The German Way: Aspects of Behavior, Attitudes, and Customs in the German-Speaking World

by Hyde Flippo

For All Students Ideal for a variety of courses, this completely up-to-date, alphabetically organized handbook helps students understand how people from German-speaking nations think, do business, and act in their daily lives.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Germany, History, Reference

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 11, 1996

Reviews

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I was looking for before our trip to Germany. It had short sections on every aspect of German life, and what it is like to travel there, plus some important historical things to be aware of to give you perspective on the country and the people. This book is over 20 years old now so it was a bit outdated, but still almost all of it was relevant and useful. Perfect travel preparation book.

[Wilmington · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking for a book that delved into the depth of the German psyche and its cultural idiosyncrasies. I was bitterly disappointed since this book is a very shallow "first-timer approach" of Germany written for Americans who have never been to Europe and need to be told such obvious stuff that German use the metric system or that the week starts on Monday. All the comparisons are with the USA, which can be off-putting for non-American readers. Additionally the book is now quite outdated (1997), so that readers will read that Germans use the Mark and Austrians the Schilling. Overall the book isn't as much a treatise on German-speaking culture as a very broad description of the fundamentals that one would find on a Wikipedia page about the political, economic and education systems, the military, police, prison system, or other basic facts like shopping hours or the type of public transportations. It's more a travel guidebook without the sightseeing, hotels and restaurants really.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good introduction to German culture and social issues. The 1999 edition of the book is getting a bit dated now, but the website appears to be updated regularly.

[Shadoshard · Rating 3 out of 5]

The German Way is a basic guide on the German culture for those who would like to be a little more than a blind tourist.

The book wasn't quite as in depth as I was hoping it would be. It skims lightly over politics, culture and basic German manners. It gives just enough that the visitor will have a rudimentary insight on the German way of life.

[Carmen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up hoping it would help me in my instruction. I discovered very little that I didn't already know, so it was of little value to me. It could be of value to others who want to learn some facts about the structure of the German society.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for helping me, mostly an idiot about German culture and attitudes, to understand more of a human side to the German way of life. Allowed me to engage my German family members in a more substantial way. Great for a 101 crash course into a brief German history and some of their practices.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will be visiting Germany next summer and wanted some insight into good manners. This book was interesting and possibly helpful but is seriously in need of a revision as it was written > 15 years ago.

[Farnaz]

seems wonderful

[Madelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was not very helpful prior to overseas move to Germany. Found a lot of the information irrelevant. Somewhat interesting, but not very useful for living in Germany.

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative. I wonder if it is up to date.

[John Hanscom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chief drawback was it's dictionary format. It would have been better had like subjects been together.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good intro for an expat moving to Germany with similar explanations for Austria and Switzerland.