Customer Reviews

Survival Kit for Overseas Living: For Americans Planning to Live and Work Abroad

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have lived overseas for a year now and this book has been a wonderful help. It clearly and practically explains what it is to be an American and how that effects how others see us. I would recommend this book for every American planning to work or study outside the United States.

This book, first published in 1979, is still timely and useful, though it shows a few signs of age. It's hard to believe that any Americans in the CNN age are quite as ignorant of the world abroad as they were in the 1970s. However, diversity training and exposure to Thai and Mexican cuisine only goes so far to inoculate Americans against their own inherent cultural assumptions. Yes, this is written for people from the United States and addressed to them directly, but it would be useful to any sojourner trying to shake off hometown assumptions and adapt to life abroad. This volume treats every reader as a neophyte, a Dorothy in the Land of Oz. Author L. Robert Kohls offers a useful series of self-tests and questionnaires, psychological and anthropological frameworks, and practical guidance on routine matters. The book, which is engagingly written, with a wry and sometimes ironic touch, also contains useful appendices. We believe that it merits a place in the library of anyone, particularly any American, who is taking an overseas assignment, however brief.

This book was a gift given before my overseas service with the US Peace Corps. It ended up being the most valuable resource I had in my overseas experience. Over the years I've referred back to it (even in moving across the US) to deal with cultural changes.

This book was invaluable in my decision making process to take a position in Germany. The Appendices helped to focus my qestions both those for my future employer and for myself. It provided a needed reality check on the implications of cultural differences and culture shock that I am sure I will feel in the next few weeks.

This book was wonderfully practical and succint. I think the author did a fine job challenging Americans to consider that other cultures are different, not necessarily wrong.

I purchased this book in preparation for a semester abroad, and though it is targeted more towards Americans staying abroad for a longer period of time, I found all of the information relevant and helpful none-the-less

I have only 2 complaints about this book. First, many of the resources the author refers to are out of print or unavailable. That was a point of frustration because many of the books seemed like excellent resources. Also, unfortunately, this book was published just prior to 9/11, an event which significantly affects American travelers.

Despite these shortcomings, I highly recommend this book for anyone spending significant time abroad!

Survival Kit starts out a bit slow- it is helpful for someone who has done no studying of other cultures, and cross-cultural interactions. Indeed, superbably so- what it means to be American, what other cultures are, how to relate to people. But if you have studied anthropology or sociology or other cultures, you will find the first 2/3rds of the book largely old hat. It's the final third that really gets into some profound detail.

This final third is immensely practical, looking at how to recognize culture shock, how to deal with it, how to respond with love to others around you in your new culture. Kohls presents interesting ideas on how we view the world, as individuals, though I must confess I am still experiencing a great deal of trauma at having to spend an hour to see a particular perspective of a picture he presents. He then provides the cues we can expect within a new culture, even to the point of the likely dual-cyclic time periods of culture shock; how to deal with this as a family; and how to respond to reverse culture shock when you return "home". I plan on looking back to this book at the appropriate time in about 3 months, when I am scheduled to enter my first bout of culture shock.

Having lived overseas for extended periods over the past dozen years, I didn't learn as many new things as someone who may not have been there, but the information given is accurate, essential and very important if you are planning a major move or retirement in another country and culture. It is imperative you do your homework and don't just pack up spur of the moment.

Survival Kit for Overseas Living was not worth the money or time to read it. No real usable information and written at what seemed like a 6th grade level. At least it was so simple it was a fast read. The entire book was nothing but a lesson on diversity. The whole thing could have been written in a couple of sentences. If you live in another country you will have to deal with a different culture and different values. If you want to live there happily you will need to respect this and learn to live with it. That's the entire book!!!!

A friend of mine recommended this book after an overseas trip. Since I have moved a lot and work with companies on their cultures I was interested to see what it was about.

Pros: It is a great place to start and very practical in how it approaches the different topics. Kohls is also amazing talented at saying without saying that we all prejudge-whether you are aware of it or not. He also justifies culture-shock and reverse culture shock in a way that tells you its ok when you feel this, it too will pass. It's part of the process.

Cons: It is very basic. Anyone who has culture training or experience may find the book redundant and elementary. Those who do not, will find it extremely eye-opening. Also, Kohls does a very good job of profiling Americans and how they may be different throughout the country, but he seems to ignore or gloss-over that fact when it comes to other countries. Just because you experience one way/thing in this part of a country, you cant expect to experience the exact same thing in another.

All in all, it is a great book, and I do highly recommend it not just for overseas work and travel but for day-to-day living within your home country. We come across so many differences in people that if you recognize them as 'different' instead of 'right or wrong' it will make your own life much easier.

I was required to read the book for my study abroad class. I was surprised to see that some of it was interesting. I just skipped over the stuff that didnt apply to me, so it really wasn't all that boring.