Germany: Unraveling an Enigma [Paperback]

Greg Nees (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2000 | ISBN-10: 1877864757 | ISBN-13: 978-1877864759

Did you know that more Germans have immigrated to the United States than any other ethnic group?While German culture is rich in its own traditions and history, Americans still tend to see German culture as similar to their own until they experience it firsthand. In his book, Germany: Unraveling an Enigma, Greg Nees seeks to highlight the background and customs of this fascinating group of people.As it turns out, Germans spend a great amount of time discussing their puzzling heritage and culture; in fact, discussing and debating almost anything is one of their favorite pastimes, and with Germany, Americans can begin to understand and unravel German culture as well. The book includes a review of modern German history, major German cultural themes and their relationship to German communication patterns, and it also looks to the future, piecing together a picture of twenty-first century Germany.Germany: Unraveling an Enigma will be welcomed by anyone interested in Germany or German culture. It can be especially valuable for students, managers, and others living in Germany, along with anyone else wishing to understand the dynamics of cross-cultural interaction between Germans and Americans.Germany: Unraveling an Enigma is a concise guide for any teacher who needs a course outline to teach topics in German culture in order to prepare students for a study abroad program or an internship in Germany.-Kerstin Somerholter, University of Texas at Austin, Die Unterrichtspraxis ReviewContentsTo the ReaderAcknowledgments1 Introduction2 Who Are the Germans?3 Major German Cultural Themes4 German Communication Patterns5 The German Social Market Economy6 Building Better Business Relationships7 Wertewandel: Creation of a New German Identity?Appendix: Statistical Comparison of Germany and the United StatesGlossary of German TermsReferences and Further ReadingsIndex

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Nees has a Ph.D. in communication from the University of Colorado and an MA in apploed linguistics from Johannes Gutenberg Universitat in Germany. His company, The German Connection, Inc., provides consultation and training to German and American businesses.

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Nicholas Brealey Publishing (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1877864757
• ISBN-13: 978-1877864759
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Balanced and accurate, September 7, 2000

By 

"sam3" (Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Germany: Unraveling an Enigma (Paperback)

Finally - a well-researched and up-to-date book on Germany and the Germans. The author gives some historical background, an overview of German cultural themes, a comparison between typical German and American communication patterns, and an overview of the German business model and business beharviors. The last chapter is devoted to exploring the changes in German society at the turn of the 21st century. As one of them (yes, I am German), I have felt accurately portrayed, without the stereotypical mindlessnesses that tends to charactarize a lot of American authors writing about Germany. Two thumbs up! This book is a gem.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I helped me to understand the culture, May 6, 2002

By 

Gontasmom - See all my reviews

This review is from: Germany: Unraveling an Enigma (Paperback)

Like Nees, I have also live in both the US and Germany, and this book was really informative. I learned to understand my German culture in a way I never had before. It explained all of those "German" things that I do. I think this book is an essential step for those who are learning about Germany and its culture.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great way to understand the US/German differences, August 30, 2004

By 

AmeriDeutsch "JB" (Saarland, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Germany: Unraveling an Enigma (Paperback)

As an American living in Germany, I've become accustomed to asking "why?", this book has given me many of the answers. Now I understand the German social market economy, German communication styles, the importance of formality and work/non-work divisions, the importance that Germans give to "doing something right the first time", etc.