Living in the U.S.A., Sixth Edition [Paperback]

Alison Lanier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2004

As William Gay, distinguished adviser to the last edition of Living in the U.S.A., so aptly noted, the United States is a country that is never what you think it is. Since that edition was introduced nearly ten years ago, the country has been struggling with troubling, divisive events and issues, especially the September 11, 2001 attacks and the resulting War on Terror. Despite these extraordinary times, the United States still holds promise and opportunity for those who take the time to understand it.Jef Davis, a seasoned interculturalist and long-time adviser to international travelers, provides us a revised edition of Living in the U.S.A. that will guide you through the confusing, conflicted, exciting country and its diverse population. Part American cultural analysis, part practical relocation guide, this book will help you understand how general cultural traits will affect your daily interactions with Americans and give you a working vocabulary that will help you get around. Short-term visitors to the U.S. will learn how to survive customs and immigration, find an apartment, conduct business, obtain health care, and navigate the supermarket, bank, and post office. Long-term visitors will find practical pointers to get along at work, school, and at home; buy a house; make and keep American friends; and understand dominant American values in a diverse and complex society in the context of twenty-first century issues like the rise of religious fundamentalism and tensions between security and personal liberties.With new material and significantly updated chapters, Living in the U.S.A. is the perfect companion for those just visiting and immigrants alike.Comprehensive in its detail and attentive to the swirls of current events and attitudes, Living in the U.S.A. makes U.S. practices, habits and lifestyles understandable and navigable, even when uncomfortable for today's newcomers. It is local knowledge at its most digestible.-Dr. George F. Simons, George Simons International, www.diversophy.comLiving in the U.S.A. is a great book which helps us understand in great detail the American way of life, values, etc. It gives great clues/details about understanding the U.S. culture, and is very easy and interesting to read. I believe this will be an invaluable resource for me as I work with Americans and teach about Americans. Highly recommended!-Ms. Ferhan Alesi, founder of F.A.C.T.; Ferhan Alesi Cultural Training in Istanbul, Turkey, www.ferhanalesi It's quite refreshing to read such a frank evaluation of the present state of the nation, without interference or contamination from political viewpoints. As objective as it could possibly be, it offers a view of a slightly off-balance society but a resolutely optimistic people.-Robert Johnson, www.dialogin.com Contents Acknowledgments Original Preface Introduction Part I: American Intangibles 1 First Impressions 2 Dominant U.S. American Values 3 American CoculturesPart II: American Institutions 4 American Social Life 5 American Civic Life 6 American Religious Life 7 American Family Life 8 American Business Life Part III: Getting Here and Getting Settled 9 Getting Here 10 Money and Banking 11 Medical Care 12 Safety and Emergencies 13 Food and Food Customs 14 Staying in Touch with People 15 Transportation Part IV: For Those Who Stay Longer 16 Housing 17 Shopping: Getting the Most for Your Money 18 Household Help and Care of Young Children 19 Educating Your Children 20 Raising Teenagers 21 Finding Friends and Having Fun 22 Twenty-First-Century Issues Appendix A: National Holidays Appendix B: Conversions Endnotes Internet Resources Index

Editorial Reviews

Review

A critical read offering fresh, objective look at US diversity. Well organized with abundant and useful information easy to find. -- Dr. George F. Simons

About the Author

Jef C. Davis is the director of International Studies and Programs at Youngstown State University, where he oversees international student and faculty affairs, study abroad programs, and intensive ESL. A well-known intercultural educator, for nearly 25 years he has helped tho al students, professionals, and their families adjust to living in the USA. He has worked in Azerbaijan, sailed around the world with the Semester at Sea program and has directed international services at Clark and Drexel Universities. For ten years, Davis coordinated the intern program at the renowned Summer Institute of Intercultural Communication. He is a doctoral candidate in international higher education at Boston College, and lives in Poland, Ohio with his wife and 3 young children.Alison Lanier was a career facilitator of intercultural interactions, conducting seminars and writing many books on the subject. An honors graduate of Bryn Mawr College, she founded Overseas Briefing Associates and has published eleven books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 255 pages
• Publisher: Nicholas Brealey Publishing; 6th Edition edition (December 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931930198
• ISBN-13: 978-1931930192
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #404,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Americans Do and Why, December 21, 2005

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Living in the U.S.A., Sixth Edition (Paperback)

Alison R. Lanier's book is part cultural explanation, designed to help those from other countries understand Americans, and part relocation guide, offering practical advice ranging from food customs to how to select a good school. The book, which anticipates newcomers' needs and helps ease their transitions, is more than a guidebook; it's a training manual. Intercultural expert Jef C. Davis, who updated this sixth edition, explains how post-9/11 aftershocks have changed things for visitors from abroad. He includes useful advice on cooperating with airport security, staying safe in major cities and complying with immigration regulations. Davis realizes that, due to its cultural and ethnic diversity, America tends to elude effective characterization. The book also offers information on some groups within U.S. society, from Native Americans and Asian Americans to gays, retirees and the disabled. One small caveat: the sobriquet "American" should rightly include folks from Canada and all of South and Latin America, grammatically if not in common social exchange. U.S. citizens are Americans, indeed, but hardly the only ones. Such petty Yanks aside, we like this useful, time-tested presentation of logistical and cultural knowledge for making a new home in the U.S. Now about those sidewalks paved with gold...

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ideal guide for recent emigrants and new visitors to the United States, August 5, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living in the U.S.A., Sixth Edition (Paperback)

Now in a completely updated and revised sixth edition, Living In The USA rightly continues to be regarded as the ideal guide for recent emigrants and new visitors to the United States, a country which has undergone substantive changes in the last five years since the events of September 11, 2001. This comprehensive, 243-page guide is now enhanced with timely information on American subcultures (including Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, retirees, gays and lesbians, as well as the disabled), contemporary American social and political issues (including the rise of religious fundamentalism and the tensions between security issues and personal liberties), rapidly changing immigration rules, conditions, and American business conditions (including negotiation, life in the office, and time spent at work). From American values, to American social and civic life, to money, medical care, food customs, communications, housing, child care, education, privacy, and so much more, Living In The USA covers everything the newly arrived need to know whether they intend to stay a week, a year, or a lifetime.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference for those who intend to live in the USA, December 26, 2007

By 

Antonio C. Nolan "antonics" (Houston,TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Living in the U.S.A., Sixth Edition (Paperback)

Comprehensive guide on everything you need to know about living in the USA. A must-buy for those who intend to migrate to the Land of Opportunity. Best value for money.