Culture Smart! Russia


Book Description

The best-selling Culture Smart! series continues where other guides leave off. Whether you are travelling on business or pleasure, long-term or short, Culture Smart! is your pocket-sized cultural roadmap that never goes out of date, highlighting key country customs, etiquette, and how to avoid cultural gaffes when out and about. Local knowledge is vital for peace of mind and personal safety when travelling, providing invaluable insights on every page on what to expect, how to behave and how to get along with the locals. Culture Smart! has become "as essential as remembering to pack your passport" (Stanfords Travel Bookshop). Be a responsible traveller with Culture Smart!, the smarter way to travel. Reviews: "Culture Smart! guides provide a wealth of information." (BBC World website) "Undeniably as useful as they are entertaining." (easyJet Magazine, May 2004) "These small treasure troves ensure that you will never put your size 11 travelling shoes in it again!" (Ocean View Magazine, Issue 3 Autumn/Winter 2003) "This new range of indispensable guides is devoted entirely to gaining a better understanding of the people, customs and traditions." (Odyssey Travel Magazine, Spring/Summer 2003)




Russia - Culture Smart!


Book Description

Don't just see the sights—get to know the people. Discovering the Russian soul is like opening a matryoshka, a Russian doll, revealing the many layers. The Russian orthodox religion is unique; Russian history is tragic; and the people are unpredictable. Russia s military and political power, as well as the rich contribution of its art and culture, is the result of an inner dynamic not always understood by outsiders. Culture Smart! Russia sets out to help you to become a more perceptive traveler, and to make your trip more personally fulfilling. It explores the connections between Russia s turbulent past and its paradoxical present; it describes present-day values and attitudes, and offers practical advice on what to expect and how to behave in different social circumstances. Have a richer and more meaningful experience abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on history, values, attitudes, and traditions will help you to better understand your hosts, while tips on etiquette and communicating will help you to navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.




Russia - Culture Smart!


Book Description

The Russian orthodox religion is unique, Russian history is tragic, and the people are unpredictable. Russia's military and political power, as well as the rich contribution of its art and culture, is the result of an inner dynamic not always understood by outsiders. This book explores the connections between Russia's turbulent past and its paradoxical present.




The Cambridge Companion to Modern Russian Culture


Book Description

An introduction to modern Russian culture, from language and religion to literature and the arts.




Romania - Culture Smart!


Book Description

A land of mountains, hills, and fertile plains, Romania is a tourist destination waiting to be discovered. It is a rich and complex country: a place whose cities are home to beautiful parks and vibrant cultural scenes; whose people welcome guests warmly into their homes, sharing the best of whatever they have, and party into the night, suffused by Latin joie de vivre. Buffeted over time between three great powers—the West, Russia, and Turkey—Romania betrays the cultural influences of each, and it can be a difficult place to get a handle on. Culture Smart! Romania provides an indispensable tool for the foreign visitor, digging deep behind the clichés, explaining many of the behavioral quirks of the people, smoothing your path toward better understanding, and outlining the many attractions—cultural, social, and geographical—that await you in this underexplored part of Europe.




Georgia - Culture Smart!


Book Description

Georgia lies between Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, on the southeastern shore of the Black Sea. This small Caucasian country is used to playing a significant role in global geopolitics, and its strategic location at the crossroads of different civilizations has been a curse as well as a blessing. Once a battlefield of the Christian and Muslim worlds, today it is caught between its NATO aspirations and its location in Russia's backyard. The Silk Road brought the best of the world to Georgia. Its ancient Christian culture shows the influence of Arab, Persian, and Ottoman conquerors. Combined with this is a southern, "Mediterranean" feel, traces of the Soviet legacy, and a strong Western influence. What awaits the visitor is a unique culture that goes back thousands of years. Georgia has a rich historical heritage, wonderful food and wines, unforgettable scenery, authentic folk music and dances, an attractive business climate, and an educated and hospitable people for whom indulging a guest is more a religion than a duty. Culture Smart! Georgia offers invaluable insights and practical tips for tourists and business people alike. The author, Natia Abramia, guides you through the past and present-day realities of her motherland, explaining what makes people tick, how they live and feel, and how to get on with them. You will discover that the Georgians will not let you down. Learn how to reach their hearts, and they will charm you back.




Overkill


Book Description

Borenstein argues that the popular cultural products consumed in the post-perestroika era were more than just diversions; they allowed Russians to indulge their despair over economic woes and everyday threats.




Finland - Culture Smart!


Book 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




Germany - Culture Smart!


Book Description

Don't just see the sights—get to know the people. Germany powerhouse of Europe and pillar of the Eurozone feels reassuringly familiar. However, despite superficial appearances, this is a country that operates very differently from the USA and Britain. German history is more than a thousand years old and the relatively new German nation-state encompasses an astonishing variety of cultural and regional differences. German society is also in a state of flux, as people respond to immigration and a tough economic climate, and traditional attitudes such as formality and rigid protocol are softening as German business globalizes. Culture Smart! Germany sets out to show you how to be a good and sensitive guest. With chapters on core values and attitudes, and a practical business briefing, it is a valuable introduction to the German way of life. It tells you what treatment to expect, what pitfalls to avoid, and how to build rapport and credibility with this culturally rich and inventive people at the heart of Europe. Have a richer and more meaningful experience abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on history, values, attitudes, and traditions will help you to better understand your hosts, while tips on etiquette and communicating will help you to navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.




Russia


Book Description

Distinguished Professor Abraham Ascher offers an impressive blend of engaging narrative and fresh analysis in this perennially popular introduction to Russia. Newly updated on the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, Russia: A Short History begins with the origins of the first Slavic state, and continues to the present-day tensions between Russia and its neighbours, the rise of Vladimir Putin, and the increasingly complex relationship with the United States.