Denmark - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

I bought this book along with several other books for a month-long trip to Denmark. I was staying with four families that I had never met, rather than staying in hotels, and I wanted to make sure I knew the proper etiquette. I found the information in this book to be spot-on, and very helpful. This is definately the book to purchase if you want to know more about the people of Denmark.

INTRO: I recently purchased this book (pocket size) for myself as I am getting ready to visit and meet my fiance's relatives in Denmark (Danmark in dansk; DK for short). I have been trying to educate myself on what it means/feels/encompases to be Danish (important for myself and future family) and have been reading up online (wikipedia, visitdenmark - the official tourist site, etc.) and talking with friends and loved ones. This was the best book as such that I could find and understand & learn more about Danes (and their uniqueness apart from the rest of Scandinavia). AUTHOR (from the little insert prologue): Mark Salmon grew up in Ireland, is a Jurist and Educator. Has an M.A. in English Literature, and immigrated to Denmark in 1998, where he workds as a TEFL teacher specializing in Business English, and as a translator and cultural consultant. Has also traveled extensively throughout DK and Europe. CONTENT: The book is well organized (logical fashion), with a lot of information (relevant or trivia, but very contemporary) that is VERY UP TO DATE and outlined in the following chapters: 1) Land and People 2) Values and Attitudes 3) Customs and Traditions 4) Making Friends 5) The Danes at Home 6) Time Out 7) Travelling 8) Business Briefing 9) Communicating While perusing the book before buying it, there were a few things that stood out and confirmed the worth of spending the money: * very relevant and contemporary information on the CULTURE and CUSTOMS of Danes and Denmark today. * very well written prose (not infused by impression and personal opinions, but rather of concrete observations and well-rounded living experience in Danish society). * fun to read (each chapter has numerous sub-sections that are terse yet with a lot of condensed and relevant information). CONCLUSION: If you are interested in understanding the peculiar culture/life/identity of Danish or their countryland (apart from the rest of Scandinavia) shop no more. This booklet will save you money, time, and is also very entertaining. The Danes seem to have created a fairytale land for themselves. Learn how. (for my travels I'm going to supplement it with Frommer's guide, and Eyewitness Travel Guide on Danmark.