Chile

When I found out I was hired as a teacher in Chile I decided to research the country a bit before I came. My friend recommended this series. It's a light read, I quickly read it cover to cover. Some of it seems a bit outlandish, until you come to Chile. Everything I read in the book (especially on the subject of the regalon...being a teacher and all) has been true. It is incredible. This book clarified and prevented many cultural mishaps. I highly recommend this book if you intend to work or travel extensively in Chile.

We lived with an Exchange Student from Chile this year. So many pages of this book had me thinking "So, that's why....." It answered many questions I didn't even know to ask.

As an anthropologist and long-time resident of Chile, I strongly recommend this book to anyone who plans to spend time here. In fact, I've made it required reading in a 'culture course' I teach for North American university students here in Chile. This book is not another travel guide, but rather an insightful and very accessible look into the intracacies of Chilean culture. A quick look through the table of contents shows its range of topics, and the Cultural Quiz at the end is a must!

I was very lucky to have the opportunity to read this book. Being a Chilean myself, it was very interesting to learn about the way foreigners see us, particularly after living in the US for a couple of years. It is impressive how accurate the facts are, and the way they are presented is quite entertaining. I was very surprised to know that the authors were not native Chilean. My American fiancé bought this book in an attempt to understand me better, gain knowledge about my country, and to lean about traditions and customs of my people and society. He could not have gotten something better for this purpose. I think he now understands more about many of the things I do or the way I am. He has never been in Chile (yet), but I think that after reading the book things will make more sense, and it is an excellent guide to the daily life in that part of the world. I would recommend to start reading another section different from chapter one, which is the most difficult to read, particularly for somebody who is not familiar with Chile, and is planning to go there.

What a find! Being the child of a Chilean-American couple, I've spent a lot of time learning about the 'everyday life' and culture of Chile- although I readily confess to not being an expert. Reading this book was like a light bulb going on over my head! All of the sudden I understood a lot of things I'd noted on my visits with my father's family, but never really understood (like why they call turtlenecks Beatles!) I highly recommend this book to anyone who will be spending a lot of time in Chile. I've given it to my new husband to read, so he'll have a better understanding of the country when we go visit. Its a truly great resource!