Customer Reviews

The Xenophobe's Guide to the Poles

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

 

 

The book is short enough to be read in one sitting yet it is not simplistic. The humor keeps the narrative going and the insights into Polish life are from one who obviously knows the people yet has an outsider's (English)grasp of 'foreigners' habits and ways. Excellent book and I have subsequently read some others in the series and they too were high quality!

Everything you need to know about Poles is contained in this book in the nutshell: plenty of useful information but with lots of humor. It is concise in format (pocket size) yet very informative. The author is a critical but gifted observer of Polish life from the outside (British) perspective. She likes Poles with all their good and bad habits. This outside perspective and the ability of comparing Polish and British habits is definitively very helpful. I recommend it to everybody who wants to understand deeper Polish tradition and culture, who has family or friends of Polish origin or who wants to visit Poland soon. Without doubts I give it a straight "A".

This was an excellent book to read. It was recommended to me by my friend who is married to Polish woman. He is an anthropologist and I am a sociologist. He thought I would be great for me not only beause I teach sociology and cover in my classes stereotypes, culture, etc., but also because I was born and raised in Poland. He was very right. I have enjoyed this book tremendously.

Poles are described in a very true, but not offensive way. Page after page I had to laugh because of what author said about Polish nature and Polish way of living and doing things - eating, drinking, taking care of places they live in, taking care of their health and talking all the time about their health issues to name the few. All those things that became so clear to me after I moved to the United States and now drive me nuts at times every time I go to Poland.

I would strongly recommend it for anyone planning to go to Poland or is friends with Pole(s) and want to understand some of their behavior.