Germany Books - Page 3

Germany - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette

Barry Tomalin

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Subjects -> Reference -> Etiquette -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships.

Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whether on business or for pleasure-into a memorable and enriching experience. Contents include


* customs, values, and traditions
* historical, religious, and political background
* life at home
* leisure, social, and cultural life
* eating and drinking
* do's, don'ts, and taboos
* business practices
* communication, spoken and unspoken


"Culture Smart has come to the rescue of hapless travellers." Sunday Times Travel

"... the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries." Global Travel

"...full of fascinating-as well as common-sense-tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas." Observer

"...as useful as they are entertaining." Easyjet Magazine

"...offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world." New York Times

Berlin Then and Now (Then & Now Thunder Bay)

Nick Gay

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An excellent book from an excellent series 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This book is a good size, and photos are given full priority on each page. It's kept nice and simple with old on the left, new on the right, and with just as much informed commentary as you'd need running along beneath.

Only a few of the 'then' pics are from the 50s and 60s; the majority show the Berlin streets as they were before the devastation of the Second World War, and as such are as fascinating as looking at pictures of ancient Rome.

An excellent book from an excellent series.

Editorial Review:

Hitler’s ascendancy and defeat transformed a stable, confident Berlin into a ruined city, fractured by post-WWII political divisions. Only with the 1989 destruction of the Wall and the subsequent Unification Treaty did Berlin begin to regain its cosmopolitan standing as one of the world’s great cities. With highlights that include then and now images of the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall, and Checkpoint Charlie, one can experience the tumultuous events of the city’s modern history through archival and contemporary photography. This historical look at Berlin's ever-changing fortunes is a must-have for WWII history buffs, and offers a rare glimpse into the city's fascinating metamorphosis.

GERMAN in 10 minutes a day® (10 Minutes a Day Series) (German Edition)

Kristine K. Kershul

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good exercise, but only as reinforcement 2 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

The author seems to have her heart in the right place and the book is well organized, but I really doubt anyone will learn more than number, colors, or other such items.

I've been working through a number of German books in my middle(ish) aged quest to be bilingual so I'm not a total beginner. I wanted an exercise book to do over lunch and I found this book on sale (<$5). I would say I got about that amount of knowledge out of it.

The matching, fill in the blanks, and crossword puzzles were good, but so much is left out that you can't really understand any of what you are doing, you are just memorizing. For example, the author has you conjugate the verb 'sprechen' but never mentions it is an irregular verb that changes to 'du sprichst'. Later, the sentence structure where a second verb is unconjugated and moved to the end of the sentence is used by the author, but is never mentioned to the reader.

It was a good way to keep my head in German, but I can't say I got very much from the book.

Editorial Review:

The German volume of this popular series teaches usable German for all travelers to the Rhineland--both business and pleasure travelers alike .

Berlin (City Guide)

Andrea Schulte-Peevers

Amazon Price: $13.59 List Price: $19.99 Not yet published By: Lonely Planet

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Berlin travel guides 3 out of 5 stars.
49 of 57 people found this review helpful.

This book has all the information you need, to prepare you for a wonderful vacation in Berlin. It's the kind of book that you curl up with near the fire on a cold snowy winter day and read about the trip you'll take during the summer. But--------- there are better guides for those individuals who have travelled in Europe before and who just want the nuts and bolts and will allow the city to visit them. I personally recommend either DK (Dorling Kindersley) Eyewitness Guide to Berlin or the slightly older Knopf 'City Guide' published last in 1998. However with Berlin changing so rapidly, you'll probably do better with the DK guide. It has more photos which aren't essential, but are a nice added feature but more importantly it breaks the city up in a better way to help you get the most out of your time. I think it's much better.

Editorial Review:

This title features: new colour contemporary Arts Scene section covering cutting-edge Berlin (music, fashion, art etc); new Gay & Lesbian chapter; new colour highlights chapter introducing Berlin by theme; and an increased Food language section to ensure you can fit right in with the locals.Berlin expert and German national Andrea Schulte-Peevers with expert contributions from Sally O'Brien (Switzerland resident) and Anthony Hayward (Germany resident), all long-time LP authors lend extensive experience to the guide

Lonely Planet Berlin Encounter

Andrea Schulte-Peevers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

What Will Your Berlin Encounter Be?

...picnicking on lip-smaking Currywurst in the splendour of the palace gardens
...feasting your eyes on artwork from Rembrandts to cutting-edge exhibits
...touching history at the Berlin Wall, then delving into the eclectic communities to its east
...playing the nocturnal hedonist - from roaring '20s cabaret to uninhabited, euphoric clubs
...catering to your individuality in the city's edgiest fashion and kitsch boutiques
...sipping sublime cocktails while cocooned in an ambient lounge

Discover Twice the City in Half the Time...

...full color pull-out map and detailed neighborhood maps
...our local author pinpoints the city's best nightlife, food, art, sights and shops
...from glamorous to quirky, gay to down and dirty - get the lowdown on the city's distinct neighborhoods with itineraries to plan your stay
...meet the locals: the mayor, a top chef, contemporary artists and a dominatrix

Top 10 Berlin (EYEWITNESS TOP 10 TRAVEL GUIDE)

DK Publishing

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Perfect for a First Visit to Berlin 5 out of 5 stars.
21 of 21 people found this review helpful.

I have bought many Eyewitness travel guides but this was the first time I used one of their Top 10 guides. It is an incredible travel aid, especially for first time visitors to a major city like Berlin. The guide is about much more than just the top 10 sites in Berlin. For example, each major site, such as the Pergmamon Museum, is further divided into its own top 10. This is an especially helpful aid in a city such as Berlin where the museums alone are worth the trip and each museum deserves days of exploring. When we fell further and further behind our self-imposed schedule, we defaulted to the Top 10 guide and used it extensively: the top 10 at the Egyptian Museum, the top 10 at the Pergamon, the top 10 on Unter den Linden, etc. In addition, the book lists the top 10 in each of a number of categories such as museums, art galleries (which are separated from museums), restaurants, stores, bars, architectural sites, etc. Plus there are neighborhood sections, each with a top 10 list of things to see and a list of cafes, bars and restuarants. This allowed us to go to a major Top 10, see the top 10 within, and then see some of the top 10 of the surrounding neighborhood. I found the recommendations to be reliable. The book is very well organized and includes helpful thumb nail photos. You may or may not agree with all the "top 10" judgements but as a first time visitor I was less concerned about that and more concerned with getting the most that I could out of my few days in a major city. This is the best city guide I have ever used. As an addendum, if you are going to Berlin, buy the murder-mystery novel "The Good German" set in August 1945.

Editorial Review:

A better value than all the competition, these pocket travel guides offer travelers the insight of local experts to easily plan the perfect trip. Take the work out of planning any trip with DK's Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides. Branded with DK's trusted and familiar "Eyewitness" style, these compact guides make finding the best every destination has to offer easier than ever before! Perfect for business travel and vacation, searching for the finest cuisine or the least expensive places to eat, the most luxurious hotels or the best deals on places to stay, the best family destination or the hottest nightspot, Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides provide current, useful information based on the insight of local experts to find the best of everything that each destination has to offer.

Lonely Planet Prague (3rd ed)

John King, Richard Nebesky

List Price: $14.95 By: Lonely Planet Amazon Marketplace: 21 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Well done 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Lonely Planet Prague provided a great synopsis of the historical sites, with descriptions often better than those provided by our formal tour guides. The detailed information regarding transportation, costs, and hours were right on. Without the book we would have missed some off-the-beaten-path activities. Our only complaint was that some key restaurants were not included but this is the only area which I believe needs to be improved.

Carried it with me 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I lived in Prague for a month and relied on this book if only for the maps. Of course, it was also quite helpful when it came to recommending English book stores! I've learned not to trust LP's judgment on food, but otherwise they're a handy source.

You can count on it 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Lonely Planet series was recommended to me, and the guide to Prague was the first one I purchased. The recommendation was right on, the guide's reputation is well deserved. Everything I needed to know is included, the places and restaurants were exactly as described, and the maps and walking tours were easy to follow.

Editorial Review:

Prague's Vlatava river contains eight islands, including Imperial Meadow, where the coronation of Wencelas II took place. This guide includes: tips on the city's best restaurants, cafes and bars; information on the city's architecture; and a Czech language section, with a practical food glossary.

German: Lonely Planet Phrasebook

Gunther Muhl, Lonely Planet Phrasebooks

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Useful but imperfect phrasebook 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Some other reviewers have rated this book poorly on the basis that it did not "save them" when they all of sudden needed a certain phrase. The problem with rating the book on that premise is that this is NOT what the book is designed to do. You use this book to learn basic phrases BEFORE you enter conversations, in most instances. From this perspective, it served me quite well as I traveled throughout Deutsch-speaking lands for 2 weeks. Granted, there are times when you might want to look up a phrase on the spot, but to think that this book is going to save you from that awkward situation is silly. You have to put some work into studying the book beforehand.

The other thing to realize is that most Germans do know English, at least the basics. And this is especially the case in tourist areas. So, yes, if you only use this book when you *need* it then you won't use it much. But some of us recognize that to know a culture is to know its language, so learning some German is not only useful but delightful.

As one person said, the sections are well-organized. I thought that the beginning tools section was excellent: it succinctly stated exactly what a traveler needs to know to form basic German sentences. I would have appreciated some more insight on verb conjugation (conversational past tenses are very easy to form), however, because otherwise you are left using un-conjugated verbs that you know will sound awkward. Still, if you're only intent is "get by" then this book serves just fine.

There are a few minor instances where the book is perhaps non-colloquial with regards to vocabulary. Germans say "Eis" in reference to ice cream, for example, not ice cubes, which is "Eiswürfel". And on one page as an example they say "Ich möchte etwas schinken, bitte," which really means "I would like something ham, please." Also, they use "könnten" in places where "können" would be better.

The above is not really a big deal. What is unfortunate, however, is that the book presents the pronunciations in "Hochdeutsch" (high German), a "proper" dialect of German that Germans don't seem to use in conversation. The best example is "ich," which means "I". Germans pronounce this close to "ish" but the phrasebook presents it as "ikh". Likewise, many words with "ch" are rendered as hard k's and not as soft ch.

I write the above two paragraphs not because I am a German expert (far from it) but because I traveled with a friend who has lived in Germany for half of his life and is near-fluent if not fluent in German. He informed me of the aforementioned errors, and even told me to just ignore the pronunciation guide in the book because it was messing me up so bad.

Another random complaint: the section on romance is ridiculously long and stupid. I can't tell if this section was put in seriously or as a joke, especially the part on sex. Either way it is largely obnoxious and nothing more.

Overall, I did like this book mainly because it is well-organized and equipped me for basic conversation.

Editorial Review:

- comprehensive two-way dictionary and easy-to-use sentence builder - pronunciation for every word - from shopping & eating to camping & football: everything the traveller needs to klatsch German-style! - includes useful culinary dictionary & insider information on language etiquette & culture

Danube: A Sentimental Journey from the Source to the Black Sea

Claude Magris

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A river of memory 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

In this fascinating journey, Magris takes us from the very -and much disputed- sources of the Danube in the Black Forest, in Southern Germany, to the mouth of the river in the Black Sea, in Romanian territory. Along the way, Magris recreates the legends, stories and historical moments of every village and city he visits. The Danube area is, of course, full of history, since most peoples who ever set foot in Europe seem to have crossed it one way or another. Princes, wars, writers, lovers, many interesting and even fascinating stories illuminate for the reader the waters of the Danube. It really makes you want to make the same trip.

It would be interesting to read an update by Magris, especially about those places who were then under Soviet rule, now that almost 20 years have passed since the publication of the book. Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslavia all pass before your eyes like a dream.

Every town and story motivates in Magris deep reflections on history, memory, the passage of time, politics, and many other subjects. Magris's prose is dense in the best sense of the term: it is rich and deep, with a poetic quality to it. Very much recommended, it discovers for us many writers from that area who seem worth to read.

Fodor's Munich & Bavaria, 1st Edition: Plus Salzburg (Fodor's Gold Guides)

Fodor's

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Oktoberfest and beer halls, fairytale castles atop green mountains, and lost-in-time medieval towns are just a few reasons why Munich and Bavaria remain Germany’s most popular areas, with 620,000 American visitors in 2006. The World Cup Championship brought the region even more attention last year. Whether travelers want great shopping or classical music in Munich, or the best hiking, boating, and skiing in the mountains and lakes of the Bavarian Alps, this easy-to-use guide has it all. Written by local experts, Fodor’s Munich & Bavaria is an insider’s key to both the sophisticated urban pleasures and the gorgeous countryside of Germany’s heart.

·CloseUp boxes focus on German beer and attending Oktoberfest, plus the best beer gardens in Munich
·The Romantic Road chapter is a complete itinerary for touring the villages, churches, and castles along this famous scenic and historic route
·Side trip to nearby Salzburg, Austria, covers the highlights of this beloved city
· “What’s Where,” “Quintessential Bavaria,” and “If You Like” sections at the front of the guide identify the main attractions and experiences
·“Top Reasons to Go” boxes at the start of each chapter make planning a snap
·Discerning dining and lodging reviews cover cozy local favorites, fine-dining picks, good-value city hotels, and idyllic mountain inns