No comments about Pocket Menu Reader Germany (Langenscheidt's Pocket Menu Reader).

No comments about Michelin Green Guide: Prague (Michelin Green Guides).

No comments about Michelin Bayern (Michelin Regional Deutschland).

3 comments about Fodor's Berlin's 25 Best, 5th Edition (25 Best).

1. This book fits nicely in your hand and, being color-coded by area, is easy to flip through when you're in a particular part of the city and need to look something up quickly. Despite being in Berlin for roughly 48 hours, I made quite a dent in the list of 25 "must-sees" and now I know what to aim for the next time.



2. This product is drastically overpriced for what it delivers. It is shallow and simplistic and will do little or nothing to enhance your Berlin visit. I put it in the trash after only a day!



3. I had three books for my trip to Berlin and this was the only one I used. It has a handy map of the city that fits in the cover; a map of the U-bahn, great photos and description by area. The walking tours for each area are great too. The perfect size to take along- indispensable.

2 comments about Living & Working in Germany: A Survival Handbook (Living and Working).

1. I have read several books on moving/living in Germany. Of those books, this one is the most comprehensive. It focuses on the nuts-and-bolts of the overseas move, including the various government agencies one must deal with, housing issues, utilities, and more. It's fairly upbeat but at the same time appears to provide a balanced view on the good and bad. Combined with "The Expert Expatriate," this book seems to cover all of the bases.



2. Went to germany and this book in 100% on the .....
   
   Trust me on this. If your thinking about moving to germany then you will NEED this book

5 comments about Culture Shock! Germany: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! Guides).

1. This book is packed with information and little interesting historical tidbits. It was interesting and easy to read. After living in Germany for a year now, I can say that while plenty of his observations seem accurate, others seem exaggerated....especially the negative ones. And most of the book has a really bitter negative undertone. It seems the author actually doesn't like Germany or Germans all that much. The dedication reads "For Gudrun, the main reason that I've stayed in Germany"...clearly Germany itself was not reason enough for him to stay. Nonetheless, this is still a decent and informative book. If you read it just keep in mind (it's hard to forget) that it was written by someone who is only there for his wife and doesn't really like it.



2. I disagree with one reviewer's "bitter undertones" caveat. It simply isn't true. I've lived in Germany for a number of years and everything he writes has also been my experience and I love this country and the people. I got the same 'feeling' from Mr Lord's prose. To hit him over the head about his book dedication is rather much isn't it? It's the "main" reason he stays in Germany, not the only one. German culture, if it isn't one's native culture, presents unique and sometimes frustrating challenges everyday. That's simply the nature of any culture outside our own.
   
   I bought this book in spite of reading the "bitter undertones" review and am happy I did because I wanted a book that I could recommend to other newly arrived English speakers in Germany.
   
   I thought Richard Lord did a superb job and would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone considering coming to Germany to live or visit.
   
   Richard Lord covers all the basics and addresses all the parts that might "shock" if approached unaware (as I did when I moved here in the 90's) so of course his book is going to contain some things that might sound unpleasant - hence "Culture Shock". It wouldn't be called that if people didn't get nasty surprises when they leave their home cultures. All cultures have equal value but going from one to another almost always contains things we initially (or maybe forever) see as negatives. He also addresses all the practical aspects of living in Germany and that, in itself, is more than worth the price of the book in what it will save in lost time, lost money and buckets of frustration.
   
   He's done the German people a great service by explaining many of the 'whys' of the ways they live and the things they hold dear. It's especially satisfying to see much of the explanation placed in historical context - where much of cultural habit resides. It's never enough of a picture to know that a culture is "this way" without knowing why because every aspect of a culture is rooted in its very special and unique experience. Once understood in context, it all makes more sense and then it's loads easier to adapt. I expect he managed this so well because he respectfully integrated himself into the culture insofar as possible for someone born and raised elsewhere.
   
   If you buy this book, you'll be very, very glad you did.



3. I am a German who was given the book by an American and read it out of curiosity. It is a helpful book, and I even agree with most of its not-so-flattering observations and statements about my country. However, it should be taken with a grain of salt: It was clearly written by someone who worked in the business world of Frankfurt, Germany's center of banking and corporate finance, and had rather stiff, conservative suburban upper middle class, suit-wearing business people as his German acquaintances and friends. What he describes as cultural "compartmentalization" between public and private lives applies to conservative business culture (certainly to banks), not so much, for example, to academics, artists, freelancers etc.
   
   What's more, Lord's observations apply chiefly to the wealthy, more conservative Southwestern part of Germany between Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich, less so to East Germany or Northern Germany. For example, his advice that "upon entering a small shop, one should always intone a robust Guten Morgen, Guten Tag or Guten Abend" should be followed only in small towns and villages, and South Western Germany with its more provincial culture, but surely would raise eyebrows or amusement in Hamburg or Berlin. Same is true for his advice to greet all neighbors or co-workers in a house "in the following manner: 'Guten Tag, Frau Schmidt; Guten Abend, Frau Müller". I had to laugh out cordially when I read that, but, well, it's true to the extent that this is the politeness code if you work in a bank or live in a Western German neighborhood of chiefly conservative senior citizens.
   
   Another detail: His remarks about "Hausordnung" (house order) and cleaning the stairs in front of one's apartment again applies to Southwest Germany only, in fact Northern Germans often make fun of this aspect and cite this is as one reason why they never would move South.
   
   Or, to take with a grain of salt, too: "Any invitation for Saturday or Sunday afternoon around three or four o'clock always entails a duty to serve coffee and cake". I can only repeat myself and pity the author for having lived in an environment of _extremely_ conservative, possibly old people. In such passages, the book is actually counterproductive as it creates potentially false images and expectations for Americans visiting Germany.
   
   Or the rule of always giving an odd number of flowers to hosts - I admit I have never heard of this in my life, having lived in Germany for more than 35 years... Or the rule that it is considered extremely rude to leave the toilet door open after one has used it.
   
   Well, I could go on and on with such examples. They actually taught me something, too - etiquette I have never heard of and I probably should know if I ever worked in an upscale corporate environment between Frankfurt and Munich.
   
   So this book is roughly equivalent to a guide to the USA which extrapolates from a corporate work experience in, say, Atlanta to all American culture.



4. Living for nearly 70 years in Germany as a native born German I don't agree with the negative reviews on this book. I read it with pleasure and found everything almost correct, maybe some smaller items and details could be corrected or updated. Lord gives a short and accurate summary of living in Germany. It is obvious that "each coin has two sides" as we say in Germany - and telling the negative (seeming) facts warning the visitor not to overrate his first impressions surely does not mean that Lord feels any bitterness towards my country.
   More Germans should read this book - they would become conscious of their behaviour that might seem strange to foreigners and could try to make them more comfortable.
   I am only sorry that Lord compares only very seldom German habits with US habits. Urgently I should now read another book: Cultureshock USA!



5. This book had some great information for Americans looking to learn more about the real German culture. However, I had to stop reading it because it was too depressing! I was looking for true, factual information, but I was disssapointed that I had to wade through all of the negativity to get it. Great info, not so great writing...sorry, but those are the facts.

No comments about Fodor's See It Germany, 2nd Edition (Fodor's See It).

No comments about Berlin: Shops & More.

1 comments about A Traveller's History of Germany (Traveller's History).

1. This is an excellent introductory German history for the newcomer, and a good review for the history student. The book wastes no pages. Even though the information on each subject is brief and to the point, this small paperback of roughly 325 pages seems to cover EVERYTHING from the earliest days to 2006. It assumes no previous study of German history, so you won't have to look up random surnames referencing people the author expects you to be familiar with. The book has a complete list of rulers from the Holy Roman Empire (beginning with Karl die Grosse) to the Democratic Republic, a chronology of major events, and maps for every major period (12 total). Based on my search for texts on German history in English, I can say that this small volume contains more information than can be found in the somewhat popular history by Hagen Schultze, which is also available on Amazon. If German history remotely interests you, this is where to begin.
   
   PS: This book is the closest thing to what I have been looking for, a huge 500+ page or so complete history of Germany in English. If anyone knows if such a thing exists, please post a comment for this review. Thank you.

5 comments about Party Europe, Second Edition (Now This Is Life).

1. I stayed in Prague, Paris, Madrid, Barcelone, Rome, London and Amsterdam. It was totally useless.
   If you are from a party country like Argentina or South America, or your are looking for places where local goes, this is not your guide.
   I know it is difficult to make a guide because places changes all the time, BUT I think this guide only looks for places that you can find in USA.
   
   It did not work for me...
   Of course, it is usefull to have a book with all the party places, but, on the road, just ask the guy of the hotel/hostel...or better...be social with the locals man!



2. I just got back from a semester abroad in Florence, Italy, and I was so glad I brought this book. It had great suggestions of all types of places to go out at night. The best part was that it gave a list of the "Hotspots" for every night of the week. This was helpful because it automatically clued you in on what places would be packed that night, even if you didn't know a single person in the city. If you plan on partying in Europe, this guide will tell you everything you could ever wish to know.



3. The book has detailed information for Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Capri, Florence, Ibiza, London, Madrid, Munich, Pamplona & the Running of the Bulls, Paris, The Rivieras, Rome, Venice but that is it. If you are going to alot of these places, this book will probably benefit you, but this is my third trip to Europe and I'm going to different cities not listed in this book, so it's completely not helpful. It's also kind of hard to follow and understand, picking 4 different types of travelers that you have to relate to, and not one of us on our trip did... Like I said, if you are going to many of these cities, it may be useful, but I highly recommend Let's Go Europe 2007. It was actually cheaper, includes every one of countries in Europe and I have yet to find a city it doesn't cover with very detailed info. and just as much or more of the party information found in Party Europe, written much better and easier to understand.



4. An excellent resource.
   
   One caveat: this book does not cover areas outside the most popular tourist destinations [but by inference it does provide what one may want to look for in those locales].
   
   Combine this with a good general Europe guide [we highly recommend Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door 2007] and give them a read BEFORE your departure and you will be doing yourself and your travel party a great service.



5. this is a great book for those who are looking to experience europe's party scene with many of the top spots in different countries covered. A+