Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More Than 60 Countries 
asked by reviewer on November 17, 2006 8:21 AM
In a global economy, it is crucial for business people to be sensitive to cultural differences. And although the best reason for doing so may be ethical, it's great for business as well! This is an invaluable book for "doing well while doing good" in your intercultural relations, covering the protocols of appointments, business entertaining, greetings, forms of address, gestures, dress, and gifts in 60 of the nations you're most likely to be doing business. Some interesting excerpts: Australia: The "thumbs-up" sign, which in the U.S. indicates "O.K." is considered rude.
Brazil: The colors of the Brazilian flag are green and yellow, so avoid wearing this combination in any fashion.
China: Avoid making exaggerated gestures or using dramatic facial expressions. The Chinese do not generally use their hands when speaking, and become distracted by a speaker who does.
Indonesia: Since it is impolite to disagree with someone, Indonesians rarely say "no"...a clear way to indicate "no" is to suck in air through the teeth.
Brazil: The colors of the Brazilian flag are green and yellow, so avoid wearing this combination in any fashion.
China: Avoid making exaggerated gestures or using dramatic facial expressions. The Chinese do not generally use their hands when speaking, and become distracted by a speaker who does.
Indonesia: Since it is impolite to disagree with someone, Indonesians rarely say "no"...a clear way to indicate "no" is to suck in air through the teeth.
The authors are very aware that no generalizations apply to all residents of a nation, and are careful not to stereotype or judge. Highly recommended to any business traveler--or any student of the diversity of human cultures.
(Note: a great companion volume for this book is Gestures, which is devoted entirely to explaining the varieties of hand gestures in 82 countries!)
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On my home office bookshelf....right beside my dictionaries. Excellent country overviews, history, "how to and don't do" tips. Easy reading. Copy the pages you need for your destination and put them along with the ticket and passport in your travel kit.
reviewed by lovieduvie on November 27, 2006 2:47 AM
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Today's business world is such that you are very likely to have working relationships with global business partners. And you *should* know that "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". But what exactly is that? Terry Morrison and Wayne A Conaway bridge some of that information gap with the book Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands. This is one of those books that could help you close a big deal (or avoid killing one).
The book covers a large number of countries, one chapter per, and gives you the basics of culture, history, language, and what-not. The chapter starts with a quick culture note (some small and interesting fact) followed by a Cultural IQ test (a few quick questions to see how much you know about the country). There are then tips on doing business there, a very brief historical background, the type of government that is practiced, and what languages are common. The Cultural Orientation section attempts to delve a bit into the general mindset of how they think, make decisions, and regard each other in terms of equality. Probably the most practical sections are the Business Practices and Protocol areas, where you learn what is expected when doing business over there. For instance, there are different speeds in which negotiations occur. Some countries get right to the point, while others will engage in social talk for an extended time before starting business. In some places, being on time is critically important, whereas in other countries, the other party may be an hour late with no explanation. There is also extensive coverage on what to wear and what is expected socially once you're outside of the normal workday.
Overall, I found the book pretty interesting. I read it from cover to cover, which isn't the best way to digest this book. Since countries in neighboring areas might be similar in culture, I found large sections of information that were identical to something I read a few pages before. It's better to use the book as reference, paying particular attention to the countries where you have interests. There are also websites included in the material that point you to additional references on history, culture, and the like. I would recommend using those, as you can only cover so much information in four or five pages.
While not an exhaustive reference for any particular area, it *will* keep you from making the obvious cultural faux pas. A book that would be worth reading before your next trip out of the States...
The book covers a large number of countries, one chapter per, and gives you the basics of culture, history, language, and what-not. The chapter starts with a quick culture note (some small and interesting fact) followed by a Cultural IQ test (a few quick questions to see how much you know about the country). There are then tips on doing business there, a very brief historical background, the type of government that is practiced, and what languages are common. The Cultural Orientation section attempts to delve a bit into the general mindset of how they think, make decisions, and regard each other in terms of equality. Probably the most practical sections are the Business Practices and Protocol areas, where you learn what is expected when doing business over there. For instance, there are different speeds in which negotiations occur. Some countries get right to the point, while others will engage in social talk for an extended time before starting business. In some places, being on time is critically important, whereas in other countries, the other party may be an hour late with no explanation. There is also extensive coverage on what to wear and what is expected socially once you're outside of the normal workday.
Overall, I found the book pretty interesting. I read it from cover to cover, which isn't the best way to digest this book. Since countries in neighboring areas might be similar in culture, I found large sections of information that were identical to something I read a few pages before. It's better to use the book as reference, paying particular attention to the countries where you have interests. There are also websites included in the material that point you to additional references on history, culture, and the like. I would recommend using those, as you can only cover so much information in four or five pages.
While not an exhaustive reference for any particular area, it *will* keep you from making the obvious cultural faux pas. A book that would be worth reading before your next trip out of the States...
reviewed by mountaindew on November 27, 2006 11:18 PM
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Written for the international business traveler, this book was a great resource for me as characters in the Marketplace novels came from around the world. For my fans who keep asking me for "the protocol:" hey, start here and you tell me.
reviewed by guitarplayer on November 28, 2006 4:41 AM
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60 countries, and the only country in the entire continent of Africa the authors wrote about was Egypt? C'mon. While the authors do, in a similar compilation published after this one, include South Africa (the only other country in Africa included) and a few other countries, it is still a disgrace that books and compilations such as this one ignore the importance of proper business ettiqute in countries such as Kenya, Senegal, Ghana, and Tanzinia and do nothing more than perpetuate falsehoods, myths and fears about doing business in the aforementioned African countries and many others.
reviewed by tsu on November 28, 2006 7:13 PM