The Xenophobe's Guide to the Poles

Everything you need to know about Poles is contained in this book in the nutshell: plenty of useful information but with lots of humor. It is concise in format (pocket size) yet very informative. The author is a critical but gifted observer of Polish life from the outside (British) perspective. She likes Poles with all their good and bad habits. This outside perspective and the ability of comparing Polish and British habits is definitively very helpful. I recommend it to everybody who wants to understand deeper Polish tradition and culture, who has family or friends of Polish origin or who wants to visit Poland soon. Without doubts I give it a straight "A".

The book is short enough to be read in one sitting yet it is not simplistic. The humor keeps the narrative going and the insights into Polish life are from one who obviously knows the people yet has an outsider's (English)grasp of 'foreigners' habits and ways. Excellent book and I have subsequently read some others in the series and they too were high quality!