Customer Reviews

The Xenophobe's Guide to the Swiss (Xenophobe's Guides - Oval Books)

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

 

 

I work in the U.S. for the Swiss. This little book (you can read it in an hour or two) is very funny and fun to read. At the same time, it is amazingly insightful with regards to Swiss culture, customs and people. I sometimes give it to others doing business with the Swiss. On the whole, it paints the Swiss in a positive light, but also offers up good fodder for ribbing my Swiss colleagues. For a more serious and scholarly treatment of the Swiss, check out Steinberg's "Why Switzerland".

This book is laugh out loud funny and has many truths, though the Swiss may not want to admit it. All countries have their quirks and Switzerland is not immune either. A a Swiss dual national married to a Swiss, I heard about all these little quirks that all cultures and countries have and always teased my spouse that he was exaggerating regarding Switzerland. Then I spent time in the country and just recently I experienced the "self sustaining bureacracy" at work when the Swiss Govt. charged me $50 for a very fancy piece of paper to tell me what my address is, the state in the US I was born, the date when I got married and who my parents are-that's it, no really that's all it says-nothing more. I am convinced that the $50 was to pay for the fancy paper-that's how fancy it really is. So as the author himself notes on this very subject of family papers...I guess it's in case I forget these facts about myself. Needless to say I howled over this.

Read this book with humor and take into account that it isn't a traditional travel book nor an ultra accurate account on Swiss manufacturing and tourism or the countries stats. But there are some real truths here relayed with great wit. The author himself is Brit married to a Swiss and has made some genuinely funny observations on Swiss culture. I finished reading this book thinking the author genuinely loves and respects his adopted country, but gosh they do some funny things sometimes. A little joshing and humor never hurt anyone-even the staunch Swiss. We should always be able to laugh at ourselves and that's what this book sets out to do, and to my thinking, it succeeded.

This is really not a guide book in the traditional sense. That is, you can't find out where to get a decent hotel, day excursion, or meal in Switzerland by reading this book. Rather Bilton, an Englishman, comments on the culture he learned after marrying a Swiss woman and living in her country for the last 10 years or so. His insights into the Swiss people, particularly their attitudes, behaviors, and societal structure are insightful and often hilarious. Switzerland is surprisingly diverse and too often overlooked by those studying European history and culture. It's easy to not look beyond the image of banks, watches, and chocolates to get to know the people behind the stereotypes. This witty book cuts to the chase and is at times quite irreverant, though certainly not offensive. It's one thing to eat rösti. It's another to understand the röstigraben. This book explains both.

Like the author, I too am married to a Swiss woman and read this book prior to a two-month trip to Zurich to study German and learn more about my wife's parent culture. I found this little book a surprising and entertaining resource. Time and time again, I found my experiences meeting and getting to know the Swiss strangely reminiscent of the pages of this book. I even loaned it to Swiss friends who concurred that its observations was right on the money. So I read the book again at the conclusion of the trip--and laughed aloud even more the second time. It's a quick read, for more detailed insights from Bilton, see his diary "the Perpetual Tourist", which covers similar ground.

I am just finishing up my third year of living in Switzerland part-time (6 mos./yr). This little book is a nice easy read and is not only enjoyable but seems to be pretty accurate in terms of encompassing the 'Swiss Mentality'. Possibly some statistics and technicalities are not 'dead-on' but most of them match what I have already heard. The humour in the book is great and is probably most appreciated by those who are non-Swiss and who live amongst them or know them well. (I'm sure most Swiss would struggle to find any humour in it.) Being able to read about things writen by someone else, that you see and experience in daily life yourself adds to the humour. I'd say a good read for someone who is going to be in Switzerland for any length of time.

This is a short simple to read book about the Swiss. I am Swiss, born there, but did not grow up in this very clean state. My wife who is a U.S. citizen bought me the book for my birthday. Because of my rowing career we traveled to Switzerland a fair bit and I observed the Swiss way through the eyes of my wife. I think this book is great for Swiss who live abroad because it reminds them why they miss Switzerland and why they don't. This book is great for Swiss who live in Switzerland and need motivation to go see other corners of the world. Since we have friends of different nationalities, Swede, Dutch, and German, we offered them their respective Xenophobe's Guide. They all loved their new booklet.
Happy reading, XENO www gorow com

I have lived in Switzerland for the past 9 years and this little tongue-in-cheek booklet is spot on - note that it was first published in 1995 and preciously little has changed since then.

I bought this book because my husband is Swiss and I thought it would be fun to read together. While reading it, I laughed out loud because some of the cultural differences are pretty accurate and also funny... especially if you are married to someone with a difference of opinion about saving versus spending money. Well, my husband was not so amused and found it all very insulting. I guess this book is good for those who just need to know there are other people out there who notice the peculiarities of the Swiss and need to commiserate. :-)

I purchased this book seeking insight regarding life trends/interest of the Swiss. In return I received a very small booklet with little useful information. The prices for this booklet is outrageous. Stop by Barnes and Noble, grab a cup to Joe and by the time your cup is empty you would have read this complete booklet. You would of had a few laughs but nothing worth taking home or even buying for others. Save your monies and look deeper for a book with more substance.

This book, written by a person living in Switzerland, is neither funny not informative. Save your money and buy one of the many guidebooks (e.g., Lonely Planets) available on the country.

I've purchased 6 countries so far on these Xenophobes Guide books. It's the most unique, time saving way to understand any culture. All the research has been done for you and condensed in a neat little book that you can travel with. Quick to read, extremely informative, unbiased and very funny reading. I plan to have the entire collection. Highly recommended.