Buy New
 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Buy Used
Used - Like New See details
$10.00 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
88 used & new from $4.95

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French (Paperback)

~ Jean-Benoit Nadeau (Author), Julie Barlow (Author) "When we arrived in Paris at the beginning of Jean-Benoîts fellowship, it was only the second time we had set foot in France..." (more)
Key Phrases: administrateurs civils, resisting globalization, thousand dollars per month, United States, World War, National Assembly (more...)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)

List Price: $16.95
Price: $11.53 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $5.42 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, December 22? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
Ordering for Christmas? To ensure delivery by December 24, choose Standard Shipping at checkout. Read more about holiday shipping.

24 new from $8.50 64 used from $4.95

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Paperback, April 30, 2003 $11.53 $8.50 $4.95

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Cultural Misunderstandings: The French-American Experience by Raymonde Carroll

Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French + Cultural Misunderstandings: The French-American Experience
  • This item: Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French by Jean-Benoît Nadeau

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Cultural Misunderstandings: The French-American Experience by Raymonde Carroll

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Cultural Misunderstandings: The French-American Experience

Cultural Misunderstandings: The French-American Experience

by Raymonde Carroll
4.2 out of 5 stars (11)  $8.88
Talk to the Snail: Ten Commandments for Understanding the French

Talk to the Snail: Ten Commandments for Understanding the French

by Stephen Clarke
French or Foe?: Getting the Most Out of Visiting, Living and Working in France

French or Foe?: Getting the Most Out of Visiting, Living and Working in France

by Polly Platt
The Story of French

The Story of French

by Jean-Benoît Nadeau
3.3 out of 5 stars (18)  $10.87
Savoir Flair: 211 Tips for Enjoying France and the French

Savoir Flair: 211 Tips for Enjoying France and the French

by Polly Platt
4.3 out of 5 stars (38)  $11.53
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In 1999, Canadian journalists Nadeau and Barlow moved to Paris for a two-year fellowship to study France's culture and economy in an effort to understand why the French resist globalization. They began by examining this puzzle: How does a country with "high taxes, a bloated civil service, a huge national debt, an over-regulated economy, over-the-top red tape, double-digit unemployment, and low incentives for entrepreneurs" also boast the world's highest productivity index and rank as the third-largest exporter and fourth-biggest economic power? By delving into France's cultural and political history, the authors show how it all works. Chapters are devoted to the French obsessions about World War II and the war in Algeria and how these events still shape attitudes and policies. Other chapters explore the French insistence on precision in language, their sense of private space, and the effects of immigration. In an era of irrational reactions to all things French, here is an eminently rational answer to the question, "Why are the French like that?" Beth Leistensnider
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Product Description

At last, a fresh take on a country that no one can seem to understand.

The French smoke, drink and eat more fat than anyone in the world, yet they live longer and have fewer heart problems than Americans. They take seven weeks of paid vacation per year, yet have the world’s highest productivity index. From a distance, modern France looks like a riddle. But up close, it all makes sense. Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong shows how the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

Decrypting French ideas about land, food, privacy and language, the authors weave together the threads of French society—from centralization and the Napoleonic code to elite education and even street protests—giving us, for the first time, an understanding of France and the French.

Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong is the most ambitious work published on France since Theodor Zeldin’s The French. It goes beyond Adam Gopnik’sParis to the Moon to explain not only the essence of the French, but also how they got to be the way they are. Unlike Jonathan Fenby’s France on the Brink, the authors do not see France in a state of decline, but one of perpetual renewal.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 351 pages
  • Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.; No Additonal Printings Listed edition (May 1, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1402200455
  • ISBN-13: 978-1402200458
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,091 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #3 in  Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology > Social Groups
    #43 in  Books > Reference > Writing > Travel
    #45 in  Books > Travel > Europe > France

More About the Author

Jean-Benoît Nadeau
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Jean-Benoît Nadeau Page

Inside This Book (learn more)

Citations (learn more)
This book cites 15 books:
See all 15 books this book cites

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French
83% buy the item featured on this page:
Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French 4.0 out of 5 stars (61)
$11.53
Talk to the Snail: Ten Commandments for Understanding the French
6% buy
Talk to the Snail: Ten Commandments for Understanding the French 4.2 out of 5 stars (24)
Savoir Flair: 211 Tips for Enjoying France and the French
5% buy
Savoir Flair: 211 Tips for Enjoying France and the French 4.3 out of 5 stars (38)
$11.53
A Year in the Merde
4% buy
A Year in the Merde 3.7 out of 5 stars (74)
$10.20

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(13)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

61 Reviews
5 star:
 (27)
4 star:
 (20)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (4)
1 star:
 (6)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (61 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
151 of 167 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars If you want insight into France & the French, get this book!, July 16, 2003
By Erik Olson "Seeker Reviews" (Ridgefield, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
Even though I never bought into the whole "freedom fries" thing, until recently I would've been less than kind in my appraisal of the French. However, after visiting Paris for four days in June of '03, I came away with a whole new appreciation for France and its people. I backpacked through four different countries during my trip, and France ended up being my hands-down favorite.

Why the change of heart? Well, first of all Paris has to be seen to be believed. I'm a history buff, and the city is soaked with centuries of it. However, it was the people that really made an impression on me. I was assisted in my wanderings by a number of kind French, including a woman who gave myself and some others an impromptu tour of Notre Dame, and even had three of us over for (free) dinner at her parent's restaurant. And all that just because I asked her for directions! I confess that I fell in love with Paris, and after returning home I began looking for books to learn more about a place that could turn my opinions around so quickly.

I almost skipped over this one - the title and goofy cover art made me think it was some sort of satire. But I gave it a shot, and it turned out to be one of the best books I've read this year. It answered many questions I had about France and the French, from the turbulent history that formed the French national identity, to why a Frenchman spent about a minute correcting my pronounciation of "Champs Elysees." Better yet, the authors write in an accessible, entertaining style, even when dissecting the minutia of French government. A great read from start to finish - don't let this one get away.

I can't wait to go back to Paris, and if you feel as I do, or just want to know why "60 Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong", then by all means get this book!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Journalism that reads like fiction, May 12, 2003
This is a rare breed in the world of nonfiction: a factual book you'll actually read through to the end.
In a lively style punctuated with anecdote, authors Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoit Nadeau trace how the society and politics of France have evolved over the centuries. The result? We start to understand there is a distinct French character and that the current showdown between France and the English-speaking world is not resistance for its own sake, but the result of the real, historic differences that exist.
This book is for anyone who has ever lived in France, visited or tried to do business with the French. It will illuminate some of the mysteries and answer questions you didn't know to ask.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Unique and thoughtful insight, August 22, 2003
By A Customer
Books by North Americans about Paris and France and the cultural differences they experience while traveling and living there are too often overly simplistic and do not get beneath the surface of romanticized visions of French culture. For example, Diane Johnson's Le Divorce and others are not very well written and offer little new information on why the French are the way they are and how it really is to be a modern citizen of France. This book, however, stands apart due to the authors' effort to resist indulging in stereotypes and, instead, to really explore the workings of French culture. For instance, the chapters on education are fascinating because they give real details on how the French education system works, which are very surprising to most North Americans. Understanding this system provides much greater insight into the way one's socioeconomic status is determined in France and the French understanding of a meritocracy. Similarly, the discussion of the lingering memories of WWII is incredibly insightful and helps the reader understand where the French come from in modern politics. Highly recommended for anyone interested in really learning about modern French.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong
This book was recommended to me by an American friend who lives in Paris. I am not French but I am not American either. Read more
Published 21 days ago by Y. G. Guy

5.0 out of 5 stars Need to Read
A great book, that I bought after visiting France. Wish I had read it before our trip! It really helps explain why the French are like they are. Read more
Published 14 months ago by David S. Locke

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read for a francophile
60 Million Frenchman is split into three sections (1) French history (why certain events helped make the French the way they are). Read more
Published 18 months ago by J. Howard

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best yet...
Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong...
They could have left the title at that. This book does a great job of explaining cultural differences, history, education,... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Carol Reed

2.0 out of 5 stars Sixty Million Frenchmen Can Be Dull, it seems
Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong often times feels like a Francenstein's (spelling deliberate) monster. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Vincent D. Pisano

5.0 out of 5 stars Great insight in all things French, psyche (culture, history, and government)
This book really delves into why the French are the way they are, as cliche as it sounds. The authors do a great job in explaining how French history has shaped the psyche of the... Read more
Published on August 23, 2007 by J. Chang

5.0 out of 5 stars great summary of the French and France
I only wish someone had written this book and given it to me 32 years ago when I came to live in France!! Read more
Published on August 9, 2007 by I. Fauveau

2.0 out of 5 stars Having French friends does not make you and Anthropologist
"Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong" is a moderately interesting book on the social differences of the French for an American point of view. Read more
Published on May 5, 2007 by Diana Harland

4.0 out of 5 stars Only a little deeper than journalism
I read this book during my vacation in France, which was during the early part of the French presidential elections. The book was moderately insightful. Read more
Published on May 2, 2007 by Wyote

5.0 out of 5 stars Merci beaucoup pour ce livre merveilleux! - I am beginning to understand the French!
I am an American living in the Midwest of the United States. 2 years ago I did not speak a word of french. Read more
Published on April 23, 2007 by Paul

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.