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Culture Shock!
Culture Shock! Argentina: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette
With over three million copies in print, CultureShock! is a dynamic and indispensable range of guides covering countless destinations around the world. The series is especially intended for travellers who are looking to truly understand the countries they are visiting and who might even consider residing there. Each title contains invaluable advice for the traveller to adapt seamlessly into the local environment and is packed with useful details on transportation, taxes, accommodation, health, shopping and festivals. Additionally, each book provides concise insights into the history, language, cuisine and business practises of each country, as well as explaining the customs, traditions and social etiquette in a lively and informative style.
- GenresTravelNonfiction
252 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 21, 2020
Informative on a wide variety of topics, a great overview of and introduction to the culture of Argentina. I found myself distracted by the writing at times--for instance, the not-quite-appropriate use of transitions which made me pause and see whether I had missed something--and the first six chapters seemed much more focused and enjoyable to me than the latter half of the book, but I would still recommend it if someone were planning to travel there.
January 27, 2014
The book I read to research this post was Cultureshock Argentina by Fiona Adams which is an excellent book which I read at http://safaribooksonline.com
Argentina is the 2nd biggest country in South America & has that continent's biggest city in Buenos Aires with a population of 13 million. The country as a whole only has a population of 40 million. The 2nd biggest city is Cordoba which is a famous University City in Argentina. Argentine's are very image conscious are dress to impress. They go to nightclubs and restaurants as late at night as possible as often stop there until they have to go to work in the morning. In the case of nightclubs they will be dead quiet until 2 am. The men normally wear jacket and tie and women wear a nice dress to nightclubs and restaurants where formal dress is usual. Argentina is one of only a few countries in the world where you can be lynched for supporting the wrong team. Everyone supports either Boca Juniors or River Plate which are the 2 biggest teams. There are a small but troublesome group of hooligans who go to the matches and appear to be above the law. These people often take drugs and carry knives and guns. On match days you want to be careful what colour clothes you wear in case you get mistaken for a supporter of the wrong team. If you go to a match it's suggested you pay a bit more and get a seat rather than stand. Also jump when everyone else jumps or you risk getting trodden on. Argentine's have a mistrust of the police and don't usually tend to report crime partly for fear of police harassment. It's also a bit of a leftover from the Dirty War when the military used to arrest people often at random and torture them for names of dissidents and kill them. Many of these people were innocent of any crime. Many people simply disappeared as a result of this. Argentina is famous for its Route 40 which runs the length of the country and much of it is dirt track and only suitable for 4 wheel drive vehicle. In the south is the village of Gaiman which is a Welsh community and Welsh is often spoken and they even have traditional tearooms. In the north it's very hot and in the central area is the pampas & in the far south it's Subantarctic. In the west is the Andes and the highest mountain on the continent Aconcagua.I really enjoyed this book which tends to look at customs and etiquette rather than sights and is very informative.
Argentina is the 2nd biggest country in South America & has that continent's biggest city in Buenos Aires with a population of 13 million. The country as a whole only has a population of 40 million. The 2nd biggest city is Cordoba which is a famous University City in Argentina. Argentine's are very image conscious are dress to impress. They go to nightclubs and restaurants as late at night as possible as often stop there until they have to go to work in the morning. In the case of nightclubs they will be dead quiet until 2 am. The men normally wear jacket and tie and women wear a nice dress to nightclubs and restaurants where formal dress is usual. Argentina is one of only a few countries in the world where you can be lynched for supporting the wrong team. Everyone supports either Boca Juniors or River Plate which are the 2 biggest teams. There are a small but troublesome group of hooligans who go to the matches and appear to be above the law. These people often take drugs and carry knives and guns. On match days you want to be careful what colour clothes you wear in case you get mistaken for a supporter of the wrong team. If you go to a match it's suggested you pay a bit more and get a seat rather than stand. Also jump when everyone else jumps or you risk getting trodden on. Argentine's have a mistrust of the police and don't usually tend to report crime partly for fear of police harassment. It's also a bit of a leftover from the Dirty War when the military used to arrest people often at random and torture them for names of dissidents and kill them. Many of these people were innocent of any crime. Many people simply disappeared as a result of this. Argentina is famous for its Route 40 which runs the length of the country and much of it is dirt track and only suitable for 4 wheel drive vehicle. In the south is the village of Gaiman which is a Welsh community and Welsh is often spoken and they even have traditional tearooms. In the north it's very hot and in the central area is the pampas & in the far south it's Subantarctic. In the west is the Andes and the highest mountain on the continent Aconcagua.I really enjoyed this book which tends to look at customs and etiquette rather than sights and is very informative.
July 4, 2011
This is merely a satisfactory effort to acquaint those unfamiliar with Argentina. I read the Kindle edition, which is credited to a different author (Robert Hamwee) than to the credited author of the print edition (Fiona Adams). While this guide presented its facts in a journeyman-like fashion, nothing really came alive. There are so many places where the book could have contributed some interesting pooints, but it just didn't.
March 27, 2016
Never read any books in this travel series before, but was surprised at well the author balanced humor and informative knowledge. Provides a very brief and light snapshot into Argentine culture. Great place to jump off...
June 4, 2008
If you're going to Argentina, I'd recommend this read! It contains a little more stereotyping than is sometimes helpful, but is still very informative.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews