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Give it five Michelin stars for both nourishing the mind and charming the heart. Its flavors are bold; its presentation is stylish and colorful. Au Contraire! is the culture book on the French that Americans have been waiting for. - George Simons, Diversophy International The authors provide comparative information on French and American educational systems that is not available in the other French culture books I have read. The organization of the sections helps the readers focus on a particular area. The flow of the writing will keep them interested, even if they are not familiar with the topic area. Au Contraire! will become the book many people will rely on for understanding French culture for years to come. - Thomas DeLaine, Jr., former French Culture Guide at About.com A whole-picture view of French and American cultures. The pictures painted are detailed and colorful enough to help any business manager or traveler, on either side of the Atlantic, understand why we are the way we are--both Americans and French...a very useful tool for all managers confronted with the management of cross-cultural issues.
What makes the French so...well, French? As a culture, the French are fiercely independent yet seductively romantic, deeply conservative yet avant-garde, dispassionately rational yet dramatically emotional. For anyone involved in interactions with the French, whether in business or government, as a student or armchair devotee of crossing cultures, Au Contraire! unearths the often invisible cultural forces that govern behavior. Gilles Asselin and Ruth Mastron draw on their front-line experience as consultants, trainers and expatriate practitioners living and working in both countries, and on their research of dozens of professionals to offer the best and most useful analysis and advice on French-American intercultural relations. Going beyond the obvious, this bilingual and bicultural author team explores what lies behind what we see: the assumptions, attitudes, beliefs, values and patterns of thought of both cultures. In a global world filled with international mergers and partnerships, Au Contraire! provides context and perspective on what happens when French and American people come together, at work, at home and in many other social settings; it addresses such issues as education and play, friendship and romance, politics and education. In an in-depth case study of how pharmaceutical giant Rhône-Poulenc Rorer overcame challenges to foster cross-cultural teamwork, the authors take a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of working and managing across the French and American cultural divide. With professional guidelines for expatriate managers working in the United States or in France and a quick and useful guide to social behavior and etiquette in France, Au Contraire! provides the critical tools to effectively develop creative and appropriate responses to any situation, based on a deep understanding of the dynamics of these two cultures.
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