Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands, 16 Jun 2005
This book rather stereotypes people and it is generally rather dated by many years, not just the 11 since it was originally published. It is veyrr obvious that the authors are American. The chapter called "England" shows a map of Great Britain, although it does eventually go to to give a distinction of the UK and Great Britain without showing country borders on the map. The comment that "men should wear laced shoes" really made me chuckle.
We are all a bit more global these days e.g. in the UK we have regrettably "taken on" many aspects of US culture/lifestyle.

Essential book if you work with people from other Countries, 22 Oct 2003
Fantastic book, I've been referring to this for nearly 10 years now since it first came out. Working as I do with many different cultures, and given the track record of my American Colleagues who don't know where Canada is (joke!) I've always found it ironic that it was an American team who wrote this book!
Anyone who is ever sceptical about the value of its content, I show them the pages for their Country, and within minutes they're sold on its value, even if there's something minor in there they can quibble about.
I especially rely on this book for the Business Practices (Appointments, Negotiating & Entertaining) and the Protocol (Greetings) sections.
I've worked in over 30 Countries, and this book has never let me down. The only times I've needed a Country that wasn't in the book was for Austria & Croatia, but you can't have everything!

The book has been very helpful, 03 Aug 1999
Received the book as a gift and have used it extensively in my travels. The book helps to get an idea of the culture and is even more applicable after initial encounter with the people. Allows insight into the workings of the local minds. I have avoided major gaffs when working in cultures not my own.

A Great Resource, 20 Jul 1999
I can't say enough about this book. When I need a quick reference about a country and culture this is the first place I turn. The book is very easy to use organized by country. I would call it a must for those travelling or doing business abroad!

Great resource for international business travelers, 16 Jun 1999
I teach international business and this is one of only two books I highly recommend my students to own. My international students have said that it truly reflects their countries and I have never found it to be incorrect in my travels. The only weakness is that it doesn't cover more countries!

Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands, 16 Jun 2005
This book rather stereotypes people and it is generally rather dated by many years, not just the 11 since it was originally published. It is veyrr obvious that the authors are American. The chapter called "England" shows a map of Great Britain, although it does eventually go to to give a distinction of the UK and Great Britain without showing country borders on the map. The comment that "men should wear laced shoes" really made me chuckle.
We are all a bit more global these days e.g. in the UK we have regrettably "taken on" many aspects of US culture/lifestyle.

Essential book if you work with people from other Countries, 22 Oct 2003
Fantastic book, I've been referring to this for nearly 10 years now since it first came out. Working as I do with many different cultures, and given the track record of my American Colleagues who don't know where Canada is (joke!) I've always found it ironic that it was an American team who wrote this book!
Anyone who is ever sceptical about the value of its content, I show them the pages for their Country, and within minutes they're sold on its value, even if there's something minor in there they can quibble about.
I especially rely on this book for the Business Practices (Appointments, Negotiating & Entertaining) and the Protocol (Greetings) sections.
I've worked in over 30 Countries, and this book has never let me down. The only times I've needed a Country that wasn't in the book was for Austria & Croatia, but you can't have everything!

The book has been very helpful, 03 Aug 1999
Received the book as a gift and have used it extensively in my travels. The book helps to get an idea of the culture and is even more applicable after initial encounter with the people. Allows insight into the workings of the local minds. I have avoided major gaffs when working in cultures not my own.

A Great Resource, 20 Jul 1999
I can't say enough about this book. When I need a quick reference about a country and culture this is the first place I turn. The book is very easy to use organized by country. I would call it a must for those travelling or doing business abroad!

Great resource for international business travelers, 16 Jun 1999
I teach international business and this is one of only two books I highly recommend my students to own. My international students have said that it truly reflects their countries and I have never found it to be incorrect in my travels. The only weakness is that it doesn't cover more countries!

Should be in every international travel's suitcase., 23 Oct 1998
Although it is couched in humor and packed with adventurous tales, this book covers a serious subject! It is so easy to destroy a mutually-advantageous export sale by saying or doing the socially incorrect thing while in a foreign country. Regardless of your international travel experience, it is a good idea to read (or review) this book BEFORE you depart on your next overseas trip. Mr. Axtell is an expert on how to behave in foreign countries and has written other equally valuable travel books. Our consulting staff recommends the "Do's and Taboos Around the World" to every client who is planning an overseas business trip. John R. Jagoe, Director, Export Institute

Is to international business what fast food is to cuisine, 23 Apr 1998
The book is o.k.. It contains some good, practical, quick advice. However, it won't help you deeply understand the people you're dealing with. For that, a book like «The Seven Cultures of Capitalism» is a lot better. With «The Seven Cultures», you'll learn why Hollanders accept criticism a lot better than Italians and that the French and the Japanese are pretty much alike on many aspects. But then, haute cuisine isn't always what one looks for.

Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands, 16 Jun 2005
This book rather stereotypes people and it is generally rather dated by many years, not just the 11 since it was originally published. It is veyrr obvious that the authors are American. The chapter called "England" shows a map of Great Britain, although it does eventually go to to give a distinction of the UK and Great Britain without showing country borders on the map. The comment that "men should wear laced shoes" really made me chuckle.
We are all a bit more global these days e.g. in the UK we have regrettably "taken on" many aspects of US culture/lifestyle.

Essential book if you work with people from other Countries, 22 Oct 2003
Fantastic book, I've been referring to this for nearly 10 years now since it first came out. Working as I do with many different cultures, and given the track record of my American Colleagues who don't know where Canada is (joke!) I've always found it ironic that it was an American team who wrote this book!
Anyone who is ever sceptical about the value of its content, I show them the pages for their Country, and within minutes they're sold on its value, even if there's something minor in there they can quibble about.
I especially rely on this book for the Business Practices (Appointments, Negotiating & Entertaining) and the Protocol (Greetings) sections.
I've worked in over 30 Countries, and this book has never let me down. The only times I've needed a Country that wasn't in the book was for Austria & Croatia, but you can't have everything!

The book has been very helpful, 03 Aug 1999
Received the book as a gift and have used it extensively in my travels. The book helps to get an idea of the culture and is even more applicable after initial encounter with the people. Allows insight into the workings of the local minds. I have avoided major gaffs when working in cultures not my own.

A Great Resource, 20 Jul 1999
I can't say enough about this book. When I need a quick reference about a country and culture this is the first place I turn. The book is very easy to use organized by country. I would call it a must for those travelling or doing business abroad!

Great resource for international business travelers, 16 Jun 1999
I teach international business and this is one of only two books I highly recommend my students to own. My international students have said that it truly reflects their countries and I have never found it to be incorrect in my travels. The only weakness is that it doesn't cover more countries!

Should be in every international travel's suitcase., 23 Oct 1998
Although it is couched in humor and packed with adventurous tales, this book covers a serious subject! It is so easy to destroy a mutually-advantageous export sale by saying or doing the socially incorrect thing while in a foreign country. Regardless of your international travel experience, it is a good idea to read (or review) this book BEFORE you depart on your next overseas trip. Mr. Axtell is an expert on how to behave in foreign countries and has written other equally valuable travel books. Our consulting staff recommends the "Do's and Taboos Around the World" to every client who is planning an overseas business trip. John R. Jagoe, Director, Export Institute

Is to international business what fast food is to cuisine, 23 Apr 1998
The book is o.k.. It contains some good, practical, quick advice. However, it won't help you deeply understand the people you're dealing with. For that, a book like «The Seven Cultures of Capitalism» is a lot better. With «The Seven Cultures», you'll learn why Hollanders accept criticism a lot better than Italians and that the French and the Japanese are pretty much alike on many aspects. But then, haute cuisine isn't always what one looks for.

A common sense approach to communicating effectively, 31 Oct 2005
I daresay this is the only business-related book dedicated to Mr. T. That alone gives you a good sense of the approach the authors take in this well-met ode to common sense. Even if their advice were worthless (it's not), this would still be an entertaining read - full of humor and real-life examples we are all too familiar with. This really is a book that should never have needed to be written. Business people should never have fallen into the traps the authors pointedly identify here - but business language has not only fallen into the quicksand of increasingly senseless drivel, it continues to flay around even as it sinks ever farther down.

The irony is that business people speak like idiots because they want others to think they are intellectual giants. They throw in all kinds of big words, engage in self-congratulatory nonsense, faithfully adhere to CYA principles, and basically try to impress their audiences with their incredible intellect. They walk away from the podium feeling as if they really poured it on, while the audience walks out (after waking up) taking nothing the speaker said with them.

The authors identify four traps that cripple the effectiveness of business communication: the Obscurity Trap, the Anonymity Trap, the Hard-Sell Trap, and the Tedium Trap. They make very valid points about each one. Obscurity comes from the desire to show everyone how smart you are. Even the simplest concept must have the fanciest of names, and the result is mindless jargon, meaningless phrases, and an alphabet soup of acronyms. It's the ability to say nothing in as many words (especially big words) as possible. Anonymity seems to be bred within the corporate environment, making business people little more than invisible cogs in the great business machine. You're not supposed to think for yourself, do anything the slightest bit out of the ordinary, and heaven forbid you should actually have a personality and let even a tiny bit of it show in your work. The hard-sell is almost the equivalent of lying. This creates the used car salesmen of the business world. Ideas and proposals are promoted as if they were heavenly edicts; the product is nothing short of perfect, even better than perfect, and any potential or known problems are swept under the rug. People see through the hard-sell; if your business is on the brink of bankruptcy, a big speech about how well everyone is weathering the storm inspires only negative reactions. Tedium comes from an ingrained fear business people have of putting something of themselves into their presentations. Speakers tell audiences what they want to tell them; they don't consider what the audience itself wants or needs to hear, and in this PC world of today, people are so afraid of offending someone that they would rather drown their audiences in monotonous drivel than to inject anything spontaneous or remotely interesting into their speeches or writings.

I think it is true that the authors sometimes go a little too far in terms of their advice and suggestions, but their real point is delivered in a wonderfully effective manner. It all boils down to being yourself; you should be the same person at work that you are on the weekends. Put something of yourself in your work, allow for spontaneity and flexibility in your business speaking and writing, engage your audience by showing them you are actually a human being just like them, be honest about problems and take responsibility for identifying and correcting them, etc. The book is just chock full of extremely helpful advice, and I think anyone - not just professional-types - can benefit immensely from reading this entertaining, extremely helpful little book.

Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands, 16 Jun 2005
This book rather stereotypes people and it is generally rather dated by many years, not just the 11 since it was originally published. It is veyrr obvious that the authors are American. The chapter called "England" shows a map of Great Britain, although it does eventually go to to give a distinction of the UK and Great Britain without showing country borders on the map. The comment that "men should wear laced shoes" really made me chuckle.
We are all a bit more global these days e.g. in the UK we have regrettably "taken on" many aspects of US culture/lifestyle.

Essential book if you work with people from other Countries, 22 Oct 2003
Fantastic book, I've been referring to this for nearly 10 years now since it first came out. Working as I do with many different cultures, and given the track record of my American Colleagues who don't know where Canada is (joke!) I've always found it ironic that it was an American team who wrote this book!
Anyone who is ever sceptical about the value of its content, I show them the pages for their Country, and within minutes they're sold on its value, even if there's something minor in there they can quibble about.
I especially rely on this book for the Business Practices (Appointments, Negotiating & Entertaining) and the Protocol (Greetings) sections.
I've worked in over 30 Countries, and this book has never let me down. The only times I've needed a Country that wasn't in the book was for Austria & Croatia, but you can't have everything!

The book has been very helpful, 03 Aug 1999
Received the book as a gift and have used it extensively in my travels. The book helps to get an idea of the culture and is even more applicable after initial encounter with the people. Allows insight into the workings of the local minds. I have avoided major gaffs when working in cultures not my own.

A Great Resource, 20 Jul 1999
I can't say enough about this book. When I need a quick reference about a country and culture this is the first place I turn. The book is very easy to use organized by country. I would call it a must for those travelling or doing business abroad!

Great resource for international business travelers, 16 Jun 1999
I teach international business and this is one of only two books I highly recommend my students to own. My international students have said that it truly reflects their countries and I have never found it to be incorrect in my travels. The only weakness is that it doesn't cover more countries!

Should be in every international travel's suitcase., 23 Oct 1998
Although it is couched in humor and packed with adventurous tales, this book covers a serious subject! It is so easy to destroy a mutually-advantageous export sale by saying or doing the socially incorrect thing while in a foreign country. Regardless of your international travel experience, it is a good idea to read (or review) this book BEFORE you depart on your next overseas trip. Mr. Axtell is an expert on how to behave in foreign countries and has written other equally valuable travel books. Our consulting staff recommends the "Do's and Taboos Around the World" to every client who is planning an overseas business trip. John R. Jagoe, Director, Export Institute

Is to international business what fast food is to cuisine, 23 Apr 1998
The book is o.k.. It contains some good, practical, quick advice. However, it won't help you deeply understand the people you're dealing with. For that, a book like «The Seven Cultures of Capitalism» is a lot better. With «The Seven Cultures», you'll learn why Hollanders accept criticism a lot better than Italians and that the French and the Japanese are pretty much alike on many aspects. But then, haute cuisine isn't always what one looks for.

A common sense approach to communicating effectively, 31 Oct 2005
I daresay this is the only business-related book dedicated to Mr. T. That alone gives you a good sense of the approach the authors take in this well-met ode to common sense. Even if their advice were worthless (it's not), this would still be an entertaining read - full of humor and real-life examples we are all too familiar with. This really is a book that should never have needed to be written. Business people should never have fallen into the traps the authors pointedly identify here - but business language has not only fallen into the quicksand of increasingly senseless drivel, it continues to flay around even as it sinks ever farther down.

The irony is that business people speak like idiots because they want others to think they are intellectual giants. They throw in all kinds of big words, engage in self-congratulatory nonsense, faithfully adhere to CYA principles, and basically try to impress their audiences with their incredible intellect. They walk away from the podium feeling as if they really poured it on, while the audience walks out (after waking up) taking nothing the speaker said with them.

The authors identify four traps that cripple the effectiveness of business communication: the Obscurity Trap, the Anonymity Trap, the Hard-Sell Trap, and the Tedium Trap. They make very valid points about each one. Obscurity comes from the desire to show everyone how smart you are. Even the simplest concept must have the fanciest of names, and the result is mindless jargon, meaningless phrases, and an alphabet soup of acronyms. It's the ability to say nothing in as many words (especially big words) as possible. Anonymity seems to be bred within the corporate environment, making business people little more than invisible cogs in the great business machine. You're not supposed to think for yourself, do anything the slightest bit out of the ordinary, and heaven forbid you should actually have a personality and let even a tiny bit of it show in your work. The hard-sell is almost the equivalent of lying. This creates the used car salesmen of the business world. Ideas and proposals are promoted as if they were heavenly edicts; the product is nothing short of perfect, even better than perfect, and any potential or known problems are swept under the rug. People see through the hard-sell; if your business is on the brink of bankruptcy, a big speech about how well everyone is weathering the storm inspires only negative reactions. Tedium comes from an ingrained fear business people have of putting something of themselves into their presentations. Speakers tell audiences what they want to tell them; they don't consider what the audience itself wants or needs to hear, and in this PC world of today, people are so afraid of offending someone that they would rather drown their audiences in monotonous drivel than to inject anything spontaneous or remotely interesting into their speeches or writings.

I think it is true that the authors sometimes go a little too far in terms of their advice and suggestions, but their real point is delivered in a wonderfully effective manner. It all boils down to being yourself; you should be the same person at work that you are on the weekends. Put something of yourself in your work, allow for spontaneity and flexibility in your business speaking and writing, engage your audience by showing them you are actually a human being just like them, be honest about problems and take responsibility for identifying and correcting them, etc. The book is just chock full of extremely helpful advice, and I think anyone - not just professional-types - can benefit immensely from reading this entertaining, extremely helpful little book.

Up-to-date report on the corporate accountability movement , 30 Sep 2008
Some economists say that the purpose of corporations is simple: to earn profitable returns on their capital investments. All else is incidental, even superfluous. This might be termed the Milton Friedman approach, for the famous Chicago-school economist. However, others contend that corporations, particularly global ones, must assume responsibility for "sustainable economic development." If corporations don't, they argue, who will? Without concerted corporate action, the earth will become polluted, and sooner rather than later, global warming will increase, with calamitous effects. Poverty and hunger will mount. The superrich will live in guarded enclaves, cordoned off from the hellish and chaotic lives of the majority. In Simon Zadek's award-winning book, the ethicist and visionary examines corporate social and environmental responsibility and provides a practical prescription for meaningful, positive changes. getAbstract says Zadek's book is required reading for executives, public policy makers, academics and others who ponder the role of corporations in creating a sustainable world economy.

Wholly Mammoth, 02 Sep 2005
The topic of this book is large, so admittedly it is difficult to cover it all in one volume. Unfortionately, the part of the topic which is covered is unbearably wholly and leaves the reader with little real insight. The book's academic footprints may be large, but they seem to be leading us into the fog.

Thought provoking and challenging, 02 Mar 2004
This book is about the way businesses can and should be a greater force for good in the world. The book is one of the best around on the subject of corporate social responsibility -- unafraid to challenge received wisdom, sacred cows and wishful thinking, the book is rigourous and clearly written. Simon Zadek outlines the challenges, the practical solutions that are being developed and the limitations and the problems remaining for the burgeoning corporate social responsibility movement. This book fizzes with ideas and examples.

Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands, 16 Jun 2005
This book rather stereotypes people and it is generally rather dated by many years, not just the 11 since it was originally published. It is veyrr obvious that the authors are American. The chapter called "England" shows a map of Great Britain, although it does eventually go to to give a distinction of the UK and Great Britain without showing country borders on the map. The comment that "men should wear laced shoes" really made me chuckle.
We are all a bit more global these days e.g. in the UK we have regrettably "taken on" many aspects of US culture/lifestyle.

Essential book if you work with people from other Countries, 22 Oct 2003
Fantastic book, I've been referring to this for nearly 10 years now since it first came out. Working as I do with many different cultures, and given the track record of my American Colleagues who don't know where Canada is (joke!) I've always found it ironic that it was an American team who wrote this book!
Anyone who is ever sceptical about the value of its content, I show them the pages for their Country, and within minutes they're sold on its value, even if there's something minor in there they can quibble about.
I especially rely on this book for the Business Practices (Appointments, Negotiating & Entertaining) and the Protocol (Greetings) sections.
I've worked in over 30 Countries, and this book has never let me down. The only times I've needed a Country that wasn't in the book was for Austria & Croatia, but you can't have everything!

The book has been very helpful, 03 Aug 1999
Received the book as a gift and have used it extensively in my travels. The book helps to get an idea of the culture and is even more applicable after initial encounter with the people. Allows insight into the workings of the local minds. I have avoided major gaffs when working in cultures not my own.

A Great Resource, 20 Jul 1999
I can't say enough about this book. When I need a quick reference about a country and culture this is the first place I turn. The book is very easy to use organized by country. I would call it a must for those travelling or doing business abroad!

Great resource for international business travelers, 16 Jun 1999
I teach international business and this is one of only two books I highly recommend my students to own. My international students have said that it truly reflects their countries and I have never found it to be incorrect in my travels. The only weakness is that it doesn't cover more countries!

Should be in every international travel's suitcase., 23 Oct 1998
Although it is couched in humor and packed with adventurous tales, this book covers a serious subject! It is so easy to destroy a mutually-advantageous export sale by saying or doing the socially incorrect thing while in a foreign country. Regardless of your international travel experience, it is a good idea to read (or review) this book BEFORE you depart on your next overseas trip. Mr. Axtell is an expert on how to behave in foreign countries and has written other equally valuable travel books. Our consulting staff recommends the "Do's and Taboos Around the World" to every client who is planning an overseas business trip. John R. Jagoe, Director, Export Institute

Is to international business what fast food is to cuisine, 23 Apr 1998
The book is o.k.. It contains some good, practical, quick advice. However, it won't help you deeply understand the people you're dealing with. For that, a book like «The Seven Cultures of Capitalism» is a lot better. With «The Seven Cultures», you'll learn why Hollanders accept criticism a lot better than Italians and that the French and the Japanese are pretty much alike on many aspects. But then, haute cuisine isn't always what one looks for.

A common sense approach to communicating effectively, 31 Oct 2005
I daresay this is the only business-related book dedicated to Mr. T. That alone gives you a good sense of the approach the authors take in this well-met ode to common sense. Even if their advice were worthless (it's not), this would still be an entertaining read - full of humor and real-life examples we are all too familiar with. This really is a book that should never have needed to be written. Business people should never have fallen into the traps the authors pointedly identify here - but business language has not only fallen into the quicksand of increasingly senseless drivel, it continues to flay around even as it sinks ever farther down.

The irony is that business people speak like idiots because they want others to think they are intellectual giants. They throw in all kinds of big words, engage in self-congratulatory nonsense, faithfully adhere to CYA principles, and basically try to impress their audiences with their incredible intellect. They walk away from the podium feeling as if they really poured it on, while the audience walks out (after waking up) taking nothing the speaker said with them.

The authors identify four traps that cripple the effectiveness of business communication: the Obscurity Trap, the Anonymity Trap, the Hard-Sell Trap, and the Tedium Trap. They make very valid points about each one. Obscurity comes from the desire to show everyone how smart you are. Even the simplest concept must have the fanciest of names, and the result is mindless jargon, meaningless phrases, and an alphabet soup of acronyms. It's the ability to say nothing in as many words (especially big words) as possible. Anonymity seems to be bred within the corporate environment, making business people little more than invisible cogs in the great business machine. You're not supposed to think for yourself, do anything the slightest bit out of the ordinary, and heaven forbid you should actually have a personality and let even a tiny bit of it show in your work. The hard-sell is almost the equivalent of lying. This creates the used car salesmen of the business world. Ideas and proposals are promoted as if they were heavenly edicts; the product is nothing short of perfect, even better than perfect, and any potential or known problems are swept under the rug. People see through the hard-sell; if your business is on the brink of bankruptcy, a big speech about how well everyone is weathering the storm inspires only negative reactions. Tedium comes from an ingrained fear business people have of putting something of themselves into their presentations. Speakers tell audiences what they want to tell them; they don't consider what the audience itself wants or needs to hear, and in this PC world of today, people are so afraid of offending someone that they would rather drown their audiences in monotonous drivel than to inject anything spontaneous or remotely interesting into their speeches or writings.

I think it is true that the authors sometimes go a little too far in terms of their advice and suggestions, but their real point is delivered in a wonderfully effective manner. It all boils down to being yourself; you should be the same person at work that you are on the weekends. Put something of yourself in your work, allow for spontaneity and flexibility in your business speaking and writing, engage your audience by showing them you are actually a human being just like them, be honest about problems and take responsibility for identifying and correcting them, etc. The book is just chock full of extremely helpful advice, and I think anyone - not just professional-types - can benefit immensely from reading this entertaining, extremely helpful little book.

Up-to-date report on the corporate accountability movement , 30 Sep 2008
Some economists say that the purpose of corporations is simple: to earn profitable returns on their capital investments. All else is incidental, even superfluous. This might be termed the Milton Friedman approach, for the famous Chicago-school economist. However, others contend that corporations, particularly global ones, must assume responsibility for "sustainable economic development." If corporations don't, they argue, who will? Without concerted corporate action, the earth will become polluted, and sooner rather than later, global warming will increase, with calamitous effects. Poverty and hunger will mount. The superrich will live in guarded enclaves, cordoned off from the hellish and chaotic lives of the majority. In Simon Zadek's award-winning book, the ethicist and visionary examines corporate social and environmental responsibility and provides a practical prescription for meaningful, positive changes. getAbstract says Zadek's book is required reading for executives, public policy makers, academics and others who ponder the role of corporations in creating a sustainable world economy.

Wholly Mammoth, 02 Sep 2005
The topic of this book is large, so admittedly it is difficult to cover it all in one volume. Unfortionately, the part of the topic which is covered is unbearably wholly and leaves the reader with little real insight. The book's academic footprints may be large, but they seem to be leading us into the fog.

Thought provoking and challenging, 02 Mar 2004
This book is about the way businesses can and should be a greater force for good in the world. The book is one of the best around on the subject of corporate social responsibility -- unafraid to challenge received wisdom, sacred cows and wishful thinking, the book is rigourous and clearly written. Simon Zadek outlines the challenges, the practical solutions that are being developed and the limitations and the problems remaining for the burgeoning corporate social responsibility movement. This book fizzes with ideas and examples.

Recipe for success?? --> Take action !!!, 21 May 2005
"Do's and Taboos Around the World for Women in Business" is a highly interesting book, and one that is likely to prove useful for women who need to travel abroad for business reasons. Moreover, it is quite engaging, due to the fact that the authors combine practical advice with funny anecdotes about women working in international business.

I recommend you to read the whole book, if you can, because at least some of the tips it gives might help to you. On the other hand, if you are pressed for time, just read the parts that interest you more. The book is neatly divided into chapters according to subjects:

-Part one: Survival "over there" (it includes -> 1: Sex, dating, discrimination and harassment; 2: Know your product, know the culture; 3: Protocol for women; 4: Safety when traveling; 5:Healthy traveling; 6: Luggage and packing; chapters 1 to 6).
-Part two: Advice country by country (it analyzes some countries in particular, but most are grouped and studied by regions; chapters 7 to 22).
-Part three: Women in the world of work (it includes -> 23: Women in international business: past, present and future; 24: How I got my first job in international business; 25: Profiles of three successful women; chapters 23 to 25).
-Part four: The international assignment (it includes -> 26: To go or not to go; 27: Preparing for your life abroad; 28: Family matters; 29: On-the-job challenges; 30: Culture shock; 31: Repatriation and reverse culture shock; 32: Cross-cultural and language training; chapters 26 to 32).
-Part five: Help for the independent businesswoman who wishes to work abroad (it includes -> 33: Tips for the independent career search).
-Part six: Additional resources.

Personally, I found some chapters more practical than others, for instance I took great advantage of the tips on what to pack ("You don't need more clothes, more colors, more combinations. You need fewer things, carefully chosen"), but I guess that depends on what each of us needs more.

On the other hand, bear in mind that even though the advice that the writers give is right on the spot in most occasions, that is not always the case. For example, they point out that punctuality isn't overly important in Latin American countries, but I'm from Argentina and I can say that many think that arriving late is rude, so if you were to arrive late to a business meeting just to "follow local custom", you would be giving a bad impression.

Notwithstanding that, I can tell you that I really liked this book. I specially enjoyed the fact that the authors take into account that "international business tends to be uncomfortable for most North American managers -men as well as women. Many have yet to develop cross-cultural experience, skills, perspective, and confidence". Their recipe for success?. Well, according to them "You can allay your doubts by taking action. To overcome negative attitudes toward women in international business you must assume the initiative and thoroughly prepare yourself".

On the whole, I found this book very useful, and I believe that it can be valuable not only for women in international business but also to those who need to travel abroad with their families due to their spouses' job. "Do's and Taboos Around the World for Women in Business" isn't a perfect book, but it is a very good one, and the kind of book you will want to carry with you around the world.

Belen Alcat

Outstanding Resource for Military Spouses on OCONUS Tours, 27 Jun 1999
Great information for preparing for an overseas tour. It includes a wealth of information, country-specific tips, wonderful checklists to help you prepare for the overseas tour, and an extensive reference list to continue your pre-travel research. It will alert you to cultural nuances at your destination so that you can be prepared to present yourself effectively and avoid possible embarrassment. If you plan to work (or even become involved in the native community abroad), I highly recommend this book-- it will ensure you are better prepared and confident, so you'll enjoy your overseas adventure.

"Must read" for businesswomen planning to travel overseas., 23 Oct 1998
Our consulting staff recommends this book to every women planning to be, or already involved in international trade. Female business executives must realize that they will, at least for the next few years, be forced to operate in a "man's world". To help with this enigma, this excellent publication reviews the social and business protocol for most of the countries to which women might be traveling on business. There are also important tips on how to travel safely and what types of wardrobes are most acceptable and attractive in foreign countries. This is an outstanding publication that also happens to be enjoyable reading. John R. Jagoe, Director, Export Institute