Product Description
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


"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 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Exactly as the title says.
I have not yet visited Chile, but wanted to understand the culture before I go. This book covers basically every aspect of Chilean life I could possibly think of with a good writing style that keeps you interested. The author successfully avoids boring the reader with unnecessary info and adds some great tid-bits into the reading, i.e. (tip the parking attendant well). I would recommend this book to anyone who plans to visit Chile or is simply has an interest in the country. The only thing I would like to see is a little more depth to where foreigners are most accepted or not as well as some thought on hubs for incoming expats.

Chile Smart
This book is a great insight into understanding Chilenos, their customs, traditions and how we can get the most out of a visit to their country. How to be a smart traveler without being thought of as another ugly american. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Essential for anyone spending more than 1 month here
When I found out I was hired as a teacher in Chile I decided to research the country a bit before I came. My friend recommended this series. It's a light read, I quickly read it cover to cover. Some of it seems a bit outlandish, until you come to Chile. Everything I read in the book (especially on the subject of the regalon...being a teacher and all) has been true. It is incredible. This book clarified and prevented many cultural mishaps. I highly recommend this book if you intend to work or travel extensively in Chile.

That explains why..............
We lived with an Exchange Student from Chile this year.So many pages ofthis book had me thinking "So, that's why....."It answered manyquestions I didn't even know to ask.

A must for foreigners in Chile
As an anthropologist and long-time resident of Chile, I strongly recommend this book to anyone who plans to spend time here.In fact, I've made it required reading in a 'culture course' I teach for North Americanuniversity students here in Chile.This book is not another travel guide,but rather an insightful and very accessible look into the intracacies ofChilean culture.A quick look through the table of contents shows itsrange of topics, and the Cultural Quiz at the end is a must!

An accurate and entertaining view of the Chilean "lifestyle"
I was very lucky to have the opportunity to read this book. Being a Chilean myself, it was very interesting to learn about the way foreigners see us, particularly after living in the US for a couple of years. It is impressive how accurate the facts are, and the way they are presented isquite entertaining. I was very surprised to know that the authors were notnative Chilean. My American fiancé bought this book in an attempt tounderstand me better, gain knowledge about my country, and to lean abouttraditions and customs of my people and society. He could not have gottensomething better for this purpose. I think he now understands more aboutmany of the things I do or the way I am. He has never been in Chile (yet),but I think that after reading the book things will make more sense, and itis an excellent guide to the daily life in that part of the world. Iwould recommend to start reading another section different from chapterone, which is the most difficult to read, particularly for somebody who isnot familiar with Chile, and is planning to go there.

Excellent Resource
What a find!Being the child of a Chilean-American couple, I've spent a lot of time learning about the 'everyday life' and culture of Chile- although I readily confess to not being an expert.Reading this book waslike a light bulb going on over my head!All of the sudden I understood alot of things I'd noted on my visits with my father's family, but neverreally understood (like why they call turtlenecks Beatles!)I highlyrecommend this book to anyone who will be spending a lot of time in Chile. I've given it to my new husband to read, so he'll have a betterunderstanding of the country when we go visit.Its a truly great resource! ... Read more

Product Description
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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Culture Shock! Chile
I bought similar books in the past, but found this book to be the most informative on Chilean culture. Also, it is enjoyable to read. ... Read more

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Describes how the culture of Chile is reflected in its many festivals, including Tangata Manu, Fiestas Patrias, and La Tirana. ... Read more

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Chile's natural beauty, fascinating history, cultural traditions, and warm people are uniquely evoked in Culture and Customs of Chile. Chilean American Castillo-Feliu effectively conveys how Chile's geography has helped to shape it into a modern, socially responsible model in Latin America. Students and other readers will learn how this small country has contributed to the hemisphere's stature, from a stable political scene to seafood-inspired cuisine. Chile's lively history forms the backdrop for a survey of a wealth of social riches. The literary lion Pablo Neruda, Andean music, and fine wine are just a few of the highlights found herein. ... Read more

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Discusses the geography, history, people, and culture of this land of contrasts. ... Read more

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The 1973 military coup in Chile deposed the democratically elected Salvador Allende and installed a dictatorship that terrorized the country for almost twenty years. Subsequent efforts to come to terms with the national trauma have resulted in an outpouring of fiction, art, film, and drama. In this ethnography, Macarena Gómez-Barris examines cultural sites and representations in postdictatorship Chile--what she calls "memory symbolics"--to uncover the impact of state-sponsored violence. She surveys the concentration camp turned memorial park, Villa Grimaldi, documentary films, the torture paintings of Guillermo Núñez, and art by Chilean exiles, arguing that two contradictory forces are at work: a desire to forget the experiences and the victims, and a powerful need to remember and memorialize them. By linking culture, nation, and identity, Gómez-Barris shows how those most affected by the legacies of the dictatorship continue to live with the presence of violence in their bodies, in their daily lives, and in the identities they pass down to younger generations. ... Read more

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Chile has recently come to the attention to global strategic planners.This report puts these executives on the fast track.Ten chapters provide: an overview of how to strategically access this important market, a discussion on economic fundamentals, marketing & distribution options, export and direct investment options, and full risk assessments (political, cultural, legal, human resources).Ample statistical benchmarks and comparative graphs are given. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

The best of the Chile memory books!
Other books may deal with memory and human rights but few deeply take history and theory into account while still providing a rich, human sense of what it might be like to live through a devastating century. The best of the memory in Chile books; the best of the memory studies books.

Great book!
I found this book to be thoughtful and provocative; it tells a compelling and difficult story that links violence, social/political unrest, and memory with nation-state projects and the kinds of affective connections that these projects require in citizens.The author draws you in in her juxtaposition of well-known and forgotten incidents in Chilean history, and with her complex reading of these events.Of particular note, _Salt in the Sand_ is groundbreaking in its vision of the state and how particular (state) projects require that constituents hold particular subjectivities --senses of themselves in relation to these projects.This book will appeal to those interested in social movements, nation-state formation, and the shifting relationships between citizens and states.Not for the faint of heart or for those wanting light bedtime reading, but well worth the trouble. ... Read more

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With this book, Karin Rosemblatt presents a gendered history of the politics and political compromise that emerged in Chile during the 1930s and 1940s, when reformist popular-front coalitions held power. While other scholars have focused on the economic realignments and novel political pacts that characterized Chilean politics during this era, Rosemblatt explores how gender helped shape Chile's evolving national identity.

Rosemblatt examines how and why the aims of feminists, socialists, labor activists, social workers, physicians, and political leaders converged around a shared gender ideology. Tracing the complex negotiations surrounding the implementation of new labor, health, and welfare policies, she shows that professionals in health and welfare agencies sought to regulate gender and sexuality within the working class and to consolidate the male-led nuclear family as the basis of societal stability. Leftists collaborated in these efforts because they felt that strong family bonds would generate a sense of class belonging and help unify the Left, while feminists perceived male familial responsibility as beneficial for women. Diverse actors within civil society thus reworked the norms of masculinity and femininity developed by state agencies and political leaders--even as others challenged those ideals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

rereading traditional history
i found the text uncompromising in substance while being very accessible to a non-academic (i am not an academic).the author provided an interesting analysis of coalition building in early to mid- 20th century history in chile.she takes a generally accepted understanding of chilean state development and looks at it through a different lens which leads to a much more true and nuanced version of the same story.
this is a story of how various political and civic groups with differing political agendas negotiated a vision of the state that tried to meet all of their interests.this vision was based on gendered identities of its citizenry.overall, i thought that this was a great book -- especially for people interested 20th century chilean history, interested in chile's political culture, or interested in seeing the outcome of successfully combining various political, social, cultural, and historical analyses.

If I could give this zero stars, I would.
I know that I'm not a member of academia, who read books like this daily and eat them up with a spoon, but let me just say: this book put me to sleep more times than I could realistically count. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Historian, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2004. The length of the article is 581 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Gendered Compromises: Political Cultures and the State in Chile, 1920-1950.(Book Review)
Author: Jadwiga E. Pieper
Publication: The Historian (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2004
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 66Issue: 1Page: 160(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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Chapters: Culture of Chile, Mate, Chilean cuisine, Public holidays in Chile, Gaucho, Chilean rodeo, Fiestas Patrias, Cueca, Chilean Chess Championship, Komikan, Elevenses, Huaso, Roto, Bolas, Pais, Indio Pícaro, Chinchinero, Chamanto, Academia Chilena de la Lengua, Chilean school uniform, Chupalla, National Council of Culture and the Arts, National Archives of Chile,. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 101. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Mate (Spanish pronunciation: ), also known as chimarrão (Portuguese: ) or cimarrón, is a traditional South American infused drink, particularly in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, southern states of Brazil, and the Bolivian Chaco. It is prepared from steeping dried leaves of yerba mate (llex paraguariensis, known in Portuguese as erva mate) in hot water. Mate is served with a metal straw from a shared hollow calabash gourd. The straw is called a bombilla in some Latin American countries, a bomba in Portuguese, and a masassa in Arabic. The straw is traditionally made of silver. Modern commercially available straws are typically made of nickel silver, called Alpaca, stainless steel, or hollow-stemmed cane. The gourd is known as a mate or a guampa, while in Brazil it has the specific name of cuia. Even if the water comes in a very modern thermos, the infusion is traditionally drunk from mates or cuias. As with other brewed herbs, yerba mate leaves are dried, chopped, and ground into a powdery mixture called yerba. The bombilla acts as both a straw and a sieve. The submerged end is flared, with small holes or slots that allow the brewed liquid in, but block the chunky matter that makes up much of the mixture. A modern bombilla design uses a straight tube with holes, or spring sleeve to act as a sieve. "Tea-bag" type infusions of mate (mate cocido) have been on...http://booksllc.net/?id=5348351 ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Countries and Their Cultures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 4178 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Covers the broad range of popular religious culture of the United States at the close of the twentieth century. Beliefs, practices, symbols, traditions, movements, organizations, and leaders from the many traditions in the pluralistic American community are represented. Also includes cults and phenomena that drew followers, such as Heaven's Gale and UFOs. ... Read more

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This volume examines Chile's political culture by considering its origin and the persistence of its "grammar", which the authors define as the ability of each member of society to function within social categories and rules. This "grammar", they believe, is what gives character to national culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Highly recommended reading for students of Chile's history
In Chile's Political Culture And Parties: An Anthropological Explanation, Larissa Lomnitz and Ana Melnick collaborate to examine Chile's political culture in terms of Chileans functioning within social categories and rules which they called the "grammar" of the national Chilean culture. They argue that political parties in Chile are a conglomeration of horizontal networks of friends and that class is succinctly established within Chile's social fabric and defined by a mixture of variables (including an individual's position in the economy, social network, religious beliefs, and life-style choices). Chile's Political Culture And Parties is a seminal, scholarly, original, and highly recommended reading for students of Chile's history, politics, and contemporary culture. ... Read more