Botswana Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide To Customs & Etiquette

by Michael Main

Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships.

Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whether on business or for pleasure-into a memorable and enriching experience. Contents include


* customs, values, and traditions
* historical, religious, and political background
* life at home
* leisure, social, and cultural life
* eating and drinking
* dos, don'ts, and taboos
* business practices
* communication, spoken and unspoken


"Culture Smart has come to the rescue of hapless travellers." Sunday Times Travel

"... the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries." Global Travel

"...full of fascinating-as well as common-sense-tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas." Observer

"...as useful as they are entertaining." Easyjet Magazine

"...offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world." New York Times

Genres: Botswana, Nonfiction, Cultural, Africa

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Petra X]

I'm thinking maybe this would enhance my (remembered) pleasure in The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Volume 6 series, set in Botswana as they were. Or if I would get all nit-picky saying the author, Alexander McCall Smith didn't it was like that? However, Botswana has a very interesting history.

Sir Seretse Khama, who would have been king, renounced his royalty on Botswana becoming independent in order to become the first President. He was married to a white, English clerk. And the British government, the Botswana government, the apartheid government of South Africa were up in arms about this interracial relationship.

Britain was developing an atomic bomb and needed uranium. The South Africans would only supply it if the British stopped the marriage. Although both Seretse and Ruth were Anglicans, Bishop of London, Bishop of London, William Wand, not what you call an exemplary Christian more a racist asslicker said they would only be allowed a church wedding if the government agreed. They didn't. They got married in a registry office.

Botswana has two distinctions. It is one of the richest countries in Africa and also one of the most affected by AIDS in the world.

[Lily Wieland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful guide! Doesn’t go as much into detail on the history of various religions in Botswana as I would like, but it serves its purpose and is brief, which is nice.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The information was helpful and accurate, although sometimes overly optimistic. It's nice to have a real Motswana to talk to about the stuff in this book, however, because the book is rather confusing in some places. The sentence structure was quite awkward in many places. I had trouble decoding what exactly the author was trying to communicate sometimes.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's difficult to review this one since I haven't traveled to Botswana yet, but I appreciated the short-yet-thorough overview of Batswana history and culture. I think it will be helpful for me when I get there. I wish they had an updated edition, though - this one is almost 10 years old, so I imagine that the sections on technology and economy are rather outdated.

[Maree Dyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful

This was a very helpful guide to local manners and protocols. Technology information is not up to date but this is hardly surprising.

[Cathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated how frank this author was regarding the country. Really interesting bits of info.

[Deborah Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this handy paperback as a quick introduction to the history, culture, and customs of Botswana for first-time travelers to the country.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read that gives a surprisingly good review of Botswana culture for a travel book. Would be useful to anyone traveling to the country with a desire to have a general understanding of the history, politics, and cultural aspects of the country and its people.

[Torry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice read, learned something new...