Living In The United States
Samples
Sample Pages
About the book
A cultural-orientation handbook for students and travelers for education, business, or pleasure.
This concise, easy-to-read introduction to American culture helps newcomers feel at home, make friends, and enjoy everyday life. Read independently or in class as an outline for discussion, it provides both practical "survival" information and facts that will lead to cross-cultural insights. The book is given to new students in many universities and language programs in the U.S. and abroad.
This new 10th edition has updated information and has been reformated to make it easier to use as a reference. Throughout the book, revisions have been made to this edition reflecting the rapid changes in technology and culture in the United States and today's world.
The first section, Basic Information, includes information on many practical survival topics. For example: what everyone needs to know about money, food, restaurants, drinking and smoking laws, hotels, many kinds of communication in today's world from smart phones to email, etc, electricity and electronics, transportation, shopping, health/medical care and safety, tipping, and measures used in the U.S.
The second section, Customs and Values, explains many aspects of U.S. culture (click on the link to the table of contents above). It includes valuable tips on U.S.business etiquette.
The third section on Country Facts provides useful information and insights into U.S. history, geography, the environment, and technology. It has been rewritten and updated.
For this 10th Edition, the Appendix on the 50 States that gives comparative statistical and political information has been updated since the 2014 elections.
"To the busy traveler, this series of very readable and entertaining guides provides a brief introduction, vital statistics, a little history, and a lot of practical advice that instill a sense of security from the time you arrive at the port of entry. Everything you really need to know - from money and banking practices to health tips to local customs and a brief historical overview - is at your fingertips, in a book that neatly fits in your jacket pocket. If you don't know the territory - or the people - this guide is good company to any stranger in a strange land."
Patrick J. Leahy, U.S. Senator from Vermont
Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
Appropriations Subcommittee on the State Department and Foreign Relations and Related Programs, Chair
Contents
1. Basic Information 1
1.1 Money and Banks 1
1.2 Food 3
1.3 Restaurants 6
1.4 Drinking and Smoking Laws 9
1.5 Hotels 10
1.6 Telephone 12
1.7 Mail, Telegrams, Faxes, and Email 15
1.8 Transportation 17
1.9 Shopping 18
1.10 Health, Medical Care, and Safety 21
1.11 Electricity and Electronics 22
1.12 Tipping 22
1.13 Measures 23
2. Customs andValues 27
2.1 Greetings and Leave-takings 27
2.2 Names and Titles 28
2.3 Conversation Topics 28
2.4 Friendship 29
2.5 Invitations 29
2.6 Personal Space and Privacy 30
2.7 "On Time" 31
2.8 Silence 32
2.9 Equality 32
2.10 Independence 33
2.11 Eating Customs 33
2.12 Family Life 35
2.13 Leisure 36
2.14 Holidays 37
2.15 The Environment 40
2.16 Business Etiquette 40
3. Country Facts 42
3.1 History 42
3.2 Noteworthy Presidents 52
3.3 Three Noteworthy Americans 52
3.4 Political Map 52
3.5 Land and People 55
3.6 Government 60
3.7 Economy 62
3.8 Religion 63
3.9 Education 63
3.10 The Arts 64
3.11 Technology and Change 67
Appendix: The 50 States 69
Living In The United States
Samples
Sample Pages
About the book
A cultural-orientation handbook for students and travelers for education, business, or pleasure.
This concise, easy-to-read introduction to American culture helps newcomers feel at home, make friends, and enjoy everyday life. Read independently or in class as an outline for discussion, it provides both practical "survival" information and facts that will lead to cross-cultural insights. The book is given to new students in many universities and language programs in the U.S. and abroad.
This new 10th edition has updated information and has been reformated to make it easier to use as a reference. Throughout the book, revisions have been made to this edition reflecting the rapid changes in technology and culture in the United States and today's world.
The first section, Basic Information, includes information on many practical survival topics. For example: what everyone needs to know about money, food, restaurants, drinking and smoking laws, hotels, many kinds of communication in today's world from smart phones to email, etc, electricity and electronics, transportation, shopping, health/medical care and safety, tipping, and measures used in the U.S.
The second section, Customs and Values, explains many aspects of U.S. culture (click on the link to the table of contents above). It includes valuable tips on U.S.business etiquette.
The third section on Country Facts provides useful information and insights into U.S. history, geography, the environment, and technology. It has been rewritten and updated.
For this 10th Edition, the Appendix on the 50 States that gives comparative statistical and political information has been updated since the 2014 elections.
"To the busy traveler, this series of very readable and entertaining guides provides a brief introduction, vital statistics, a little history, and a lot of practical advice that instill a sense of security from the time you arrive at the port of entry. Everything you really need to know - from money and banking practices to health tips to local customs and a brief historical overview - is at your fingertips, in a book that neatly fits in your jacket pocket. If you don't know the territory - or the people - this guide is good company to any stranger in a strange land."
Patrick J. Leahy, U.S. Senator from Vermont
Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
Appropriations Subcommittee on the State Department and Foreign Relations and Related Programs, Chair
Contents
1. Basic Information 1
1.1 Money and Banks 1
1.2 Food 3
1.3 Restaurants 6
1.4 Drinking and Smoking Laws 9
1.5 Hotels 10
1.6 Telephone 12
1.7 Mail, Telegrams, Faxes, and Email 15
1.8 Transportation 17
1.9 Shopping 18
1.10 Health, Medical Care, and Safety 21
1.11 Electricity and Electronics 22
1.12 Tipping 22
1.13 Measures 23
2. Customs andValues 27
2.1 Greetings and Leave-takings 27
2.2 Names and Titles 28
2.3 Conversation Topics 28
2.4 Friendship 29
2.5 Invitations 29
2.6 Personal Space and Privacy 30
2.7 "On Time" 31
2.8 Silence 32
2.9 Equality 32
2.10 Independence 33
2.11 Eating Customs 33
2.12 Family Life 35
2.13 Leisure 36
2.14 Holidays 37
2.15 The Environment 40
2.16 Business Etiquette 40
3. Country Facts 42
3.1 History 42
3.2 Noteworthy Presidents 52
3.3 Three Noteworthy Americans 52
3.4 Political Map 52
3.5 Land and People 55
3.6 Government 60
3.7 Economy 62
3.8 Religion 63
3.9 Education 63
3.10 The Arts 64
3.11 Technology and Change 67
Appendix: The 50 States 69