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Culture Smart / Cultuur Bewust
Indonesia - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
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 * do's, don'ts, and taboos * business practices * communication, spoken and unspoken
- GenresTravelNonfiction
168 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2006
22 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 24, 2021
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
I’ve never been to Indonesia and this review, I haven’t checked on the internet or with anyone that lives in Indonesia as to whether the information is correct as I think this would hinder my review. I am solely basing my review on the information on Indonesia inside this Culture Smart! book.
This is the fourth Culture Smart! book that I have read and reviewed. I love to discover information about countries and cultures and these books are the perfect way to do that. They are essentially a book for someone either travelling to or even going to live in the country the book is about. They have an extensive range of books that are updated regularly.
I found the book easy to understand and enjoyable to read. It is filled with things that I would need to know had I been travelling to Indonesia for any length of time or to live there. Covered in the book is:
– Land and People
– Values and Attitudes
– Religion and Festivals
– Making Friends
– Indonesians at Home
– Time Out
– Travel, Health, and Safety
– Business Briefing
– Communicating
The book opens with a map of the country and an introduction that teaches us about how Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago (an area that contains a group of islands scattered in lakes, rivers, or the ocean). There are more than 17,000 islands that stretch some 3,200 miles, with roughly 6,000 of them inhabited by around 260 million people.
The country is multi-ethnic with more than 300 different ethnic groups. The book covers the main ethnic groups and explores their heritage and values. It teaches you about what things you shouldn’t do that would cause offence to Indonesians or what your non-verbal motions may mean to them, such as standing with your hands on your hips is classed as being aggressive, never touching their heads as this is sacred and never show the underneath of your feet.
I enjoy these small pocket-sized books that are laid out in easy-to-understand and find chapters. Everything you could want to know from the history to the modern-day is covered in this short book. It would be a valuable asset for anyone who is visiting, living, or even just learning about the country.
I’ve never been to Indonesia and this review, I haven’t checked on the internet or with anyone that lives in Indonesia as to whether the information is correct as I think this would hinder my review. I am solely basing my review on the information on Indonesia inside this Culture Smart! book.
This is the fourth Culture Smart! book that I have read and reviewed. I love to discover information about countries and cultures and these books are the perfect way to do that. They are essentially a book for someone either travelling to or even going to live in the country the book is about. They have an extensive range of books that are updated regularly.
I found the book easy to understand and enjoyable to read. It is filled with things that I would need to know had I been travelling to Indonesia for any length of time or to live there. Covered in the book is:
– Land and People
– Values and Attitudes
– Religion and Festivals
– Making Friends
– Indonesians at Home
– Time Out
– Travel, Health, and Safety
– Business Briefing
– Communicating
The book opens with a map of the country and an introduction that teaches us about how Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago (an area that contains a group of islands scattered in lakes, rivers, or the ocean). There are more than 17,000 islands that stretch some 3,200 miles, with roughly 6,000 of them inhabited by around 260 million people.
The country is multi-ethnic with more than 300 different ethnic groups. The book covers the main ethnic groups and explores their heritage and values. It teaches you about what things you shouldn’t do that would cause offence to Indonesians or what your non-verbal motions may mean to them, such as standing with your hands on your hips is classed as being aggressive, never touching their heads as this is sacred and never show the underneath of your feet.
I enjoy these small pocket-sized books that are laid out in easy-to-understand and find chapters. Everything you could want to know from the history to the modern-day is covered in this short book. It would be a valuable asset for anyone who is visiting, living, or even just learning about the country.
May 12, 2022
I don't think that this book is especially profound, and I can't attest to it's accuracy because I'm not Indonesian and have never been there. I find the "Culture Smart" series reliable in general though. They are short, easy to hold, easy to read books, but very comprehensive for their size. I think they do strive to give as in depth an understanding as can be hoped for in such a small book. I like the chapter on history, as I do with most of the books in the series.
December 8, 2023
These titles, as I’m sure I’ve mentioned previously, gives the reader a quick overview of the landscape of the country, the people, and its history. This was no different, Indonesia is a land of drastically different cultures and landscapes. For instance, it tells you why there’s a sizeable Chinese population in the country or how the Japanese occupation of Indonesia was slightly different than others. You also find trivia such as how the founder of Singapore, Thomas Raffles, was once a Governor of a province in Indonesia. It was a decent read but only if you plan to visit or you’re interested in the country for some reason.
March 29, 2021
Love the insight this little guide gave me to the people of Indonesia and their culture. I've been to Indonesia 3 times now, and after every trip I've come away with questions and wishing I knew more about what was going on around me. This guide has helped me to answer many of these questions, as I found myself having many "aha!" moments as many of the things I read helped me to understand my own personal experiences there. The book's given me a good idea on how to improve my stay next time - hopefully in September.
May 14, 2012
I've been living in Indonesia for 3 months now and this book has seemed pretty accurate. I'm not sure you really need it. I think it might be better to just be polite, learn bahasa, make friends, and ask questions. But it is interesting and there are a few things that you might not pick up on ... like don't touch people on the head!
February 19, 2012
Thought it was a great and informational book that will help me in the near future.
September 7, 2014
Very helpful introduction to the country
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews