Going Dutch in Beijing: How to Behave Properly When Far Away from Home [Hardcover]

Mark McCrum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

What to do and what not to do when traveling almost anywhere--an entertainment for the armchair or the intrepid traveler

 

Why shouldn't you offer to pay for your share of the meal in China? Or use the thumbs-up sign to mean "that's excellent" in Sardinia?
 
Because, of course, despite the ease with which we can now communicate with and visit one another, they still do things differently over there. In China your host will "lose face" if you don't let him pick up the tab. In Sardinia a raised thumb means, literally, "Sit on this!"
 
Going Dutch in Beijing offers a lighthearted and informative guide to everything from first meeting to last rites. Subjects covered include the opening contact between strangers; greetings, gestures, handshakes, and getting names right; as well as more complex traditions and how to behave if you decide to stick around for good.
 
Whether you are heading abroad or staying at home, Going Dutch in Beijing is a delightful and indispensable handbook designed to ensure that your sense of the world is informed and your travel is happy.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School—The information collected here is not only important for those who need to know how to behave when far away from home. It is also a primer for helping to understand people from distant countries who may be living next door. Many ancient traditions can seem bizarre and humorous to outsiders; the author presents numerous instances of personal traits of Americans that are thought to be strange abroad. This is not just a matter of knowing that how we wave hello in the United States may be taken as an insulting gesture in Greece. The person standing so close to you in the checkout line may be unaware that you consider that rude since it is natural to him. An understanding of what is "normal," then, is culturally based. The unique customs and rituals described here are a wonderful introduction to seeing beyond ourselves to the beauty in the variety of human experience. Teens can use this title as a reference book for deciphering lifestyles.—Will Marston, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Mark McCrum has visited six of the seven continents (not Antarctica), and written several books. He has been mugged in Rio, picnicked on a glacier in Chilean Patagonia, and lunched with the King of the Zulus, a strict teetotaler, whose manners were impeccable. McCrum lives in London.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; 1st edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805086765
• ISBN-13: 978-0805086768
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,761,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #70 in Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Tips

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent job, October 3, 2008

By 

Valsecchi Andrea (Bergamo, Italy) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Going Dutch in Beijing: How to Behave Properly When Far Away from Home (Hardcover)

This book has not been written for those who believe in globalization and offers a perfect panorama that drive you through the culture differences around the world. Mark perfectly demostrates that the basic concept of the values sharing is the respect between those differences and not their refuse generated by the ready-to-use tips of daily media's opinions.
Excellent job, not only for businessmen far away from home.

5.0 out of 5 stars kinda useless but kinda entertaining guide - sorta, February 21, 2011

By 

P. V. Co "angry dork" (Manila, Philippines) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Going Dutch in Beijing: How to Behave Properly When Far Away from Home (Hardcover)

my friend mentioned me this book a few moons ago, and me being a curious traveler thought the book may be useful on my travels, but unfortunately, most of the tips mentioned in the book only works if you plan to stay abroad for a long period of time, which means the need to be intimate with the locals is paramount which obviously not needed if your only in their country for a little sightseeing.

but for entertainment value, the book has been my companion to short bathroom breaks till i finished it 3 months after buying it.