The hidden rules of English behaviour
Kate Fox
This book was given to me by an English friend who I suppose thought that I didn't 'get' the English... After living there for almost 2 years and visiting 3 times outside of that time, I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of the English people that I have come into contact with... After reading that it was confirmed... But I found it very interesting that a lot of the issues I have with English people (incessant moaning, lack of enthusiasm, more negative words used then positive) have all been chalked up to humour in this book rather then basic negative attitudes... Also the need for social lubricant (alcohol) to ease the English out from their awkward inept ability to communicate and interact with other humans was examined and condoned... Those points I found interesting, in an otherwise long winded, dry book that could have easily been a third of the length...
This book could be of help in ways if you were planning on travelling over to England, but it would probably turn you right off... I did see some (what could have been had I not already lived there) valuable information about work enthusiasm, or general enthusiasm, sexual openness etc, which I found very interesting reactions to while I lived there...
There were also loads of sweeping judgements about the north v south, class culture, workplaces etc, which I struggled to deal with... What I was looking for more then the obvious statements, was a reason for these cultural eccentricities, but unfortunately this book couldn't provide that insight...
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