Saudi Arabia - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture [Paperback]

Nicolas Buchele (Author)

Book Description

Series: Culture Smart! | Publication Date: June 3, 2008

Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships.

Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whether on business or for pleasure-into a memorable and enriching experience. Contents include:

* customs, values, and traditions
* historical, religious, and political background
* life at home
* leisure, social, and cultural life
* eating and drinking
* do's, don'ts, and taboos
* business practices
* communication, spoken and unspoken

"Culture Smart has come to the rescue of hapless travellers." Sunday Times Travel

"... the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries." Global Travel

"...full of fascinating-as well as common-sense-tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas." Observer

"...as useful as they are entertaining." Easyjet Magazine

"...offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world." New York Times

Editorial Reviews

Review

Culture Smart! has come to the rescue of hapless travellers, Sunday Times Travel - ...the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries, Global Travel - ...full of fascinating, as well as common sense, tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas, Observer - ...as useful as they are entertaining, Easy Jet Magazine - ...offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world, New York Times.

About the Author

NICOLAS BUCHELE grew up in Hamburg and was educated at University College London, where he graduated with first-class honors in English Language and Literature. He left Europe in 1997 to work as a journalist in Asia. In 2003—04, he was chief sub-editor at Arab News in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He has published articles on subjects ranging from Henry James’ late novels to car launches in Lebanon. He now lives in Bangkok, Thailand, where he works for Korea’s largest-circulation newspaper, the Chosun Ilbo.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Kuperard (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857333519
• ISBN-13: 978-1857333510
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 0.5 x 6.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #335,788 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > Travel > Middle East > Saudi Arabia
  • #9 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Travel > Middle East
  • #9 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Anthropology > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not detailed or accurate, April 3, 2011

By 

Cricket - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Saudi Arabia - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture (Paperback)

This book is ok if you want a small insight into Saudi culture but the best way to learn about a Saudi and his/her culture is to either make friends with one or marry a Saudi man (as marriage to Saudi women is virtually impossible). Even if you make friends with a Saudi there's no guarentee that you'll ever learn everything about their culture. Some of the points in this book were off.

6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Different, So Interesting, So Glad I Live Elsewhere, June 22, 2010

By 

SilverStepAlice (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Saudi Arabia - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture (Paperback)

'Culture Smart' Series Review:

First, I am a culture junkie and am a big fan of the 'Culture Smart' series with seven guides thus far in my growing collection. * Germany, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Cuba, Croatia, Brazil and Morocco * This series offers a compact look into the cultures of the world: their customs, attitudes and behaviors, etc. These books provide perhaps as close of understanding to many of them as a reader will have. It also does not hurt that I take in fun/unusual facts like a sponge. I highly recommend this series before traveling to another country or just to further your knowledge of other cultures.