This book is a great help in deciphering Brazilian customs and subtle cues. I would also recommend "A History of Brazil" and "The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova and the Popular Music of Brazil" as essential works that also give vital background.

Culture shock is sometimes taken for granted, however to be cosmopolitan, is to have experienced a culture shock and being able to fully utilize it to your own benefit. Brazil is one of these places in the world were the unwritten rules are as important as the air you breath, if you intend to successfuly journey through this country, it is imperative that you learn about the culture, the history and the economy. Yet the most precious commodity you can come accross, is a friend... Because doors will be open to you in ways you've not yet experienced before. This book is a friend.

I had originally purchased this book to use for a school project. While the book was extremely useful for my Human Resources class, I also found the issues and topics presented in the book to be of great interest. This book is easy reading, short and to the point.

Excellent book for people new to the United States. Faster read than similar books like Culture Shock and to the point. Offers information on a variety of topics that is very easy to understand and put into practice.

One will be able to peruse this work in an hour or so. Gives good working knowledge of Vietnamese ettiquette and mind-set. Great to have on hand as a reminder of what Vietnamese clients or students will expect from you. Generally accurate. Made me long for the days that I was fortunate enough to teach English to the Vietnamese.

This is a quick, easy read for anyone who wants an introduction to Vietnamese culture, particularly business culture. The clip art in the book looks cheap and the authors could have used tone marks in the Vietnamese vocabulary section. (Vietnamese is a tonal language and using different tones changes the meaning of words.) But, overall it is a useful book for anyone planning a personal or business trip to Vietnam.

This is one of the two books I read in preparing for a 3 week stay in Vietnam. The content was right on the mark, and helpful for even this non-business traveler.

Many a pocket calculator is larger than this booklet and with 88 pages it didn't take me much more than an hour to read.

Then again: it does put a lot of information in the little space available and virtually all of that is spot-on. Also the selection of topics is exactly that which is needed on a first reading.

At the moment where I write this (April 2002), some of the info out of the 2000 edition already seems to be referring to a totally different era. Menem no longer is president and neither is his succesor (or his sucessor for that matter). The times where foreignors were desparate to get into the market and Argentines could dictate terms today seem a distant memory too.

Don't let that put you off from buying this book. If you want to obtain a Ph.D. on Argentology, a small volume like this is insufficient. But if you have a (business) interest in Argentina and would like to get to know the essentials fast, this is the book to buy.

An informative, concise introduction to the culture and customs of the People's Republic of China. The book begins with a brief overview of the country, climate, language, and major cultural influences. It continues with a section on the business environment, which includes: basic attitudes of the Chinese government toward business; the work environment; Chinese attitudes about time, meetings and negotiating; and some strategies for success. There follows a section on Chinese customs and etiquette which includes: Chinese names, titles and greetings; communication styles; dress and appearance; entertaining and socializing. The final section contains additional information about basic Chinese phrases (not helpful since Chinese is a tonal language), how to address correspondence, some useful numbers, and some Internet address and additional books on China.

Having lived and taught in China for a few years, I can attest to the accuracy of the content. I even learned a few things myself. This is a good book for someone who needs a quick introduction to the subject of doing business in China. However, for anyone having a position of responsibility in a business venture in China, I would definitely recommend further reading on the subject.

This book is not what I was looking for. I give it a 4 of 5 stars because it give me some insite to the 'Pilipina' (as the call them selves) at work and why they seem to be a polite people. I was looking for is dealing with the Philippina people on a personal basis. For the business person working or visiting the Philippines it is a highly recomended book. Thanks Amazon.com

This book was quite a handy reference manual while I was attending Ming Chuan Univeristy...quite a different culture than Austrailia!

please send this article to me as soon as possible, i need this information to do my assignment. thank you

being an american, i find the book extremely useful while i was visiting a friend in taipei

That is one of the worst books I have ever read. The author, Roland Flamini, lived in Germany for four years but he has absolutely no idea what is behind the German business, etiquette and customs. There are many details wrong. If Passport Germany is your only guide to succeed in the German market or to make business with German companies, you can be sure that you will fail. There are many details about the German economy, companies and business missing. However, the main problem is that many topics a badly investigated. Here are some highlights: Answering the question 'How German view themselves', he quoted Goethe and Moser; both lived in the 18th century - who cares. Furthermore, Mr. Flamini, nowadays, it is not forbidden to make any noise between 1:30 and 3:30p.m. throughout Germany. In addition, Germany also has non-smoking regulations and the period of time a German spend his or her entire working career with one company is also past - and not present. It was funny to read that the German lunch time is 12:20 to 1 p.m., how precise. However, Mr. Flamini, the carnival in Germany is in February/early March and not in October and the Oktoberfest is in September and not in October. As a result: This book is boring and useless! It will confuse you and you will just waste your time....

Passport Germany is a bright star among those few books explaining common values and beliefs in Germany. Though the book is intended to serve as a first introduction to foreign businessmen, it actually is a treasure for everybody coming to Germany and trying to understand the German way of living and thinking. Why are Germans that concerned about Ordnung (order)? You will understand why after reading this little book, as well as learning about the right way to shake hands in Germany. Brilliantly did the author describe the step-by-step approach of getting to know each other; this piece of information can avoid too high expectations when it comes to socializing with Germans. The chapter on behaviour at the workplace and in business meetings is covered in an adequate manner; though there are some details which are outdated or not correct, the overall value of this book can not be questioned. But nevertheless some chapters need a thorough looking through, e.g. the opening hours of stores have changed; we have got 176 women in German Parliament instead of 26; carnival in the Rhineland is not in october, but in february; and the most northern winyards of Germany are not in the Rhineland, but in the area of Unstrut/Saale (former GDR). The author recommends that business men should have their German language paper material crosschecked by a German. Perhaps he should stick to his own recommendation and have his Passport Germany crosschecked by a German, too. It certainly would change my rating to the higher end. (reviewed by:Markus Brinker)

A word of caution: This book is not terribly useful for business travel in India. I spent 2 months in Delhi and didn't bother to check the publication date of this book. It is dated, to put it lightly.

There are a few useful tips in this little book (mostly about business/social interaction). However, I found that the main cultural differences in business were clear after the first week of being there--no book could have prepared me. India is an incredibly vast and varied country; no one general guide can smooth the transition.

If you're going to India to travel, the lonely planet or eyewitness guides will do you some good (really good if you're planning to visit out-of-the-way places). If you're going to India on business, then I'd suggest simply chatting with your Indian co-workers before or upon your arrival. Most likely they'll give you a better idea of what to expect; also, their advice will be tailored to your type of business and, more specifically, to the people with whom you'll be working.

As with all people and places--we're unique. Allow your Indian experience to be unique too.

Since India has a distinct culture from the US, I expected to receive some useful guidance from this book. It is very elementry - just remember to be polite and you will do better than you would by following this book's suggestions. Not worth the money or the weight in my luggage.