What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A To Z
Subtitle: How to understand crazy American culture, people, govenment, business, language and more
By Lance Johnson
ISBN: 9781468172362
Author's Web site: http://AmericaAtoZ.com
Available as e-book and paperback on Amazon and on Amazon worlwide and at Vroman's Pasadena, CA,  and other fine bookstores

 

Book Review

Reviewed by Alice D. originally for Readers Favorite

Knowledgeable author Lance Johnson has written "What Foreigners Need to Know about America from A to Z", primarily to help the foreign-born visitor or immigrant to function effectively and easily in the United States. There are four sections to this invaluable reference tool: American Heritage, American Culture, American Business and American Language. The twenty-six chapters which comprise these four sections tell in detail of how the United States is a country of diversity and change. The author states correctly, over and over, that countries of the world must learn about each other's culture and that citizens of the United States must understand that the world is uncomfortable with our dominance in economics and our political outreach. People around the world see us as not caring about other countries, and conclude that we come off as self-righteous and having a superiority complex in world affairs. However, citizens of the United States are honest, fair, kind and grateful as expressed in our actions which appeal to other countries of the world.

"What Foreigners Need to Know about American from A to Z" should be given to every person immigrating to or even just visiting this country. Author Lance Johnson is well-versed in world-wide protocols and tells of how WalMart has to close down its stores in Germany as it didn't research how to serve German customers. The author tells of how to participate in many everyday things in the United States but also reminds the reader that flashing the soles of your feet in Thailand is a big "no-no" and that in Bulgaria head nods of "yes" and "no" are the opposite of ours in the United States. The author gives lengthy descriptions in the sections on American business and American language, making "What Foreigners need to Know about America from A to Z" useful for anyone, including Americans themselves. The table of contents, the quizes, the many lists of interesting facts, and the accompanying colored photographs make this book one that should be available worldwide. It is a gem and treasure trove of valuable information that will help the foreign-born and American-born navigate their world without making serious or offensive mistakes.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Donna M. McDine Reviews New Helpful Book for Emigrants

This is a New Book Review first! I've never run interviews before, partially because I worry about getting reliable permission from both the interviewer and the author to reprint/repost them, so this is a trial. I'd also like to know how it's received by my New Book Review subscribers. So leave comments. Let me know what you think. I liked this review because it isn't canned--it truly has a personal touch.

Interview of Lance Johnson, author of What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A ToZ: How ToUnderstand Crazy American culture, people, government, business, language and more by Donna M. McDine

“Lance, I am in awe of your vast accomplishments. I’ve spent quite a bit of time learning about you through your website at www.AmericaAtoZ.com . I’d like to transform myself into a “pocket person” and experience your travels first hand. I’m delighted to interview you and to have an opportunity to introduce you to my blog readers and network of colleagues. Welcome!

 

DMc: The creation of your book, What ForeignersNeed to Know About America from A to Z: How to understand crazy Americanculture, people, government, business, language and more came from your love of America and extensive travels throughout the world. Please share why you feel your book is the perfect guide in understanding American culture.

 

LJ: As I point out in the book’s intro, I’ve been in 81 countries, taught overseas, and experienced firsthand the difficulties my immigrant friends in the US have understanding our crazy culture. I’m not sure there’s a perfect guide that you refer to above because it is such a broad complex topic. But I’ve simplified it with 26 fundamental chapters. For example, the chapters on grammar and speech simply address the errors commonly made by foreigners and how they can overcome them…I keep it simple and the language easy and fun.

 

DMc: One of your travel tips abroad is to ask people “what they would like to know about America that they were always afraid of asking for fear of offending.” What is the most common question, the most unusual?

 

LJ: Oh boy, that really varies. For example, when I taught Chinese teachers of English near Shanghai using my book as a text, the chapter on religion brought the most interest. This is not surprising, given China’s opposition to religions. Next in line was the chapter on film and the movie stars they knew a lot about.

 

A German couple wanted to know why we all get along so well here, given our various minorities. I explained that we didn’t do well at it, then we analyzed why they had that perception. A common question is about our food and table manners, a topic discussed in an entire chapter on food and dining. I think the most revealing questions come from foreigners who probably know more about what is going on in Washington than the average American. I recently met an Italian and his wife who surprised me with endless questions and observations about Obama, Romney, and our government, which reveals foreigners are indeed aware of what is happening here; they wanted my comments on their comments. That is why I have an entire chapter on government.

 

As a side note on this topic, throughout the book I stress the importance of free speech, individual rights, and religious freedom that are chiseled in the cornerstone of our society, which in turn define how we behave. Because of the recent crudely-produced video that incited Muslim hate of America, it comes as no surprise because in those countries they are told what they can do and say. Thus, it is my guess they think our government and people support saying bad things about their religion, which of course is not true. They don’t realize this was one man’s film and the expression of his opinion, and that in America we are free to express our opinions. (In Thailand I learned that expressing negative comments about the king can land you in jail.)

 

As I’ve learned in all my travels, if America were a business, it would need a better public relations department…we‘re continually fighting a bad image, another topic in my book. It has an entire chapter on what foreigners think about America, and in many cases they say the same thing: from their firsthand knowledge, America is not as bad as most foreigners think.

 

DMc: What, if any was your biggest obstacle in writing and publishing What Foreigners Need to Know About America from A to Z?

 

LJ: This is easy. I wasn’t sure the book would ever be published. Halfway through the 24-month writing process, I started sending queries to literary agents and publishers around the world. The response was generally the same: There’s never been a book like this so there’s not a need for it. Finally, a foreign agent for all the big publishers in the US said he wanted rights to it. I signed a contract and he found a publisher who gave me an advance. Lesson: follow your own North Star and keep plugging away.

 

DMc: What has been your most exhilarating travel experience?

 

LJ: “Exhilarating” has multiple connotations, including frightening/exciting/stimulating. Frightening: Last year on a cruise ship from Singapore through the Suez Canal to Rome, as we approached Yemen and the Red Sea, we had to close our curtains a night and the ship ran without outdoor lights because of pirate activity in that area. During the day the captain spotted suspicious ships nearing us and broadcast an alert. Also, during the day we saw an armada of battle ships from different countries along the shipping lanes, which gave us some comfort. Exciting: I’ve traveled the Panama Canal multiple times and still marvel at this engineering wonder that is 100 years old and still working as designed. Stimulating: Visiting Israel, walking where Christ did, witnessing all the Biblical sights that I learned about as a youngster, and learning firsthand that Israel is much less the monster portrayed in the press regarding Arabs there. Like the US, they need a better PR Dept.

 

DMc: What’s next?

 

LJ: Would love to take the Orient Express, travel the Silk Road, and take the train across scenic Canada and write about that. (As an actor, I did some filming in Kunming, China, the exit from the Silk Road.) In my travels I send a travelogue to my friends with pictures and brief daily commentaries. In the last one when I sailed from Australia to San Francisco, this was the closing comment I made: “I’ve now been in 81 countries on 6 continents, but the more I travel the more I realize how little I know about the world and all that inhabits it, including peoples, cultures, vegetation, wildlife, and geology. What an eye opener it is to travel. If I were the Creator of Earth, I wouldn’t change a thing. What a magnificent place, and we’d better darn well take better care of it. This is also what astronauts say as they view Earth as a tiny speck cradling mankind. LJ”

 

I also point this out in the book’s intro:  With all of our cultural differences though, you’ll be surprised to learn how much our countries—and we as human beings—have in common on this third rock from the sun called Planet Earth. After all, the song played at our Disneyland parks around the world is “It’s A Small World After All.”

 

DMc: A signature request I like to ask every author, illustrator, editor, etc., I interview is for the individual to share with us a tidbit from their lives that the reader will find either humorous or surprising. Lance, can you please share one with us?

 

LJ: Perhaps the most surprising thing related to my book was receiving endorsements from the US Ambassador to China and the ambassadors to the US from China and Singapore in response to my requests for them. As my grandfather taught me ages ago: You’ll never know if you don’t try, will you?

 

Lance, thanks for taking the time out to chat with me. I’ve enjoyed getting to you know you! Best wishes for your continued success.

 

Interviewer bio: Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78^th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions, Literary Classics Silver Award & Seal of Approval Recipient Picture Book Early Reader, Readers Favorite 2012 Honorable Mention, Global eBook Awards Finalist Children’s Picture Book Fiction, and Preditors & Editors Readers Poll 2010 Top Ten Children’s Books ~ The Golden Pathway.

Her stories, articles, and book reviews have been published in over 100 print and online publications. Her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Donna has four more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, Hockey Agony, Powder Monkey, A Sandy Grave, and Dee and Deb, Off They Go. She writes, moms and is the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids and owner of Author PR Services from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the Children’s Literature Network, Family Reading Partnership, and SCBWI. Visit www.donnamcdine.com and www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com.

 

Buy Information:

Learn more about Lance Johnson at www.howtodoitfrugally.com/A_to_Z.htm. His book is available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/ForeignersAmericaUs in the US and on other Amazon online bookstores worldwide.

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Dave Menefee Gives Thumbs Up to Reference for Emigrants

Title: What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A to Z

Subtitle: How to understand crazy American culture, people, government, business, language, and more

Author: Lance Johnson

Available on Amazon and on Amazon sites worldwide

Available as an e-book.

Author's Web site:  http://AmericaAtoZ.com   

 

 

 

Reviewed by Dave Menefee, originally for Book Pleasures.com and Amazon

 

Every person living in America should be required to study this book.

The divides separating ages, cultures, religions, and races could largely be eliminated and a Utopian civilization could be finally achieved if we simply understood each other, but we’re not all working off the same page. Lance Johnson has produced the ultimate guide for bringing about a universal understanding between the millions of people living, working, and loving inside the United States.

Nothing could be worse than nudging a naïve neophyte into the magnificent melting pot known as America. This book could be their salvation, but beware of the misleading title. You might think that What Foreigners Need to Know About America from A to Z contains nothing but factoids for foreigners, but you need look no further than yourself and those within your intimate circle of friends to realize that our entire population today woefully lacks a perception of etiquette, knowledge of this country’s heritage, awareness of culture, know-how about business, and comprehension of language. We need alertness to TLC: Tradition, Legacy, and Custom. This monumental book holds the missing key to collective comprehension.

The 566-page book weighs as much as a big city telephone book, and you cannot absorb the whole in one reading (I tried), but thankfully, Johnson has divided the digest into four sections:

America’s Heritage: the dreams that immigrants brought from the four winds, and the government, geography, history, law, religions, and measurements that resulted.

America’s Culture: our customs and etiquette, education, relationships, literature, films, art, sports, food and dining, dress and appearance, media, holidays and traditions, and attitudes.

America’s Business: models, unions, banking, customs and conduct, owning a business, how to get a job, and paying taxes.

America’s Language: how to talk and write correcting, slang, and tonality.

Back matter contains appendices for:

•  Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
• Colleges with Largest Percentage of International Students
• Sample Income Tax Form 1040
• Pulitzer Prize-winning books
• Academy Awards for Best Picture
• The Famous 1897 New York Sun article “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Clause”
• A list of the current 50 United States
• A comprehensive 100-question Quiz on US Government

 You might wonder what the above topics have to do with understanding Americans, but these subjects fuse together the follies, foibles, and fundamentals that formed this country. The author profusely illustrates his text with more than 650 photos, maps, charts, and illustrations. His writing style embraces excellent grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling. Each of the four main sections is also available as a separate paperback edition. Those Volumes 1-4 allow a reader to hone in on areas they may feel that they most need to study, but the huge multi-volume edition can be found in both paperback and Kindle book editions. Study remains the keyword here, because the author outlays everything everyone needs to learn about living, working, socializing, and doing business in America. A comprehensive Index makes referring back to some detail a snap. Throughout the book, the author interjects "hints" that offer his personal pointers about how to further understand a given topic, not unlike having your best friend nudge you and whisper a tip that completely clarifies your understanding.

The book should be the last course all high school students must pass before graduating, compulsory for earning a college diploma, mandatory for every management trainee, and a required refresher for all senior citizens before beginning to collect Social Security. Our nation would be vastly improved if all adults were following the same guiding principles.

What Foreigners Need to Know About America from A to Z pulls together between two covers a richly researched, all-inclusive panorama of America’s heritage, culture, business, and language. If this country ever ceases to exist, I hope this book survives as a testament to the truth that there was once a land where life’s leading lights shown at their brightest on a candelabra forged from the iron of the ages. Until that dark day, Lance Johnson has provided us with a workbook for winning that has been struck from those same elements and should be on your gift list for friends setting up in America for the first time, any student emerging from the classroom into the jungle of life, and all the rest of us who have forgotten the beauty of the forest because of the tangle of trees.

Lance Johnson has an Ivy League graduate business degree and has studied at Oxford University in England. He has traveled through 81 countries, served as manager of an international consulting firm, and appeared in many movies, stage plays, and commercials.

~Reviewer David W. Menefee is the author of

Can't Help Falling in Love

Secret Soldier Master of Disguise
Sweet Memories

Sarah Bernhardt, Her Films, Her Recordings (Foreword by Kevin Brownlow)Wally: The True Wallace Reid Story (Foreword by Robert Osborne)

The Rise and Fall of Lou-Tellegen

Richard Barthelmess: A Life in Pictures

The First Female Stars: Women of the Silent Era

The First Male Stars: Men of the Silent Era

Brothers of the Storm

"Otay!" The Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas Story (with William Thomas, Jr.)

Charlie O’Doone’s Second Chance

Margot Cranston The Voice in the Shadows

Margot Cranston The Secret of St. Laurent Lighthouse

Margot Cranston The Mystery at Loon Lake

Margot Cranston The Quest for the Jade DragonsFalling Stars 10 Who Tried to be a Movie Star

George O'Brien: A Man's Man in Hollywood
A Craving for Travel II  (with Jim Strong)

How to Write, Format, and Market a Kindlebook on a Shoestring Budget

Menefee's newly released book, Master of Disguise, is about secret soldier Isador Messing who lives up to the title of the book. Terror strikes when Hitler's SS troops arrest Messing's fiancé on the day they plan to escape Nazi occupied Berlin. Alone and stoic in the face of utter malevolence, he launches a bold, daring, and desperate plan to liberate her. Can the remarkable Mr. Messing's one-man army triumph against all odds and win in a war-torn world gone mad?This book is also available on Kindle.

 

Editor's Note: The separate sections of What Foreigners Need to Know are  also available for those who want to focus on one aspect of this reference, like accent reduction and grammar or culture.  

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Award-Winning Author Reviews Nonfiction Book on Culture

Title: What Foreigners Need to Know About America from A to Z

Written by: Lance Johnson

Pages: 614

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

ISBN-13: 9781468172362

Published: June 2012

Reviewed by Donna McDine

Whether you are a world traveler or not Lance Johnson’s book, What Foreigners Need to Know About America from A to Z provides an insightful first person account of his extensive world travels and experience. Cultures across our vast world often times clash because of our diverse differences and lack of understanding of one another’s customs.

Through Johnson’s willingness and openness to communicate with people throughout the world he begins with a direct and simple question, “What would you like to know about America you were always afraid of asking for fear of offending?” Intuitive conversation ensued practically every time, providing an inspiring opportunity for Johnson to learn about cultures outside his own as well as explaining American culture. Intrigued by the misconceptions foreigners have of America whether abroad or in their own travels to the United States, Johnson documented his extensive conversations resulting in the compilation of What Foreigners Need to Know About America from A to Z.

Lance Johnson’s one-on-one conversational writing style welcomes the reader from the onset. A natural born teacher, Johnson does not preach and keeps it simple with real life examples how the American culture operates. What Foreigners Need to Know About America from A to Z goes well beyond the misdemeanor of personal culture. For to understanding all the components of this extensive guide will educate the reader well beyond their expectations, creating an opportunity to simulate into American culture seamlessly.

What Foreigners Need to Know About America from A to Z is the perfect guide that does not need to be read from start to finish, but rather consumed by section of interest. Get your pen, paper, and highlighter ready for I’m sure any reader will make their own notations, highlight and earmark the pages for future reference for years to come.

About The Reviewer: 

Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78^th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions, Literary Classics Silver Award & Seal of Approval Recipient Picture Book Early Reader, Global eBook Awards Finalist Children’s Picture Book Fiction, and Preditors & Editors Readers Poll 2010 Top Ten Children’s Books ~ The Golden Pathway.

Her interest in history resulted in writing and publishing Powder Monkey. Donna has three more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, Hockey Agony, A Sandy Grave, and Dee and Deb, Off They Go. She writes, moms, and is the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids and owner of Author PR Services from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the SCBWI, Children’s Literature Network, and Family Reading Partnership. Visit www.donnamcdine.com.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Award-Winning Novelist Reviews Book Aimed at Emigrants and Foreigners

What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A To Z
Subtitle: How to Understand Crazy American Culture, People, Government, Business, Language and More
By Lance Johnson
Author's Web Site
Amazon  Paperback: http://Amzn.to/ForeignersAmericaUS

 

 

Reviewed by Leora Skolkin Smith originally for Amazon

As the daughter of a foreign-born mother who had to struggle to assimilate into American culture, reading Lance Johnson's book was an occasion for me to rejoice. Literate but accessible and undidactic, it defines American icons and expressions while providing brass tacks definitions and down-to-earth suggestions.

It's sometimes hard for Americans to realize that our culture needs to be demystified and made available to others without stress and/or giving them a feeling of remaining a perpetual outsider. Lance Johnson invites everyone to enjoy and penetrate some of the unique American mysteries we take for granted. A spectacular, important book and a toolbox full of relevant resources for all.

 

About the Reviewer:

Leora Skolkin-Smith’s first published novel, EDGES was edited and published by the late Grace Paley for Ms. Paley's own imprint at Glad Day books. EDGES was nominated for the 2006 PEN/Faulkner Award by Grace Paley. Recently, her novels were selected by Princeton University as part of a series on women writers whose background is from the Middle East and whose work is personal, reflecting the current diaspora. The Princeton Series in funded by The National Endowment of the Humanities and called: "The Fertile Crescent Moon Series."

THE FRAGILE MISTRESS, a feature film based on EDGES, is currently in pre-production, scheduled to begin shooting on location in Jerusalem, Jordan, and New York, produced by Triboro Pictures, directed by Michael Gunther. http://www.thefragilemistress.com  

Articles by Leora Skolkin-Smith have appeared in The Washington Post, Psychology Today, The National Book Critic’s Circle, “Critical Mass”, “Readysteadybook.com”, the Quarterly Review and others. Learn more about her at http://leoraskolkinsmith.com

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Mindy Lawrence Gives Helpful Book for Emigrants Five Stars

What Foreigners Need to Know About America From A to Z

Subtitle: How to Understand Crazy American Culture, People, Government, Business, Language and More
By Lance JohnsonAuthor's Web Site Paperback available on Amazon and Amazon Spain, Germany, France, Austria, and UK
Five-Star Review

By

Mindy Lawrence "Writer, editor, publicist" (Springfield, MO USA)

This review is from: Mindy Lawrence, originally for Amazon

What Foreigners Need to Know About America from A to Z by Lance Johnson, a second generation United States citizen, has so much information in its 614 pages that anyone coming to our shores should find what they need to prevent cultural gaffs and language boo boos. They can discover ways to find jobs, open businesses and make friends in their new country, America.

Johnson is a world traveler. He knows what it's like to get along in other cultures. It was his travel, and the comments from those wanting to move to the United States, which made him notice what an important resource What Foreigners Need to Know could be. He has done the world a great service by the wonderful compilation of information he has gathered in this book to help others find their way around.

The paperback is divided into four sections:

* Section One: America's Heritage: the historical background of why America became what it is today - government, the American Dream, standard of living, etc.

* Section Two: America's Culture: How we conduct our live - etiquette, literature, movies and much more.

* Section Three: America's Business: Our business environment, customs and operations.

* Section Four: America's Language: Practical ways to improve English grammar, usage, writing, speech and communications skills. How not to embarrass yourself using an incorrect word.

Each one of these sections may be read individually or as the need arises. However, the entire book is so well thought out that I can't see why anyone would want to skip over anything Johnson has put together.

People moving to America have needed a book like this for many years. Thankfully, it has arrived.

~Learn more about the author, a world traveler, teacher, actor, and playwright. This book was adapted from a book published by Oriental Press in simplified Chinese in China by Oriental Press.  Watch for a new translation published in Brazil in Portuguese.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Major Reference Important for ESL Students and US Emmigrants

What America Needs To Know About America From A To Z

Subtitle: How To Understand Crazy American Culture, People, Government, Business, Language and More

By Lance Johnson

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/What-Foreigners-Need-About-America/dp/1468172360/

Author's Web site: http://howtodoitfrugally.com/A_to_Z.htm

Author's E-mail: info@AmericaAtoZ.com

ISBN: 978-1468172362

 

Endorsed by U.S. and foreign ambassadors and editors, this new book paints a revealing picture of America and its people for those foreigners who will benefit from a better understanding of America. It will also inform Americans who want to learn more about the U.S. and how it compares to other countries around the world.

World traveler and teacher Lance Johnson studies cultural differences and the difficulties foreigners (even Americans!) have understanding crazy America, as some call it. Foreigners might come to the U.S. to work for American employers, to open branch offices or factories for their homeland employers, to start their own businesses (100's of thousands do each year), go to school (1 million a year do), or just move here (500 thousand do yearly). Others might work for American organizations in their homelands or have American teachers there. An understanding of American culture and language without question will contribute to their success.

For this book “foreigners” are defined as anyone who is not sufficiently familiar with American culture to achieve success. This includes the multitudes of foreign-born, naturalized citizens who have lived in the U.S. for years and still struggle with the ways and the language. A foreigner could also be a first-generation American whose immigrant parents did not fully expose their children to American culture and they now pay the price in mainstream U.S. There are lots of other examples, too.  Throw in foreign students, those who would like to become foreign students, those who would like to open a business in the US or do business with Americans--either in the US or oversease, and you have a very wide audience indeed. The language chapter has special value for ESL (English as Second Language) students everywhere.

Each of the 26 chapters’ brush strokes contributes to the final painting of what America is all about. For ease of understanding, the chapters are grouped into four sections. (The sections are available as individual books as well.)

•Section I – America's Heritage - The historical background of why America and its people became who and what they are today.

•Section II – America's Culture - Everyday life in America, ranging from customs and etiquette, to what’s on the minds of Americans, to education and personal relationships.

•Section III – America's Business - The complex business environment, operations, and people-related customs. How to start a business of your own in the U.S. How to increase the chances of getting hired by an American firm in the U.S. or abroad.

•Section IV – America's Language - The number one problem area foreigners say they have with American culture. Easy, practical ways to improve English grammar, speech, writing, communication skills, and accent reduction. Common English grammar and speech errors made by foreigners are identified and simple tips are provided for overcoming them.

This book is also in paperback in Europe and Asia at:  

 

Austria - 

  

 http://www.amazon.de/What-Foreigners-Need-About-America/dp/1468172360/

 

Canada  -

http://www.amazon.ca/What-Foreigners-Need-About- 

America/dp/1468172360/

 

France -

http://www.amazon.fr/What-Foreigners-Need-About-

America/dp/1468172360/

 

Germany -

http://www.amazon.de/What-Foreigners-Need-About-

America/dp/1468172360/

 

Italy -

http://www.amazon.it/What-Foreigners-Need-About-

America/dp/1468172360/

 

Japan -

http://www.amazon.co.jp/What-Foreigners-Need-About-

America/dp/1468172360/

Spain - 

 

http://www.amazon.es/What-Foreigners-Need-About- 

America/dp/1468172360/

 

United Kingdom -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Foreigners-Need-About-

America/dp/1468172360/

United States -

http://amzn.to/ForeignersAmericaUS

It is also available in Chine from Oriental Press in simplified Chinese.

For those with special needs or interests,
the sections of this book
are also available separately:

Book 1 - America's Heritage
Find it on Amazon at http://bit.ly/AmericasHeritageBook1
Book 2 - America's Culture
Find it on Amazon at
http://bit.ly/AmericasCultureBook2
Book 3 - America's Business
Find it on Amazon at
http://bit.ly/AmericasBusinessBook3
Book 4 - America's Language
Find it on Amazon at
http://bit.ly/AmericasLanguageBook4
The above volumes are also available on Amazon in Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

     

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Book for Writers, Linguists, Anthropolgists and Lovers of Language

Euphemania
Subtitle: Our love affair with euphemisms
By Ralph Keyes
Little Brown and Co.
ISBN: 9780316056564
Nonfiction/ (Writing/Language)
Contact Reviewer: hojoreviews@aol.com

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson originally for MyShelf.com

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If you don’t love language, it’s a good bet you aren’t a writer. But if you’re a writer, reading more about language (linguistics (?)) may not be high on your list of priorities. It’s so integral to the way you think, you believe you don’t need it.

I believe that Euphemania by Ralph Keyes will change your mind. Written with humor (because euphemisms are just naturally funny?) this book will certainly entertain. If you’ve ever wondered about the intricacies of our euphemisms—the origins as an example—this is the book for you. But who would have guessed that it also might be the perfect book to hone the skills of writers of dialogue and humor?

Academic writers? Use it as a quick-study on how to write a book that will sell to a wide market. The secret? Voice. Humor. Colloquialisms. Yep, and euphemisms. A book does not have to have the lack of moisture content (dry!) of a text book to be a textbook. I know about academic expectations. My daughter is a Ph.D. candidate. She explains it to me all the time. Having said that, if you’d like to actually sell something rather than giving everything away to unappreciative academic journals, try rewriting your brilliant theory for the general public!

Anthropologists and linguists will love this book, too. But mostly, it’s just fun learning why we use asterisks for words like sh*t and the euphemisms like the f-word. It’s also tons of fun to identify phrases we’ve stopped thinking of as euphemisms (love handles, anyone?), just because they are so part of our everyday language.

If I were rating this book for an Amazon review, it would give it a true (not a fake) five-star rating. For usefulness. For fun. For the love of language.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

A Book On Spelling? There's Nothing Like It Except Maybe Library Edition Dictionaries...

...and most of us--even those of us who love etyomology--aren't that crazy about reading dictionaries. That is part of it. The other is the getting of the history of words with a dictionary is haphazard at best.

Along comes Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling. I know of no other book quite like it. I love June Casagrande's Mortal Syntax: 101 Language Choices That Will Get You Clobbered by the Grammar Snobs--Even If You're Right and Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite and even Lynn Truss's British hardass take on punctuation, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. I remember reading a book on the origins of the alphabet back in the early 60s. This, however, is the only one I know that capsulates the history of spelling (more or less).

I found it funny and disturbing. (I don't suppose one expects a book on spelling to be disturbing.) But take the word "e-mail." As an editor I've been fighting to keep the hyphen because the word is short for electronic mail and the hyphen preserves that origin. There! There on the cover is "e-mail" spelled "email." Guess I'm fighting a losing battle. Which, after all, is the point of this book.

Don't let the fact that you now know the point keep you from reading it. If you love words and history, you'll be entertained.

Thank you, David Wolman.

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Reviewed for Amazon by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the award-winning Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.