Culture Shock! India: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock)

Rating:
Summary: Great for those planning more than a short tour
Review: I'll be brief, so as not to echo others' comments. Preparing for a six month stint in India for business, I was unsatisfied after reading other "guide" books. Looking for something more than a history lesson and hot spot list, I reached for Culture Shock!. This book details subtle nuances that exist between US and Indian cultures. Great read and highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: This series is a MUST-HAVE for anyone living abroad
Review: Like all books in the series, this book is a must-have for anyone living abroad. We suggest this book to every ex-patriate coming to India.

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Summary: India for Dummies
Review: This book brought me interesting thoughts about India; both nostalgic and humorous. The book is written with a view to satisfy a female traveller, but it does not make much generalizations in this aspect. Even though a person living in India might feel this book paints a distorted view, anyone who has seen the world outside India will find this book more entertaining and useful.
This is not considered as a tour guide for a person who is just passing through the airports. If you ever thought India is just like what you see in Jackson heights (N.Y.) or Devon St (Chicago) or as in the movie "City of Joy", you are mistaken . Nowhere in the world you could see people living with contrasting environments and outlook of life, sharing a wall between 19th and 20th (21st?) century at the same moment.
Gitanjali Kolanad introduces some assumptions as to why the Indian life is so contradictory in many aspects. The author provides a brief, but well narrated history of this south Asian region and tries to analyze the origin of the social heirarchy,the division of labour and the attitudes of Indians to these.
This book is an honest oversimplification of the problems a foreigner will face and the author gives some valuable advice and certain quick fixes. I would say you need an open mind and this book before you start your passage to India.

Rating:
Summary: Must Reading
Review: This book is must reading for anyone travelling to India. I just returned from a visit with a family in Punjab. I read the book before and during the flight to India. I know I would not have enjoyed the visit nearly as much without having read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Must Reading
Review: This book is must reading for anyone travelling to India. I just returned from a visit with a family in Punjab. I read the book before and during the flight to India. I know I would not have enjoyed the visit nearly as much without having read this book.