Rating: 
Summary: Could be helpful, although much is out of date
Review: An expatriate American, I bought CULTURE SHOCK: USA for my Ukrainian girlfriend who wanted to better understand American culture. Before giving the book to her, I read it to see if it would be an enlightening introduction to the culture of the United States.CULTURE SHOCK: USA is a decent overview of American culture, and its sections on body language and conversation can be of immense help to Europeans. I found the book's section on American education to be honest and straightforward. Regional differences were clearly explained, and the book acknowledged that American is a vast and diverse nation. However, the book does leave out a few aspects of American culture that foreign visitors should be aware of. The book is correct in saying that Americans are generally friendly to foreigners, but the book does not mention the deep xenophobia and jingoism that are common to Americans, especially those from rural regions. I would have liked a better overview of America's religious diversity. The book emphasizes that most Americans identify themselves as Christian, but the book could have discussed the various denominations and the difference between, for example, Catholicism and Fundamentalism. Another weak point of the book is that it is somewhat out of date. One amusing photograph shows a teenager mowing the lawn and the caption says that teenagers do chores to have money for such things are musical tapes. Tapes? It's all CDs or MP3 players now. And do teenagers even mow the lawn anymore? When I was in high school several years ago, everyone I knew just hired a lawn service. The book was supposedly revised in 1997 and 1999, but the revision didn't go too deep. While it does have its faults, CULTURE SHOCK: USA is really the only book of its kind in English and can benefit those wishing to understand American culture. However, it's always good to have another source besides this one.
Rating:
Summary: OK, but biased and odd writing style
Review: I bought the book for a friend, and read it myself to see what the author had to say about life in the USA (I am American). I thought her writing style was strange; it was written like it was written by a foreigner, yet the author claimed she was native Californian. I had the impression it was written by someone from England. She used UK spelling everywhere. Many words are spelled differently between UK and USA. Why would anyone want to introduce someone to the US using UK words? I also took exception to some of her left-wing views presented as "facts", particularly anything to do with crime and firearms. Overall, I'd say the book was OK, but not great. It did present some of the pecularities of life in the US, but it could have been better.
Rating:
Summary: OK, but biased and odd writing style
Review: I bought the book for a friend, and read it myself to see what the author had to say about life in the USA (I am American). I thought her writing style was strange; it was written like it was written by a foreigner, yet the author claimed she was native Californian. I had the impression it was written by someone from England. She used UK spelling everywhere. Many words are spelled differently between UK and USA. Why would anyone want to introduce someone to the US using UK words? I also took exception to some of her left-wing views presented as "facts", particularly anything to do with crime and firearms. Overall, I'd say the book was OK, but not great. It did present some of the pecularities of life in the US, but it could have been better.
Rating: 
Summary: It's funny to read about yourself like this...
Review: I bought this book to send to the foreign exchange student that will be living with us this year, and I read it myself before sending it to him. It is really strange to read about your own culture, because there are so many quirks that we have as Americans that we never notice. This book gave me new insight into our culture and behavior. It was definitely fun, and prompted a great deal of introspection. It is well written, but sometimes odd in style, using words and phrases that just don't sound "American". If you can get past that, it is really worth reading, even for an American, and perhaps especially for an American.
Rating:
Summary: It's funny to read about yourself like this...
Review: I bought this book to send to the foreign exchange student that will be living with us this year, and I read it myself before sending it to him. It is really strange to read about your own culture, because there are so many quirks that we have as Americans that we never notice. This book gave me new insight into our culture and behavior. It was definitely fun, and prompted a great deal of introspection. It is well written, but sometimes odd in style, using words and phrases that just don't sound "American". If you can get past that, it is really worth reading, even for an American, and perhaps especially for an American.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a good guide
Review: I have read six other Culture Shock books. Those are interesting and well researched. However, Culture Shock USA is the opposite. It deals far more with everyday life, than with the USA, with knowing little about what aspects of American life would be a problem or a surprise to a foreigner. I have read a few other interesting and well researched books about the USA, e.g. Coping with America by Peter Trudgill, which I would recommend instead.
Rating:
Summary: Not a good guide
Review: I have read six other Culture Shock books. Those are interesting and well researched. However, Culture Shock USA is the opposite. It deals far more with everyday life, than with the USA. I have read a few other interesting and well researched books about the USA, e.g. Coping with America by Peter Trudgill, which I would recommend instead.
Rating:
Summary: Good, Funny Intro to the USA
Review: I'm going to buy this for some overseas friends. It's got its moments. The section explaining business practices was useful. It is not the be all, end all, but a good start. I would have liked spelling out a little better who the main audience was. That's why I gave it a 4.
Rating:
Summary: Good, Funny Intro to the USA
Review: I'm going to buy this for some overseas friends. It's got its moments. The section explaining business practices was useful. It is not the be all, end all, but a good start. I would have liked spelling out a little better who the main audience was. That's why I gave it a 4.
Rating: 
Summary: best book for 1st timers and business people
Review: The best book I have ever seen about US customs and traditions particulary from business point of view.
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