Book Reviews Information

Book Review: Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands {How To Do Business In Sixty Countries}


Home | Site Map | 101InfoLinks.com | Best Book Shop | Sports Fans ONLY
     .
© 2007

Kiss, Bow, Or Shake Hands:How To Do Business In Sixty Countries
By Terri Morrison, Wayne A. Conaway, George A. Borden, and Hans Koehler

? While in Germany, on business, you meet with your local counterpart. Between your broken German and histextbook English you are able to carry on a fairly well understood conversation. You reach a lull in your talkand to keep the conversation going you ask your friend about his spouse and children. Suddenly, he grows very quiet and a look of anger sweeps across his face. You ask yourself, "Did I mispronounce something? Did I say something wrong?"

? In Ecuador, you engage a street vendor in a lively negotiation for one of the Indian artifacts that he is selling. You grow increasingly uncomfortable as you realize that not even a foot separates you from him; you take that to mean he is interested in you personally. Whenever you took a step backward, he takes one step towards you to close the gap. Alarmed, you break off the conversation suddenly and head back to your hotel hoping that the merchant is not following after you.

? On the streets of Copenhagen, you wait for traffic to thin out so that you may cross the road. A driver slows down and signals for you to proceed. You smile and flash an okay gesture (thumb and forefinger forming a circle) at her and then are surprised by the glaring look of disgust from her.

Each of the above examples shows cultural differences that can occur when traveling outside the United States. "Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: How to Do Business in Sixty Countries," is a helpful reference for travelers. From Argentina to Greece to Japan, the authors present a work that is both serious and funny, practical and helpful, to assist business travelers as they navigate the cultural maze in the land(s) they are visiting.

The book is a helpful tool that will enhance the globetrotter in brushing up on what to expect before his/her trip abroad. Each featured country has its own chapter and contains the following information:

? Country Background -- History, Type of Government, Language, Religion, and Demographics.

? Cultural Orientation -- Particular Value Systems and Negotiation Strategies.

? Business Practices -- Appointments (When to be punctual and when to be purposely late), Negotiating, and Business Entertainment.

Interspersed throughout are cultural notes that are meant to inform travelers how to present their best foot forward and avoid mistakes like those listed earlier. Now, let's take a look at the examples mentioned earlier and see what went wrong:

? For Germans, family life and business life are kept separate. Germans will find a way to work family into their conversation if they want to share that information with you (see page 131).

? Ecuadorians, like many South Americans, traditionally stand close to one another when conversing. If you move back, they often will close the gap to maintain their close proximity. In the U.S., we are accustomed to at least a two foot gap between people and consider anything closer as threatening (see page 92).

? Danes, as well as many cultures around the world, take the American "o.k." gesture to be an obscene or insulting response. Be careful what hand gestures you use abroad -- you may get a very unwelcome response (see page 87).

Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands is published by Adams Media Corporation, 1994, Holbrook, Mass.

Matt is the webmaster for the Corporate Flight Attendant Community at http://www.corporateflyer.net and http://www.cabinmanagers.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Book Reviews
South Devon Herald Express, UK - 12 hours ago
By Neil Cross (Simon and Schuster, £12.99) AVOIDING drunken, drug-fuelled threesomes in the woods tends to be a good idea. Especially with anyone who has ...


The Fall (Magill Book Reviews)
eNotes, WA - Jan 7, 2009
In three sections, The Fall opens with a prologue poem about an escape from a serious illness, the central theme of section III. Part I concentrates on the ...


Book Reviews: 3 John Rubino Books
GuruFocus.com, TX - Jan 7, 2009
by Todd Sullivan So, I was asked to review "Clean Money: Picking Winners in Green Tech Boom". Whenever I get asked to review a book that tells me what ...


Suspense book reviews
MiamiHerald.com, FL - Jan 6, 2009
O'Connell specializes in stories about damaged, complex, strong characters. Her nine novels about tormented New York detective Kathy Mallory have earned her ...


New and Notable book reviews
Arizona Republic, AZ - Jan 4, 2009
It's a good bet that if this is the first Harry Hole novel you read, you'll never miss another. It begins as the Oslo detective investigates a chilling bank ...


Children's Book Reviews
Publishers Weekly, NY - Jan 4, 2009
A read-aloud with an Aussie accent, this bouncy rhyming tale of wandering wombats delivers age-appropriate suspense as well as a countdown. ...


Non-Fiction Book Reviews
Monsters and Critics.com - Jan 3, 2009
By Sandy Amazeen Jan 3, 2009, 17:48 GMT This insightful examination of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass shows how they rose from humble beginnings to ...


Book reviews: Yuletide books offer a variety
Detroit Free Press, United States - Dec 21, 2008
BY JAVAN KIENZLE • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • December 21, 2008 In the foreward to a "reintroduction" of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Dinner" (Red Rock ...


Book Reviews
Tumbler Ridge News,  Canada - Jan 5, 2009
As most parents can attest, once rules are set, children will constantly push the boundaries of those rules. That’s one lesson Archibald Mouse learns the ...


Stow organizer shares steps to get office in shape
Akron Beacon Journal, OH - 4 hours ago
Pearsall's storage solutions included binders to hold book reviews, a cupboard dedicated to office supplies, separate shelf areas for research materials and ...

Book-Reviews - Google News

     Home | Site Map | 101InfoLinks Directory | You'll LOVE This! | Sports Fans ONLY          
© 2007
.