Product Description

As William Gay, distinguished adviser to the last edition, so aptly noted, the United States is "a country that is never what you think it is." Since that edition was introduced nearly ten years ago, the country has been struggling with troubling, divisive events and issues, especially the September 11, 2001, attacks and the resulting War on Terror. Despite these extraordinary times, the United States still holds promise and opportunity for those who take the time to understand it. Jef Davis, a seasoned interculturalist and long-time adviser to international travelers, has succeeded as few could in creating an important new version of Living in the U.S.A. that will guide you through the confusing, conflicted, exciting country and its diverse population at an extraordinary time in its history. New material and significantly revised chapters help you understand: American Cultures: Sections on African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native peoples, retirees, gays and lesbians and the disabled underscore the incredible diversity of culture and values that comprise the American population Twenty-First Century Issues such as the continued rise in religious fundamentalism in the U.S. and abroad and the tension between security and personal liberties Getting Here and Getting Settled, including security at the airport and elsewhere and new and trying immigration regulations

Short-term visitors to the U.S. will find advice for surviving customs and immigration, finding an apartment, doing business, obtaining health care, and navigating the supermarket, bank and post office. If you plan to stay longer, you will find practical pointers for getting along at work, school, and at home; buying a house; making and keeping American friends; and understanding dominant American values in a diverse and complex society. Living in the U.S.A. is a comprehensive guide to attitudes, customs, manners and daily life in the United States.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #321644 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 243 pages

Review
A critical read offering fresh, objective look at US diversity. Well organized with abundant and useful information easy to find. -- Dr. George F. Simons

About the Author
JEF C. DAVIS is well recognized as an intercultural trainer and teacher. He has served as director for international students and scholars at Drexel University and Clark University, and he worked with international students at Miami University (Ohio), Ball State University and at the SUNY at Stony Brook . Since 1995, Davis has also participated and assisted faculty at the renowned Summer Institute of Intercultural Communication. He is currently writing his doctoral dissertation in international higher education at Boston College and lives in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife and twin one-year-old children.

Customer Reviews

The ideal guide for recent emigrants and new visitors to the United States
Now in a completely updated and revised sixth edition, Living In The USA rightly continues to be regarded as the ideal guide for recent emigrants and new visitors to the United States, a country which has undergone substantive changes in the last five years since the events of September 11, 2001. This comprehensive, 243-page guide is now enhanced with timely information on American subcultures (including Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, retirees, gays and lesbians, as well as the disabled), contemporary American social and political issues (including the rise of religious fundamentalism and the tensions between security issues and personal liberties), rapidly changing immigration rules, conditions, and American business conditions (including negotiation, life in the office, and time spent at work). From American values, to American social and civic life, to money, medical care, food customs, communications, housing, child care, education, privacy, and so much more, Living In The USA covers everything the newly arrived need to know whether they intend to stay a week, a year, or a lifetime.

What Americans Do and Why
Alison R. Lanier's book is part cultural explanation, designed to help those from other countries understand Americans, and part relocation guide, offering practical advice ranging from food customs to how to select a good school. The book, which anticipates newcomers' needs and helps ease their transitions, is more than a guidebook; it's a training manual. Intercultural expert Jef C. Davis, who updated this sixth edition, explains how post-9/11 aftershocks have changed things for visitors from abroad. He includes useful advice on cooperating with airport security, staying safe in major cities and complying with immigration regulations. Davis realizes that, due to its cultural and ethnic diversity, America tends to elude effective characterization. The book also offers information on some groups within U.S. society, from Native Americans and Asian Americans to gays, retirees and the disabled. One small caveat: the sobriquet "American" should rightly include folks from Canada and all of South and Latin America, grammatically if not in common social exchange. U.S. citizens are Americans, indeed, but hardly the only ones. Such petty Yanks aside, we like this useful, time-tested presentation of logistical and cultural knowledge for making a new home in the U.S. Now about those sidewalks paved with gold...

Excellent reference for those who intend to live in the USA
Comprehensive guide on everything you need to know about living in the USA. A must-buy for those who intend to migrate to the Land of Opportunity. Best value for money.