Brazil - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

By Sandra Branco and Rob Williams

Book Overview

For many people Brazil conjures up images of football, Carnaval and fine coffee, but it is much more than beaches and bossa nova. If you could choose only one word to describe Brazil, it would be diversity. The variety of racial types, lifestyles, wealth, landscape and climate is enormous. Jeitinho is the Brazilian means of dealing creatively with life's everyday complications. Literally translated as a "little way", in practice it means that regardless of the rules or systems in place, where there is a will there has to be a way around them. The jeitinho is so ingrained in daily life that you can see examples everywhere; managing to get a seat when all the places are booked up, traveling with more luggage than is allowed or successfully ordering something that is not on the restaurant menu. Culture Smart Brazil is a concise guide to understanding the Brazilian people and illuminating the complexities of their national identity. Familiarise yourself with their customs, traditions and culture and experience Brazil authentically.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1857336895
• ISBN13: 9781857336894
• Release Date: April 2014
• Publisher: Kuperard
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.4" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

Brazil- Culture Smart: the essencial guide to customs & culture

I recommend this little book to businesspeople and all who want a concise but complete overview of Brazilian customs and culture. It is very good. One comment: in the chapter Business Briefing, it is said that "it is better to be more formal and use titles (Senhor, Doutor, etc) accompanied by the (Brazilian's) last surname". But actually in Brazil we use the titles (Senhor, Seu, Doutor, etc)followed by their first name. Example: Doutor Jorge, Seu Antonio, etc). This is a formal way to address a person in Brazil. One can use the title followed by the last surname (as the book suggests) only when the person is already known by their last surname (which in many cases is used almost like a nickname). Example: If the name of the person is Fernando Figueiredo but he is known as Figueiredo, so you could call him Seu Figueiredo (if you want to be formal). Confused? My advice: Observe how other Brazilians address the person you are talking with, (but do not forget to consider the hierarchical status of all involved). Dr. Virginia Pearson Cross-Cultural facilitator Ph.D. in Cross-Cultural Psychology and International Management (...)

Fascinating insights

This book is making preparation for visiting this amazing country very thorough. An easy read and filled with useful tips.