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The Xenophobe's Guide
to the Dutch
by Rodney Bolt
A guide to understanding the Dutch that goes beyond the tulips and windmills
to reveal their real personality and peculiarities.
The
Xenophobe's Guide to the Dutch
is now available on Kindle
CLICK HERE FOR KINDLE STORE
UK
CLICK
HERE FOR
KINDLE STORE USA
| It's all in your mind | | The spirit of tolerance does constant battle with the ghost of Calvin
for control of the Dutch psyche. Few Dutch people go to church any more, but they
don't need to. Inside every Hollander's head is a little pulpit containing a preacher
with a wagging finger. |
| Going Dutch | | This is the nation that once sold scrapers for getting the last
remnants of the film of buttermilk from the inside of the bottle. The Dutch 'think
with their pockets'. Parsimony is not an embarrassment, but a virtue. |
| Culture vultures | | The Dutch are cultural magpies. They keep a beady eye on other people's
cultural trends, and are swift to snap up sparkling new fashions. This means that
rather than producing an indigenous culture, they have become voracious consumers
of everybody else's - true Europeans, whose cultural fads and fancies know no
borders. The Netherlands acts as a giant cultural sponge. |
| Double Dutch | | For the Dutch, the other side of the question is as important as the
question itself. Dialogue is the lubricant of tolerance, and the essential ingredient
of dialogue is 'Yes, but...'. |
| This guide
to the Dutch is the best book I've read about us (yes, I'm Dutch) in many years.
None of your clogs and windmills fairy tales, no boring statistics either, but
a pretty accurate insight into the Dutch Society and the Dutch ways. It's a funny
and tongue-in-cheek book, that very often had me laughing out loud and saying
things like, 'Come on, we don't do things like that!', only to realise a few seconds
later that we do. | | Amersfoort, Netherlands |
| This
book is right on the money, trust me, I am 100% Dutch. When I read this book it
makes me laugh. It is very accurate and doesn't give you the average American
impression. This book made me proud to be Dutch. |
| New York, NY and Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Must
read for anyone visiting/living in Holland. In preparation to move to Holland
I decided to get this book, it gave me a great overview of what the Dutch are
like..... my friend who has been living in Holland for 2 years was crying with
laughter: 'This is exactly what they are like!'. This is a good fun look at other
nationalities. I am going to see what the author has to say about us!!!!!! |
| London, UK |
| If I were
a cabaret artist or stand up comedian, I'd just get up and read these books to
the audience as they would bring the house down. |
| Het Parool (Holland) |
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An enlightened new series, good natured, witty and useful. The Xenophobe's Guides
to different nations deserves a real cheer. |
| The European |
Nationalism
and Identity
Character
Attitudes and Values
Happy Families
Manners
and Behaviour
Leisure and Pleasure
Drinking and Eating
Custom and
Tradition
Sense of Humour
Culture
Systems
Culture
Systems
Business and Commerce
Government
Language | |
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| Author:
Rodney
Bolt |
| Format:
96
pages, pb |
| Published:
15/07/08 |
| New
edition: |
| Price:
£4.99 |
| ISBN:
978-1-906042-28-8 |
| Online
eBook. Click on button below to sample. |
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