eh?

So here’s an post from a yahoo group I’m a part of. Incredible eye-opening. I need to hunt this book down.

Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:24 am (PST)

Sorry to be contributing late to this thread, but another good book about cultural differences is “Americans at Work: A Guide to the Can-Do People” by Craig Storti. You’ll find this book in many European airport bookstores,
pitched to business travelers going to the U.S.

The author’s an American who has spent most of his life working internationally. The book is obviously mostly about the differences between American and non-American workplaces (and is spot-on and helpful in this regard) but also contains more general observations:

P. 13: “The first thing that probably needs to be said in a book about Americans and foreigners is that the former don’t really believe in the latter. Oh, they realize that there are a large number of so-called foreign countries teeming with odd-looking people who speak strange languages, but deep down Americans have a hard time believing that these people are fundamentally different from them. While they accept that people from other cultures may be foreign on the surface, Americans believe that ‘underneath we’re all alike.’ They believe, in short, that any differences that do exist between themselves and non-Americans are ultimately insignificant. “

p. 16: “To put it another way, not believing in culture means that Americans have a hard time accepting that there is any legitimate reason – any ‘excuse’ – for the odd way foreigners sometimes behave, and they conclude
therefore that all such behavior is simply arbitrary. . . . If there is no real logic or reason for the strange things foreigners sometimes do, then why should Americans (or anyone else, for that matter) have to put up with them?… When Americans encounter cultural differences, there is an underlying assumption, a deep conviction, that once they point out odd, counterproductive, and illogical behaviors, foreigners will drop their annoying habits and start behaving normally.”

p. 85: “In general, individualistic Americans regard people from more collectivist cultures as timid, conformist, not willing to stand up for themselves, and overly concerned about what other people think. They’re too deferential, don’t insist on their rights, and spend too much time worrying and trying to get a consensus before acting. They seem to lack confidence and not to care enough about whether they get credit for their achievements. “

p. 118: “Americans will go to almost any lengths to avoid sounding negative, pessimistic, or defeatist, even if it means being somewhat less than honest or candid. They try to stay away from topics they refer to as ‘downers’ and to stay out of conversations that ‘bring you down,’ as in down from the giddy heights of optimism and happiness. These topics include anything to do with evil or the dark side of human nature, which Americans either ignore or try to explain away, anything that suggests failure, defeat, or any kind of setback – especially with death, the ultimate setback – or anything to do with limits or limitations, such as reasons why something cannot be done, should not be tried, or is impossible.”