Culture Shock! Sweden

Culture Shock!

by Charlotte Rosen Svensson

You'll never feel intimidated and awkward about the customs and etiquette of another country again. With the insights provided in this CULTURE SHOCK! Guide, you'll learn to see beyond the stereotypes and misinformation that often precede a visit to a foreign land. Whether you plan to stay for a week or for a year, you'll benefit from such topics as understanding the rules of driving and monetary systems, religious practices and making friends. There are tips on political traditions, building business relationships, and the particular intricacies of setting up a home or office. Great for the business traveler, the foreign exchange student, or the tourist who makes a sincere attempt to cross the bridge into a new and exciting culture.

Genres: Travel, Cultural, Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1996

Reviews

[Fionnuala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few books from this series, though I'm probably not the intended audience -- I read them for writing research, when I have characters from a certain place. As a guide for this, I find them more than adequate. There's a lot of useful information in here, all presented in manageable chunks. Historical context and political summaries are combined with cultural information, details about language and national identity, and more specific etiquette such as tips for business meetings, what to do if invited to a person's house, etc.

It's impossible to distill an entire country into a single short book, but this book manages to give a general idea and is certainly useful when it comes to traditions, historical facts, language, and the broader cultural areas. It's certainly a good starting point for my particular brand of research, ensuring I -- and anyone actually travelling or moving to Sweden -- don't make any of the more unforgiveable faux pas.

It should be noted that my edition was published in 2009, so in some areas it will inevitably be outdated.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of Swedish customs, history and more. Can hardly wait to travel to Sweden now.

[Hedi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives you a nice insight into Swedish customs and mentality. It lacks - in my opinion - some more practical information you definitely need when you relocate to Sweden e.g. as an expatriate.

[Anastasiia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Особенно порадовали шутки и "проверка знаний " в конце книги. Теперь не терпится сличить шведа натурального с шведом книжным.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot of information for people moving to Sweden in this book. I skimmed over or skipped those sections because I was mainly interested in learning about Swedish culture.