New American Expat: Thriving and Surviving Overseas in the Post-9/11 World (Paperback)

by William Russell Melton (Author) "Americans are working overseas in increasing numbers..." (more)
Key Phrases: expat position, expatriate compensation package, expat assignment, United States, State Department, Saudi Arabia (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"I sincerely wish that Melton's book had been available to me 25 years ago when I began my offshore odyssey." -- Marc Bradshaw, International Safety and Security Consultant, The Marcus Group, Ltd.

"Melton provides an excellent overview of expatriate needs...checklists and resources that would be helpful to even the most-seasoned expat." -- Tara Neilson, Director, Worldwide Services, GMAC Global Relocation Services

"More than a survival kit for those embarking on an overseas assignment. I will recommend this book." -- Nelson Joyner, Chairman, Federation of International Ttrade Associations (FITA)

"This book should be read by any American considering an overseas assignment. A wealth of information...both insightful and practical." -- Diane McGreal, Director of Trainers, Berlitz Cross Cultural

Product Description
The number of non-military Americans currently living overseas is estimated at 8 million—with the number increasing every year as more countries open their economies to Western companies At a time when more and more American employees overseas feel unwelcome and bewildered—or worse yet, unsafe—The New American Expat is designed provide essential guidance as to "how to be a good American" during the course of an overseas assignment.

The New American Expat is a complete, up-to-date and highly practical guide on how to be a successful American expatriate—how to find foreign jobs, prepare for life as an expat, move to a foreign country, adjust to other cultures, find success in an overseas assignment and successfully repatriate upon one’s return. What further distinguishes the book from other expat titles is that The New American Expat will be the first book on the subject to address two new and important issues:

· How to be an American while living and working overseas, a controversial topic given the increasingly critical view of the US held by many throughout the world, and the consequent damage to America’s global image. The book addresses current attitudes and stereotypes toward Americans as well as expectations of them while overseas.

· How to live and work in foreign countries safely and securely in light of the new risks facing Americans in the post-9/11 world. A full chapter on safety and security—vetted by an international security firm—advises expats on how to conduct themselves in at times less than friendly environs.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 221 pages
• Publisher: Intercultural Press (April 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931930244
• ISBN-13: 978-1931930246
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #567,147 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

123 of 130 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Laundry list of moving tips - reads like a stack of pompously written post-it notes., January 18, 2006

By	Dude (nyc) - See all my reviews

I am moving to Europe, and having been given 4 weeks from initial contact to the first day of work, I am ravenously devouring information about relocating as an expat. First of all, I would highly recommend these two books Expert Expatriate and GenXpat. I would not recommend Melton's book.

Excited to read this book, as supported by promising reviews, I ordered it 2nd day delivery, and tore into it tonight, when it arrived. I was met by a style of writing reminiscent of a college paper hastily written the night before its due date. Broad generalizations, cliches, and laundry lists of tips are the fabric of this work.

I normally don't write reviews of books, especially now as I am in the middle of moving, but I am so disappointed in this, that I feel compelled to say something for the sake of other inquisitive minds. Perhaps the other reviewers are friends of the author, or have different standards of literature; some of the reviews (in praise) were more articulate than William Melton could ever be! I will give specific quotes, in the hopes that the writing may speak for itself.

Introduction xvi:
Speaking on globalism, "Our new world neighborhood presents us with two divergent paths from which to choose: one based on mutual understanding and tolerance of our differences and a contrary path characterized by cultural, religious, and ethnic intolerance and the enmity that invariably follows. It is up to us which path we choose....These tensions were heightened by the events of September 11, 2001, a day that shattered our assumptions...and sent us hurtling down a path of uncertainty."

Wow, thanks Yoda. I'll try not to pick the "dark path" of "enmity." I didn't realize that a study of globalism, or the current anthropological worldview could be so easily reduced to two paths: good and bad. Personally, I think it is better not to make grandiose statements about subjects one knows little about. It might send one "hurtling down a path" of bad writing.


P. 15
"...I have developed the following attitudes ...when I am living in another country:
- It is their country, not mine.
- They have the right to run it the way the want to.
- Things aren't *always* better in the U.S. (* denotes italics)
- Most people in the world don't actually want to be just like Americans
- If I try their approach, I might like it."

Wow again. This would be great for an 5 y.o. ex-pat who's moving kindergarten classes. As an adult, I was hoping for something a little more... sophisticated? "It is their country, not mine." Is this the name of a new movement in international relations? Well, a certain president would do well to study that line, but...



Pp 96-98

Two pages worth of material are devoted to "Spouse and Partner Issues." I am moving without immediate family, but I would assume that anyone with a family will want more than two pages devoted to such considerations. May I refer you again to Expert Expatriate.



P. 113
"... as long as a good faith effort is being made to apply for and receive the required work authorization as expeditiously as possible."

The book is rife with cumbersome language, symptomatic of gratuitous use of the thesaurus. "Expeditiously?" How about "quickly"? Again, old tricks to fatten up a limp college paper.



P. 118
"Be cognizant of the restrictions and prohibitions on what can be legally brought into the country..."

Cognizant? What he really means is "aware." Cognizant implies something else. This sloppy writing is pervasive. At the risk of seeming nit-picky, I offer these as a few examples of a larger deficiency of his writing.



To be fair, there are some nuggets of information in the book that I found helpful. And in the process of moving overseas, one must piece together the planning of the journey through the kaleidoscope of opinions that one inevitably solicits. So it is helpful in that way. But The New American Expat is just that, an avuncular recount of journeys taken across the globe. A collection of tips in a quasi stream of consciousness catalog, i.e. "And don't forget to do this, and don't forget to think about that, remember to be open minded!" But it is not constructed in a way to stimulate the planning process for your own trip, and it does not aspire to organize the seemingly overwhelming mass of details associated with relocation - which is what I expect a $25 book on the subject to do.

I strongly urge you to thumb through the book in person if you still want to buy it. I bought it online because neither Barnes and Nobles nor Borders carried it. The bright side to this story is the ease with which I returned this book to Amazon.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read for those considering the expat life..., June 7, 2005

By	BubbaGump "Hank" (Bangkok, Thailand) - See all my reviews

An excellent source of information, written in a very readable prose. WRM has a sense of the exact information one will need when venturing to the expat life for the first time - his experience shines through... I only wish that he had written this 9 years earlier, so I could have taken advantage of the wealth of knowledge he shares... The contract areas of the book are especially insightful...

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GOOD CAREER ADVICE, May 22, 2005

By	Erik W. (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

I am in the process of trying to find my first international position, and this book provides some excellent advice on how to go about finding a foreign job, and also how to position yourself to get the job after you find it.

The chapter on expat contracts is the best source I have found explaining all the various compensation issues in a clear manner - not only what the issues are, but also how compensation packages are structured and what should be covered in the contracts. There is a very complete outline of an expat contract at the end of the chapter.

Melton also talks about what the the expat's reasonable expectations should be, explains issues from the employer's perspective and describes what the recent trends are for expatriate benefits and allowances.