be useful for non-Americans, such as Europeans... like me :)

The book consists of 2 parts. The first part is called "Advise for Americans Interacting with Chinese" and the second part is advise on living in China. The first starts of with typical Chinese norms and habits such as greetings, titles and advise for dining etiquette. Gradually, the first part digs deeper in the culture with chapters related to time usage, modesty and relationships. Chapter eight focuses on training and education and contract negotiation (education and business). The last chapter dives deeper in the concept of face. I found this an interesting chapter, though not agreed with all the comments made.

The second part of the book is advise about living in China. A lot of focus is on people who are going to work in education and give classes. This part was interesting, but in my opinion quite out-dated. I've lived in China after this book was written and things have changed since. It still contains useful advise, but some of the advise is too conservative.
All in all, I found this book a useful guide. As mentioned above, most of the book is focused on Americans who come to China for a short period to give classes -- probably one of the most common encounters between Chinese and Americans. However, some of the advise is out-dated, but in 2010 a 3rd edition is planned and I assume that the authors have changed some of the aspects.

I've enjoyed this book and wanted to rate it between 3 and 4 stars. I went for 3 because of the out-of-date-ness of part of the book. If you are going to China for work -- especially when going to teach -- then I'd highly recommend this book. If you are just interested in Chinese culture or are going to China as tourist, then probably this book is not the right one.

After just returning from a 2 week journey through China, I selected this book for a project in my International Culture and Protocol class. I loved that I recognized phrases and cultural norms from my travels, and loved even more that I got to learn WHY these norms exist. Even if you are not familiar with Chinese society, the contrast to American societal norms is so drastically different at times, you can't help but be intrigued by it. The book also teaches valuable words and phrases in Chinese, and they are in-context so it's easy to remember. There is also a helpful chart-type list of these translations (with phonetic spelling) to be used as a reference if ever needed.

I insist that anyone planning to visit China (especially for business) read this book! Not only is it a fast-paced, great read; it provides American's with valuable tools to interact with the Chinese in a polite, proper, and respectful way. You'd be surprised how our simple remarks or actions could be interpreted by the Chinese in the opposite way we would intend!

In my class, we walked through situations where American's could ruin a business deal or ruin a relationship with a Chinese family, because American's weren't concious of how their actions were being interpreted.

ps: grab a highlighter! you'll definately use it!

The book is good and is full of factual info but its quickly becoming outdated when dealing with the younger Chinese people.

I found this book interesting however, if you plan to just visit China and not live there it is probably not that helpful. If you are an American and do plan to live there for some period of time it would probably be quite helpful.

Let's let the book speak for itself...

"The time will come, sooner or later, when you find yourself on the street and in need of directions. Do not despair. Most Chinese are quite willing to help a foreigner with directions or with other minor requests. The following guidelines should facilitate your obtaining assistance under these circumstances. 1. Foreseeing that you are on your way to an unfamiliar location, take along a piece of paper with the address (and the name, if there is one) written in English and in Chinese characters. Also, if possible, take along a map on which you have noted the location. Then, if you become lost, show these items to a passerby. 2. If you know that you will have other routine requests while on the street, carry the English and Chinese written versions with you and use them as indicated above. Incidentally, public toilets are ubiquitous in China except in Shanghai and Guangzhou (Canton)..."

Have a care for the poor English language! This $25 book is only 200 pages long. Please don't clog it up with useless wandering tripe like this. Here's another sample...

"Finally, we offer two important notes of caution. Since China began opening to the outside world, prostitution has emerged in the coastal cities. Tourists and businessmen staying at hotels sometimes receive calls from young women offering sexual services. Prostitution and the use of prostitutes are criminal offenses in the PRC. There are cases of foreign businessmen who, because they became involved with prostitutes, landed in jail, were victims of blackmail, or had confidential documents stolen from their hotel rooms.

Homosexuality is viewed by the vast majority of Chinese as a low and contemptible practice. A charge of homosexuality can ruin the life of a Chinese, even to the point of his or her being banished from contact with family and friends. Do not expect Chinese to accept this overwhelming risk."

We are all grateful to Messrs. Hu and Grove and Intercultural press for setting the record straight. Apparently I had been misinformed that China had a broad deep and ornate history of prostitution stretching back millennia. The authors have kindly brought me up to date that prostitution in China only emerged recently, and only in coastal cities, and only in response to the pernicious influence of Western hegemonists and capitalist roaders! Similarly, China has no illustrious history of "the sin of the cut sleeve", and again its probably those pesky westerner sodomites that are to blame. Give us a break.

IMHO it is hardly the place of a guidebook to lecture the reader on morality. When I pay for a book I don't expect to be lectured by CCP propaganda or Xinhua press releases. Better is to advise the competent whoremonger or homosexual to consult any of numerous topical websites if they plan to pursue these activities in the People's Republic, where they have existed for thousands of years and will exist for thousands more. That said, I do agree, as most tourist guides should advise, that the visitor will be subjected to any number of scams and ripoffs during their visit, including having the hotel swipe candy bars and charge you for them. But I didn't buy this book as a tourist guide. And if they wanted to go down that road it might have been more helpful if they pointed out that you shouldn't use your pocket phrase book to call a woman "xiao jie" (miss) since she'll think you're calling her a prostitute, or to call a man "tong ji" (comrade) since he'll think you're calling him gay...

This short and expensive books is hopelessly confused as to whether it is a psychology textbook, a tourist guide, a sermon, propaganda, or a health lecture. Someday there will be a useful text on the subject, but it is certainly not this one.