Those Crazy Germans!: A Lighthearted Guide to Germany

by Steven Somers

Those Crazy Germans! gives you the inside scoop on the people and the culture so you can get the most out of your trip to Germany. Go beyond the stereotypes and get in touch with the Germans you never knew existed. Filled with practical travel tips and cultural insights, you'll travel Germany like a pro.

Do you want to learn the history of a town or city without knowing anything more than its name?
Do you want to know the tricks to navigating Germany's Autobahns and railways so you travel like a native?
Do you want to know Germans' secrets for relaxation that you can easily and affordably enjoy as well?
Do you want to learn about German beers and wines so you can order like a connoisseur?

Let Those Crazy Germans! take you where the other travel guides don't go. Through a combination of observations, tips and historical & cultural insights all written in a relaxed and cheerful style, this book takes you behind the scenes and introduces you to the Germany that the Germans know. Perfect for reading on the plane or train, Those Crazy Germans! is the fun way to get to know Germany.

Learn how hundreds of years of traditions manifest themselves in modern day Germany.
Learn the customs and quirks of German restaurants and hotels.
Learn the insiders' tips to Oktoberfest, Karneval and hundreds of other festivals so that you too can party like a native.
Learn about Germany's unusual do's and don'ts.
Learn how to see towns and cities the way the Germans see them.

Most travel guides give you the necessary "go here, see this", "eat here, stay there" details, but are short oninsight and cultural knowledge. Those Crazy Germans! bridges the gap by providing the essential and often unknown cultural insights and perspective that lets you truly experience the people and the country.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Germany

110 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[pickwickianmom · Rating 1 out of 5]

Author ends by scolding Germany

ends in a rant. unnecessary for me as a tourist. Author pointlessly tells me how hot he finds various nude German women. Author peculiar.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you know how hard it is to find good travel commentary about Germany? France, Italy, England--books abound! But Germany? Almost nil. It's a good thing this one was readable and enjoyable and I also learned some things.

[Jeri Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is intended to be a companion book to more traditional guidebooks that highlight typical tourist concerns. The cultural information the author offers is worth the read, but the chapters are fairly short and offer little depth. It's also not uncommon for the same information to be repeated twice in the same chapter. Minor editing issues occur regarding the placement of punctuation outside of quotation marks, which is not standard in American usage. Overall a light and breezy reads that offers a few informative gems and some belly laughs to boot.

[h · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a brief but enjoyable overview of German society, cultural norms, pop culture aspects, so forth. It is a bit shallow, but for a quick trip to Germany that's really all I needed. Short, sweet, to the point, and really very helpful in grasping the differences between German and US culture. Fun read.

[Ju Yang · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light read, suitable for people who only have superficial knowledge about Germany. The book is fairly short, got a kindle version for about 3 dollars, must say some comments are surprising such as sun-bathing. Overall, it is not academic, a fun book for pastime read. You won't gain any serious stuff though, more on life customs.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, easy-to-read little book with short chapters about Germany and how to enjoy visits there. There are chapters on food, Octoberfest, entertainment, and even how to pick up your new BMW at the plant in Munich. Fun ideas for the next trip with more readable info than a standard tour book.

[Shadoshard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. I lived in Germany and missed it deeply when I left (to this day) and was hoping for something that could remind me of the way of life I missed so much. This is a good book for a light view about them - not too in depth - but pleasant.

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know how people go to their first year of college and then suddenly act like they are knowledgeable about the whole world of academics? Like those people who take psychology 1A and then are experts about why you're acting they way you are?

This is the literary equivalent of that.

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, to-the-point and entertaining while informative, but this book is in serious need of a good edit!

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some interesting facts about Germans. Somers takes a lighthearted and funny approach to explain the German culture, and warns traveller of the culture sensitivity to take on the road.

[Alan Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent, down-to-earth guide to Germany and its culture. You won't find this stuff in the travel books!

[William Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book which humorously reviews the author's experiences in Germany...

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concise and quick read. Provides interesting look into German culture.

[Amy Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly reccomend if you are visiting Germany or are dealing with Germans for business.

[Kit Sergeant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ctazy but true

This book gives you real insight into the German culture. It also supplies some handy tips when traveling. Go crazy on your trip with this good read.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing my ongoing anthropological studies of European subcultures.

[Lorri M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lighthearted is right. I would have liked some depth!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, and contained some surprisingly useful cultural information. This was our bathroom book for the lead up to our move to Berlin, and I think it makes a perfect book for such short and low-intensity reading needs.