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Rating: 
Summary: excellent information, but at times too PC
Review: Cramer provides excellent information for anyone traveling to Bolivia who wishes to make his visit more than a postcard stop. From festivals to daily activities, he guides the reader over the true Bolivian landscape (real and psychological). His tips are straight forward and will address most questions or concerns the reader might have. My only complaint is his need to be so PC. Every culture has wonderful and less wonderful things. I think it shows true respect for a culture to be able to proudly display its strengths and honestly discuss what 'stinks.' Arrogance in the Bolivian professional world that forces the 'unconnected' to be treated dismissively is not just an opportunity for the disenfranchised to learn patience. It is a flaw in that culture...just as it is in any culture where it occurs (there, I've said it and the PC God didn't strike me dead!) Having said that, I must admit that Cramer does not sugar coat everything. Also, my complaint is a minor one in light of everything that he does well.
Rating: 
Summary: Wait for the next update - cries out for an update
Review: Some have said that Bolivia is timeless; a land that refuses to change. Maybe, BUT a guide that exists to expound on the Bolivian culture should not be timeless -- it needs to be current. This guide is not current.Mark Cramer initially wrote this book pre-1996, and though the title page states the text was "revisited in 2001" I found nothing in the book that included the last five years of Bolivia's revolts and reformations. Bolivia is a country with serious upheavals (economic and political) and it has an engaging and often revolutionary political system. My visit this year to Bolivia showed me that the country and people do change, and they have. This book should have illustrated this fact. My criticism does not mean that the book is without `some' significance. Cramer's first 100 pages are somewhat engaging and informative. His writing is at its best in the chapter that deals with "Social and Business Customs". Sadly, half of that chapter is used to list the various festivals in Bolivia, without adequately telling you the "why" each festival exists, i.e. "San Rafael" (24 Oct.) "A four day festival in Santa Fe with folk dancing and more drinking." The last 150 pages are superfluous. Instead of guiding you deeper into the customs, culture and etiquette (the normal focus of `Culture Shock!' guides) Cramer takes a hike... literally. He attempts to turn the book into a travel guide, and not a good one at that. The strength of other `Culture Shock! Guides' is that they give you a depth of understanding of the people and their ethos, how the history of the country has created customs and culture. Regarding this `Culture Shock! Guide' you should save your money and wait until the guide is not just `revisited', but rewritten. Conditionally recommended 2.5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Wait for the next update - cries out for an update
Review: Some have said that Bolivia is timeless; a land that refuses to change. Maybe, BUT a guide that exists to expound on the Bolivian culture should not be timeless -- it needs to be current. This guide is not current. Mark Cramer initially wrote this book pre-1996, and though the title page states the text was "revisited in 2001" I found nothing in the book that included the last five years of Bolivia's revolts and reformations. Bolivia is a country with serious upheavals (economic and political) and it has an engaging and often revolutionary political system. My visit this year to Bolivia showed me that the country and people do change, and they have. This book should have illustrated this fact. My criticism does not mean that the book is without 'some' significance. Cramer's first 100 pages are somewhat engaging and informative. His writing is at its best in the chapter that deals with "Social and Business Customs". Sadly, half of that chapter is used to list the various festivals in Bolivia, without adequately telling you the "why" each festival exists, i.e. "San Rafael" (24 Oct.) "A four day festival in Santa Fe with folk dancing and more drinking." The last 150 pages are superfluous. Instead of guiding you deeper into the customs, culture and etiquette (the normal focus of 'Culture Shock!' guides) Cramer takes a hike... literally. He attempts to turn the book into a travel guide, and not a good one at that. The strength of other 'Culture Shock! Guides' is that they give you a depth of understanding of the people and their ethos, how the history of the country has created customs and culture. Regarding this 'Culture Shock! Guide' you should save your money and wait until the guide is not just 'revisited', but rewritten. Conditionally recommended 2.5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: The Bolivian Experience
Review: This book is a boring but good book that gives enough details to write reports for young students and it is a greaat way to learn more about a South American Country
Rating:
Summary: Easy and informative!
Review: This book is packed with all kinds of information on Bolivia as a country and as a culture. It reads like a novel, as opposed to most fact-filled books. I sat down with this book knowing very little about Bolivia; Now I feel like I've been there. I look forward to seeing the pages come to life this summer as I venture into this amazing country. This is a MUST read for those wanting to know about Bolivia and its people.
Rating:
Summary: Easy and informative!
Review: This book is packed with all kinds of information on Bolivia as a country and as a culture. It reads like a novel, as opposed to most fact-filled books. I sat down with this book knowing very little about Bolivia; Now I feel like I've been there. I look forward to seeing the pages come to life this summer as I venture into this amazing country. This is a MUST read for those wanting to know about Bolivia and its people.
Rating:
Summary: excellent information, but at times too PC
Review: When I learned I would be moving to La Paz for a year, I searched for a book that would provide more insight on the cultural and daily realities of life in Bolivia than guidebooks usually provide. This was just the right book. While it provides information that is very useful for soon-to-be residents (how to navigate the black markets to get household necessities; the fact that it costs $1500 for a phone number, so rent an apartment that already has one!), I think it is also a great supplement to the guidebooks for any traveller who will be spending a decent amount of time in Bolivia and wants to understand more about the country than just the history and the sights. The author describes typical economic and social lives of Bolivians, outlines current social and political issues, gives cultural tips on interacting with Bolivians, and provides qualitative, highlights-type descriptions of some of the sights in La Paz and Bolivia. It is very readable and entertaining, so it makes a good introductory, overview book. A good guidebook may have lots of the same information somewhere in there, but it has a "thoroughness" job to do, making it less fun and easy to read. (The Lonely Planet Guide to Bolivia is excellent, though.) If the other Culture Shock series books are as good, I will read them before travelling to other S. American countries.
Rating: 
Summary: A great supplement to guidebooks
Review: When I learned I would be moving to La Paz for a year, I searched for a book that would provide more insight on the cultural and daily realities of life in Bolivia than guidebooks usually provide. This was just the right book. While it provides information that is very useful for soon-to-be residents (how to navigate the black markets to get household necessities; the fact that it costs $1500 for a phone number, so rent an apartment that already has one!), I think it is also a great supplement to the guidebooks for any traveller who will be spending a decent amount of time in Bolivia and wants to understand more about the country than just the history and the sights. The author describes typical economic and social lives of Bolivians, outlines current social and political issues, gives cultural tips on interacting with Bolivians, and provides qualitative, highlights-type descriptions of some of the sights in La Paz and Bolivia. It is very readable and entertaining, so it makes a good introductory, overview book. A good guidebook may have lots of the same information somewhere in there, but it has a "thoroughness" job to do, making it less fun and easy to read. (The Lonely Planet Guide to Bolivia is excellent, though.) If the other Culture Shock series books are as good, I will read them before travelling to other S. American countries.
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