Teach Yourself French Language, Life, and Culture

By Celia Dixie

Both Teach Yourself Portuguese Language, Life, and Culture and Teach Yourself Russian Language, Life, and Culture delve into the customs and ways of their featured countries and their inhabitants,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0658009079
• ISBN13: 9780658009075
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.9" x 0.7" x 5.2"

Customer Reviews

Decent book

This is a decent book that covers French culture. It is a bit more broad. Less specific about certain aspects of France and its culture. Not very academic but also not really helpful for anyone who plans to visit France. This book is more of a general overview of French culture. I suggest Sally Adamson Taylor's CULTURE SHOCK FRANCE.

Nice introduction to France

Seldom can I walk into a bookstore and find just the book I am looking for when I don't have a title in mind to ask for. However, this book was it. I didn't want a language course and I didn't want a travel guide, nor did I want a book about Napoleon or recent French politics. Staff always seem confused when you say 'no' to the above. I found the book almost by accident. I read it from cover to cover as if it were a novel. It is an excellent blend of facts, anecdotes, humour, language and reference information. Celia Dixie has done well with this most excellent introduction to France. One point about domestic tasks, pages 240-241: do French women help with maintaining the car? fixing the roof? cleaning the gutters? mowing the lawn? removing the burglars? etc

The people, places and things behind the news...

While no one volume can encapsulate the culture of any nation, Celia Dixie's work will go a long way towards explaining the signifigance and meaning of the people, places and things which are constantly referred to in French news reports. If you like to read and/or listen to the wide array of French news available on the net, this volume is invaluable.