The Portland Handbook [Paperback]

Carol Cowan (Author), Margie Rikert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2000

"... an indispensable guide to moving to the Portland (OR) area". Written for international families moving to Portland, it is also appropriate for any newcomer to the area. This book is not a tour guide, but features practical, essential information on local transportation, housing, and education options. It also covers our uniquely American ways of banking, healthcare, and holiday. With 16 chapters of information, this book will make life easier for anyone relocating to Portland Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Moving to any new community is full of challenges, whether you stay for a year or a lifetime. You must learn how to make a rewarding life for yourself and your family in a new place. Whether you move across the city, New York to Los Angeles, or from Sydney to Portland, the basic things your need to make you feel at home will always be the same: enrolling your self or your children in school, settling into a new home, finding your favorite foods, understanding the local slang and idioms, being able to get help when you need it , making friends. Moving is even harder when the language and culture are not your own.

This book is written by two Americans who have had the experience of living outside the United States. We remember what frustrated us while trying to make a home in a new place. We have tried to identify and explain some of the things that are unique to the American way of life. From banking to shopping, from driving a car to going to school, from dining out to finding a doctor, we hope that this book will help you to truly make Portland your home.

About the Author

Carol Cowan and Margie Rikert met while living in the Netherlands. They collaborated on a monthly newsletter for expatriates and their families. The "Expat Life" newsletter combined practical knowledge with cultural insight to give newcomers the tools they needed to settle into their adopted country quickly.

Now, living in the US again, they observed the same types of practical questions and problems effecting their non-American friends in Portland. This book grew from a shared commitment to make the transition to Portland easier for international newcomers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 314 pages
• Publisher: Rgm Group (October 24, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970452209
• ISBN-13: 978-0970452207
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,788,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not what you think!, September 30, 2003

By 

drmackin (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Portland Handbook (Paperback)

This book is entirely aimed at folks moving to Portland from outside of the US. It contains maybe the briefest amount of information about Portland itself, but is mostly focused on adjusting to American customs and our "way of life" (which actually, was a bit fascinating to read).

Overall I was disappointed since this book does *not* contain a great deal of Portland-specific info. It's probably my own fault for not reading the editorial review closely enough, but I wanted to make sure that this information was clear to others!