The Xenophobe's Guide to the Germans

If only this book were longer. When it arrived I was rather taken aback - just 60 pages? Surely not! What can I learn about the Germans in 60 pages? Quite a lot, as it turns out. This book launches straight in with a very amusing look at the Germans, giving a brief discussion of their history and how the German nation came to be and then detailing many of the quirks and habits of this fascinating nation. The authors give a few ideas how the Germans have been so successful, particularly in terms of literature and music (Goethe, Bach, Kant) but also show some of the angst and problems that the German nature can cause for the people. The authors are both German although I wouldn't know that from their writing which is excellent, funny and seems to understand the Brits very well. They are also very able to poke fun at their own country (although they say this isn't something at which Germans are very adept). With such a short book you can only really get a very brief introduction to German people but it's a very amusing overview and certainly made me think a number of times. We tend to think of the Germans as probably the closest to Brits in terms of personality and nature than other Europeans - this book shows that we might well be wrong in that opinion and it might just help us to understand them more when we visit. Oh, and if you want a view of the Brits (and a much larger book) I can heartily recommend Kate Fox's "Watching the English".

I'm a German working from time to time abroad (often in the UK). The book is written by two Germans working now for decades in the UK and explains the culture difference from a british point of view. I think it is a great insight on the attitudes, implicit policies and main motivations of Germans. Furthermore, it is very funny (I had to read it in one session and was laughing out loud most of the time). A must read if you plan to go to Germany!

I lived in Germany for over 3 years, and was a tour guide part-time, explaining aspects of German society to Americans. I saw first-hand a lot of the material in this book, written by transplanted Germans. While one may think the book generalizes too much, I can say my experience was the passion for Ordnung, Bildung, and Kultur are exactly as this book describes, and there is really is no concept of "small-talk" in German. Excellent for anyone who lives there or plans to visit.

I am a German living in the USA and can really recommend this book. It is funny but true to very small details! And to have most fun, read it along with the one for your own country!

I am part German and was a little surpirsed at how much of the book rang true. It is as revealing and as much fun as an excellent horoscope or a fun-house mirror, and offers better insight than all the other information about doing business in Germany.