Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands (The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More than 60 Countries)

Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands (The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More than 60 Countries) Review

Oops. A few years ago, I offended a colleague from another country. Before I visited that country--or hosted a guest from that country in my home--I had meant to learn more about his culture, his behavior styles, his business practices, even his negotiating techniques. But I didn't.

If you travel outside of your country, work in a multi-cultural office, worship with people from other cultures, email colleagues in other countries, or participate (or even lead) church short-term mission trips, I have a book for you.

Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More than 60 Countries provides a snapshot look at nations where you may be traveling. Example: I visited Turkey this year. If you relied on the prevalent loud speaker calls to prayer, you would think that Turkey is a Muslim country. But this helpful book pointed out that Turkey has no official religion, even though 90 percent of the Turkish population is Sunni Muslim.

Did you know it's best to keep both feet flat on the floor in Turkey? "Displaying the soles of your shoes (or feet) to someone is rude." And, "it is rude to cross your arms while facing someone." Americans and Turks indicate "yes" by nodding their heads up and down, but Turks say no with their eyebrows. (You'll need to study that section before your next trip.)

What's the point? Cross-cultural travel is ripe with opportunities to embarrass yourself and demean others. Advance preparation will help. In Australia, for example, men "should not be too demonstrative with other men." Contrast that with the 2005 photo of U.S. President George W. Bush and Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah--and their hand-holding stroll at Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas!

Each country profile includes the country background, business practices, cultural orientation and protocol. Example: in India, don't pat a child's hair. "The head is considered the seat of the soul by many Indians." In Canada (per the authors), "the standard space between you and your conversation partner should be two feet." But French Canadians may stand closer. (Memo to my Canadian clients: should I bring a yardstick next time, or will you provide it?)

Other books, such as the The CIA World Factbook 2010, cover every country, but this one focuses on just over 60, including England, Indonesia, South Korea, Pakistan, Mexico, Sweden, Columbia, Brazil, China and Russia. Globalization is here. This book will help you understand contexts, cultures and customs.

Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands (The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More than 60 Countries) Overview

More than a decade after establishing itself as the number-one book on international business etiquette, Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands has been fully revised to reflect the profound global transformation that has occurred since its debut. In this new edition, author Terri Morrison McCarthy-the leading expert in this field-has included:

Comprehensive updates for each of the book's 60-plus country chapters

Several brand-new sections, including Cultural IQ tests, "Know Before You Go" tips, and alerts on international security issues

Additional chapters on Austria, Belize, Ireland, South Africa, and Vietnam
The most comprehensive, authoritative text of its kind, the first edition of this invaluable reference guide has won a following among high-ranking military officials, influential corporate executives, and business school professors alike. This new edition, with its wealth of revised material and discussions of current hot topics, is proof that such a classic only gets better with time.

Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands (The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More than 60 Countries) Specifications

In a global economy, it is crucial for business people to be sensitive to cultural differences. And although the best reason for doing so may be ethical, it's great for business as well! This is an invaluable book for "doing well while doing good" in your intercultural relations, covering the protocols of appointments, business entertaining, greetings, forms of address, gestures, dress, and gifts in 60 of the nations you're most likely to be doing business. Some interesting excerpts:

• Australia: The "thumbs-up" sign, which in the U.S. indicates "O.K." is considered rude.
  
• Brazil: The colors of the Brazilian flag are green and yellow, so avoid wearing this combination in any fashion.
  
• China: Avoid making exaggerated gestures or using dramatic facial expressions. The Chinese do not generally use their hands when speaking, and become distracted by a speaker who does.
  
• Indonesia: Since it is impolite to disagree with someone, Indonesians rarely say "no"...a clear way to indicate "no" is to suck in air through the teeth.

The authors are very aware that no generalizations apply to all residents of a nation, and are careful not to stereotype or judge. Highly recommended to any business traveler--or any student of the diversity of human cultures.

(Note: a great companion volume for this book is Gestures, which is devoted entirely to explaining the varieties of hand gestures in 82 countries!)

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