This project started as a language learning experiment. Matthew Helmke was sitting in a cafe with a Moroccan having a discussion in Moroccan Arabic. The friend told a joke and it was quickly discovered that vocabulary alone would not insure an understanding of humor. This prompted a question, "What did I miss?" In this book, Matthew Helmke explores the hidden aspects of Moroccan culture. These are the things that Moroccans know inherently, without being taught. The result is an intriguing look through the eyes of an American trying to make sense of Moroccan culture.
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Matthew Helmke is a husband, a father of three, and a writer. He has been a techy person since he got his first computer in 1981, a TRS-80 Color Computer--the original CoCo, the one with the silver case. He first used Unix in 1987 while studying Lisp on a Vax at the university and has been a fan since. When Linux came around, Matthew was thrilled. He has used Ubuntu as his main operating system since 2005.
In addition to writing, Matthew is also a musician who plays the guitar and the bass. He plays in a local band and has played as a studio musician for other artists. He lived in Morocco for 7 years, is an avid and voracious reader, speaks several languages, has worked as an information consultant on topics including culture, language, religion, and computers.
Matthew's main website is at http://matthewhelmke.com/.
I read this book in preparation of coming to Morocco. This book has helped me in more ways than I can count. Besides having useful information, it's also a fun book to read because the jokes are actually quite funny after you understand the culture (or at least that part of the culture.) If you're thinking about getting this book, or unsure if you should, just get it. I promise you won't be let down.
First off I know nothing about Morocco, I have never been there, but I read this book and it was hard to put it down. It had many little stories and some great jokes, but the key to this book is that you get to learn how people think and how the basics of humor works in any place in the world. If you are a comic I would suggest this book because you will learn the importance of situations and saying the correct things to your audience. I am also an American living in a third world country, and it helps with the culture shock.
It is a good little read, and made me and my wife laugh (She is from Morocco). However, there is no really deeper understanding of Moroccan culture, just some nice jokes and the author exampling why they are funny. Truthful, I think this would be more fitting on his blog's website than in a book. Just my two cents.
