Customer Reviews

Experiencing America: Through the Eyes of Visiting Fulbright Scholars: Stories of Foreign Fulbrighters in the United States

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I like the book very much, specially the essays from Uganda, Italy and Malaysia. There are so much to learn about our own culture and there are so many thing i've learned about american from these foreign fulbright students.

I like the title as well.

Great addition for your bookshelf.

I really like the book, kind of unique and different reading.

"The book can give you so many interesting definitions of America, its people and culture (that) you have never heard of," explains Usmani. For example, he points out that some of the "obvious" and acceptable things that pervade American culture can be offensive to people from other countries. Thus, the book's overall theme is one of mutual understanding among nations and people.

"At the end, (everyone) loves peace, friendship and love, and life is all about our struggle to cope with different cultures, meanings, settings, people and places," he explains.

"To understand others is the key to living a peaceful life."
Throughout the pages can be found the words of Usmani's contemporaries.

In "Five Definitions of America," a student who came from a remote region of Pakistan describes the United States as "a new planet." Even more profound, however, is how his perception changed during his stay. Primed by his hometown media to view America as "the land of prejudice," he was reluctant to discard such sentiments right away. His story is a timely and insightful examination of the struggle between reality and perception, and how people and their culture combine to give an impression of an entire nation.

"The world is a collection of diverse cultures and people. We should not try to make them one. Instead, we should be open enough to accept them as they are," says Usmani.

Highly Recommended for students!

The book offers a rare perspective on internationally known Fulbright Program and is comprised entirely of essays gathered from among the ranks of those who have come to the United States to study as Fulbright Scholars. Each author's experiences and definitions give readers an image of America from a foreigner's perspective.

There are essays of Fulbrighters from Italy, Uganda, Philippines, Pakistan, Russia, Cameroon, Malaysia, Austria and Netherlands.


If you are interested in Cultural Studies, or if you are a foreign student or an American who would like to go for Foreign Studies, this book is for you!

Well! When I got this book as a gift from one of my friend, my initial thought (after reading few pages was) that it will have similar definitions and "New things" again and again by different scholars in the following pages.

But, that wasn't true, each scholar experienced USA in a unique way, every one has their own set of definitions and likes/dislikes about USA.

USA is the most diverse country (I believe).

I really enjoyed the essay of a scholar from Pakistan.

I highly recommend this book for all who are intersted in Fulbright Program, USA or different cultures.

The book contains essays Fulbrighters from Italy, Uganda, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Cameroon, Malaysia, Austria and the Netherlands. All essays are live, true, frank (and sometimes disturbing) but they are true.


I haven't read such an honest opinion about US in years.


Highly recommend for concerned US citizens to know on what they should proud of and what is wrong in US culture.

The best of the Fulbright Program in a brief book. Interesting descriptions from various students, who witness the most important aspect of the Fulbright Program: it promotes a shift in the way of thinking about life and work, changing mentalities and opening minds, giving the chance to brilliant students and researchers to spend a period in an American University. Useful for future perspective international students and Fulbrighters! Interesting for the Fulbright Alumni, to share the wonderful experience they have lived!

I have applied to Fulbright Scholarship this year, and this book as i thought proved to be a perfect virtual tour of this prestegious program and its impact on one's life.

Anyone interested in Cross-Cultural studies, and planning to be a Fulbrighter should read this book.

I reall like this small to-the-point book.

I am a trainer in one of Fortune 500 companies on Cross Cultural issues. I have found this book a great source to see our own country (USA) from totally new perspective(s).

One of the Essay "5 Definitions of America!" in this collection of essays can be used as a reference material in IR and Cross-Cultural learning.

Another essay "Get Back to where you now belong" from an Austrain Fulbrighter who lost her passport is great.

Should read if you want to travel to any of the contributors' countries.

I started the book and by the time (i thought) i should goto sleep, the book was over. I couldn't able to put it down before reading upto the last page.

Great book, so many experiences, so many advises, specially for student like us who came from other side of the world to study in USA.

I have one complain though, the book should have included more essays from more fulbrighters of other parts of the world.

anyway, it is 5 start book.

I don't like the idea of criticizing our (US) culture and customs by foreign aliens, whatever we do, who ever we are, this is our country.

But, there are so many funny stories and so many "Assumed" definitions by these scholars which make it a "MUST READ".

I wish there should be some volume by US scholars who went abroad and how they find the rest of the world.

The most important news I got from this book is that we are "unique".

5 stars from the host country!