Cultureshock! Argentina: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

Very helpful crash course in Argentinean culture before a vacation there. A lot of the information centers on Buenos Aires, but that's where most readers would probably be. We were in the wine country (Mendoza area) and it was somewhat less applicable (not much tango, people look more ordinary than the conveyed endless stream of preternatural and surgically enhanced beauties dressed in the latest haute couture), but still a lot of fantastic tips on what to expect.

This is a useful and interesting book to read (or even peruse) if you are considering visiting Argentina. I recently returned from 9 days in Buenos Aires, and the book provided a good discussion of the country's culture, behavior and attitudes such that I felt that much more comfortable during my visit. My only adverse comment is that the author kind of over-romanticizes the subject matter a bit at times (although that is a result of an enthusiastic writer) and thus should be consulted in tandem with other materials on Argentina.

This 250+ page book had me glued. Generally, I don't read enthusiastically as I get distracted or bored during the process. I finished this in 3 days which for me, is miraculous. Fiona offers practical advice and her style is written in a way that it feels as if she's talking to you about the customs, scenery, people, do's and don't, traditions, history, and idiosyncracies of Argentina. I really appreciated statistics, detailed yet undaunting explanations of aspects of Argentine culture. As I'm heading to Argentina, this book has me so excited about my trip, I find myself restless, hyper, and filled with excitement like a "trasnochador."Although you may need tour guides for specifics (such as for hotel bookings), this is a great supplemental guide on Buenos Aires and Argentina to give you an overall feel of the climate of this great country.The sense of humor, seriousness, usefulness, and fun within the pages of this book makes this the best travel guide I've ever read.

My husband and I recently took a trip to Argentina, reading this book before we went, and bringing it along to reference while we were there. With the obvious exception of economic information (the economic crisis there wasn't in full swing until after this book was published), the information presented was dead on. Because of it, we were way ahead of the game in terms of understanding the local customs, habits, and manners, and we felt much more at ease in this new environment than many of our fellow travellers did. The book is written in a clear and amusing way, making the fascinating Argentinian culture acessable to all. One would expect a certian amount of the information to be out of date, but even so it seemed pretty accurate, right down to some of the popular rock musicians. A must read for anyone planning on a trip there!