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"The CultureShock!" series is a dynamic and indispensable range of guides for those travellers who are looking to truly understand the countries they are visiting. Each title explains the customs, traditions, social and business etiquette in a lively and informative style."CultureShock!" authors, all of whom have experienced the joys and pitfalls of cultural adaptation, are ideally placed to provide warm and informative advice to those who seek to integrate seamlessly into diverse cultures. The books in this series have a friendly and honest writing style and are full of personal experiences, practical advice and useful information.Each "CultureShock!" book contains: insights into the people and their culture and traditions; advice on adapting into the local environment; linguistic help and hints on how to learn the language and do business; a useful list of foreign words and phrases and a comprehensive resource guide; information on how to get the most out of your travel experience; discussion about "CultureShock!"; Table of Contents; Introduction/Preface/Acknowledgements/Dedication; and, Map - First Impressions, Overview of Land and History, People, Fitting into Society/Socialising with the Locals, Settling In, Food and Entertainment, Enjoying the Culture/Travel, Learning the Language, Doing Business, and Fast Facts.This book also contains: Culture Quiz; Do's and Don'ts; Glossary; Resource Guide; Further Reading;and information about the author. It is intended for expatriate workers settling into a new assignment in a foreign land. They could be single or married with and without families. It is suitable for visitors planning a long-term stay in a foreign country for other reasons other than work e.g. students, short-term overseas attachment, volunteer workers etc.; tourists who are more interested in getting to know the culture and people of a country than the usual tourist spots; and, inquisitive armchair travellers. ... Read more

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A travel handbook from the CULTURE SHOCK! series which details the culture, society, customs and etiquette of Laos, designed for business visitors, travellers and students. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Info is right on, but the info is in tourist brochures at the airport
I bought this intending to read it prior to getting to Laos. I'm lazy and didn't read it, but did bring it. After being in country for a week, I dug it out of my bag and went through it. I thought the information was well presented, accurate, and had good pictures.But, I had seen a lot of that information already captured in different maps, brochures, museums, etc. during my week in Laos.

Best used as a cultural scene-setter rather than as a practical travel guide. Definitely buy used because it looks and feels like a library 101 kind of book. ... Read more

Product Description

This all-encompassing volume offers a comprehensive look at the contemporary culture that defines this Southeast Asian country of Laos, examining everything from Buddhist traditions to Laotian cuisine. Coverage includes a brief history of the nation followed by in-depth narrative chapters on religion, literature, visual and performing arts, fashion, gender roles, everyday social customs, and more. Through illustrative descriptions of daily life, students will learn how traditional customs have shaped contemporary life in Laos today.Few other resources provide the same extensive coverage on current culture in Laos.Ideal for high school students as well as general readers, Culture and Customs of Laos is a must-have for all library shelves.

The Southeast Asian country of Laos, one of the world's last-standing communist nations, has often been overshadowed in the international newsroom by its more dominant neighbors, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Among one of the most bombed countries in the world, one that suffered much during and after the Vietnam War, Laos has been struggling economically and politically for decades.In spite of these challenges, a rich, beautiful culture has survived in Laos. This exhaustive volume offers a comprehensive look at the contemporary culture that defines this seemingly quiet country, from Buddhism to Laotian cuisine. Coverage includes a brief history of the nation followed by in-depth narrative chapters on religion, literature, visual and performing arts, fashion, gender roles, everyday social customs, and more. Through illustrative descriptions of daily life, students will learn how traditional customs have shaped contemporary life in Laos today.Few other resources provide the same extensive coverage on current culture in Laos.Ideal for high school students as well as general readers, Culture and Customs of Laos is a must-have for all library shelves.

Product Description
Laos stands at the centre of mainland Southeast Asia, sharing borders with all the main states in the region including China, so that when one touches on Laos, one touches the heart of the region. This study of culture and society in Laos inevitably leads into broader issues associated with all the surrounding societies and cultures concerning their origins and contemporary developments. Essays focus on the creation of the idea of Laos and its culture, whether it be through literature, tourism, or the activities of nationalists, thereby contributing to more general debates on the nature of Southeast Asian nationalism. They look at questions of minorities in Laos and issues of ethnic change. And they look at Laos in its regional context, and at Lao businessmen in their new global context. Grant Evans is reader in anthropology at the University of Hong Kong. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good collection
There are some great essays in here that have not been published elsewhere. Original research

Misguided misconceptions
Despite the growing need for flexible overviews of this part of the world, and, taking into account that the editor is an accomplished writer, this volume does not fill the need for even an undergraduate readership (let alone tourists!). It's poorly compiled and suffers from what must have been "old buddies" wanting in. A case in point is Trankell's paper. I've read it through twice and although I've spent two years of field work in the area (Trankell claims to have spent two weeks) I can't recognize any of the "data" she draws on to support point that escapes any sound mind. His paper is not the only bad one, but it does reflect badly on the entire composition of the volume. ... Read more

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Incorporating original fieldwork carried out over a period of more than ten years, combined with innovative theoretical argument, Globalization, Culture and Society in Laos presents one of the first sociological investigations into modern Laos. Boike Rehbein gives a fascinating overview of contemporary Lao culture and society, whilst linking local and national phenomena to tendencies of globalization and the history of the region.

The book introduces a new theoretical approach based on the sociology of Pierre Bourdieu, applying this sociology to the interpretation of Lao history. It also examines various aspects of Lao culture and society, including economics, politics, language, higher education, music, and religion. Rehbein concludes by attempting to synthesize these cultural elements with the impact of globalization to give a synopsis of contemporary Lao society.

Written by an expert in Lao history and culture, familiar with the language and the people, this book will be of huge interest to students and scholars of Laos, Southeast Asia, social theory and globalization.

Product Description
Laos has recently come to the attention to global strategic planners.This report puts these executives on the fast track.Ten chapters provide: an overview of how to strategically access this important market, a discussion on economic fundamentals, marketing & distribution options, export and direct investment options, and full risk assessments (political, cultural, legal, human resources).Ample statistical benchmarks and comparative graphs are given. ... Read more

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This collection of evocative personal testimonies bythree generations of Hmong refugees is the first to describe theirlives in Laos as slash-and-burn farmers, as refugees after a Communistgovernment came to power in 1975, and as immigrants in the UnitedStates. Reflecting on the homes left behind, their narrativeschronicle the difficulties of forging a new identity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Hmong Means Free
Whether or not the meaning of "Hmong" LITERALLY means "free" or not, I'm SURE, is not what the author is trying to say.

My thoughts
I thought the chineses' called Hmongs "Miao" and the Tais' called Hmongs "Meo." Don't quote me on that, I could be wrong.

Hmong peoples' stories are a bit different than most immigrants that came to the US. They are here because they assisted the US CIA with a "Secret War" against Indochina Communist and fled to the US to escape from death and imprisonment.

I agree that other races faced equal or more horrific conflicts, as well, but to bicker with PMS is a bit over the top. All of the reviews have brought much joy to me. At least there are people thinking deeply about the idea of Hmong and "reading" this cool book.

To the not so cool dude.Get a life!
I have not read this book personally, but the reviews I have read seemed like some of you are a little ticked off. It doesn't matter what "Hmong" really means to you, it's what it means to the author. But all of a sudden, some of you have become experts in the Hmong culture and language.Well send me your email address and I will personally send you a diploma, a B.S. in Hmong culture and language.

Now for the jerk that wrote the last review- The Hmong have put up with all kinds of stereotyping, but to say that they are inferior by looking at the way they live is really a slap in the face. I could say the same thing about the Vietnamese, Laotians, Cambodians, Chinese, or any other Asian groups in this country but I don't.What a person becomes is really up to that individual, so for you to pass judgement on others, especially a group of people, based on your narrow minded pea brain, I nominate you for the "Jerk of the Year" award.

Go get a life and stop ruining mine!

Cried and laughed all at once.
The author's intro was informative but lacks passion (some day, a Hmong author may be able to do a more passionate job on our plight).

The narratives were honest and sincere. There was no "sugar-coating"--I know! The narratives had a single common denominator: the sufferings of the human condition. Throughout the narration, I cried and laughed all at once. I cried: all the sufferings. I laughed: when one of the narratives failed the drivers' written test (in California) the first time because after she took the test, she didn't even realized it was in Spanish until her husband told her--she did not know Spanish.

The book gave me a sense of my history in a personal and down-to-earth way. The book is an excellent reference.

Helping young Hmong Americans find and identity...
I work in the healthcare field and have seen quite a few young (teenage +) Hmong Americans struggling with their sense of value.In particular, a young girl who had been "Americanized" AKA taken from her family when she was young because of supposed abuse - a common practice not that long ago.She was depressed, living with a loving but very white family in which she felt inferior.Asian gang activities in our area made her feel embarrassed.This book put a spark back in her eyes.I found it wonderful and would highly recommend it. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Laotians are descended from Tai peoples from what is now southern China and northern Vietnam beginning approximately three thousand years ago, where many Tai peoples remain to this day. The designation Lao probably originates from an ancient people, the Wenda Laos, that were a branch of the Tai peoples and one of the groups that settled Southeast Asia. Population pressures, finding suitable habitat for wet-rice cultivation, and escape from the growing tensions of Chinese settlement and Mongol invasions pushed the Tai tribes further south along the Mekong river valleys. Evidence of these migrations are included in legends of Khun Borom, a possibly mythical king whose descendants begot the various Tai peoples. Although Lan Xang is usually considered the first Lao kingdom, although other kingdoms and principalities in what is now Laos and Isan flourished before this date. The Tai peoples pushed out earlier groups of Austronesian and Mon-Khmer peoples and established their own kingdoms. ... Read more

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Mo lam or 'Mor lam' is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan. Mor lam means expert song, or expert singer, referring to the music or artist respectively. Other romanisations used include mo lam, maw lam, maw lum, moh lam and mhor lum. In Laos, the music is known simply as lam (??); mor lam refers to the singer. The characteristic feature of lam singing is the use of a flexible melody which is tailored to the tones of the words in the text. Traditionally, the tune was developed by the singer as an interpretation of gon poems and accompanied primarily by the khene, a free reed mouth organ, but the modern form is most often composed and uses electrified instruments. Contemporary forms of the music are also characterised by quick tempi and rapid delivery, while tempi tend to be slower in traditional forms and in some Lao genres. Some consistent characteristics include strong rhythmic accompaniment, vocal leaps, and a conversational style of singing that can be compared to American rap. ... Read more