Product Description
Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behaviorin different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basicmanners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you whatto expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This insideknowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feelconfident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successfulbusiness relationships.

Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the cultureand society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whetheron business or for pleasure-into a memorable and enriching experience. Contents include


*customs, values, and traditions
* historical, religious, and political background
*life at home
* leisure, social, and cultural life
* eating and drinking
* do's, don'ts,and taboos
* business practices
* communication, spoken and unspoken


"Culture Smarthas come to the rescue of hapless travellers." Sunday Times Travel

"... the perfectintroduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of variouscountries." Global Travel

"...full of fascinating-as well as common-sense-tips tohelp you avoid embarrassing faux pas." Observer

"...as useful as they are entertaining."Easyjet Magazine

"...offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world." New YorkTimes
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Customer Reviews (2)

Good pocket guide for Peru
This is a good guide for your pocket. It is NOT an in-depth guide to Peru. I would buy it again (if I lose the one I have.)

peru culture smart
this book is good for travellers or tourists going to peru it is a good overview of the customs and culture ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (12)

Extraordinary coverage of Peruana culture
Best deep cultural introduction to Peru I have found. This is NOT a travel guide, but an introduction to the "culture, politics and history" of the country as the title suggests. It lives up to its name. Especially useful if you get outside of Lima in your Peruvian visit. This has a permanent place in my library.

Everything I was looking for
I know virtually nothing about Peru and I am going there for two weeks in August.This book was suggested as a thorough primer.It is proving to be just that...

An excellent compendium
Five stars for this book. After I returned from a six week trip to Peru, I was perplexed, astonished, and intrigued by so much that I saw and experienced there. I bought this book hoping it would answer some of my questions. On the contrary, it answered ALL of my questions and left me asking and wanting to read more. What a fascinating country and culture! I was a Latin American Studies major in college, and I learned an incredible amount from this book. I wouldn't recommend taking this book on your trip with you (it's quite large and heavy), but it would be a great intro to the country you're about to visit, or when you're back home missing your vacation, a great resource to dip into to remember and learn more about Peru. As another reviewermentioned, I too wish there was such a book like this for every country I travel to! I will be reading this book again, and I highly recommend it to those who will be traveling to Peru, or to those armchair travelers who have an interest in Latin America.

informative
this is an interesting collection of exerpts from books, articles, archives... for those interested in learning more about Peru's history and development.i would have liked to see bibliographical references for the selected materials.

Review from Branddenotes.blogspot.com
Really good collection of a variety of excerpts from some interesting books. A lot of good poetry too; like Osman Morote's "A Frightening Thirst for Violence":

"The dictator
shifts his gaze
and a rose
acclaimed as fragrant
falls, in a slice,
from just one
beheading

The dictator
swivels his hands
and
one worker
falls, the wife of a
worker
falls, the children of a
worker
fall

Oh!
what a frightening thirst
for vengeance
devours me"

Morote became the second-in-command in the Shining Path, which the book treats even-handedly, except it does tend to leave out sufficient details of the kind of daily suffering due to exploitation and inequality that led people like Morote to sacrifice his life. The book does include testimony from a government soldier, casually discussing his rapes, murders and tortures, and mentions that during the war, far more people were killed by the government than by the rebels. Some surprise.

The best instance of a description of the kind of reality people lived in - terribly far away from the wealth and comfort of rich countries - that would explain a bit about why people would give up their lives in the Shining Path or the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement to create a better society: another poem, an excerpt from "The Battle of Ayacucho" by Antonio Cisneros, which strips of glory the decisive battle that won Peru independence from Spain:

"...
From a Mother
again

My sons and the rest of the dead still
belong to the owner of the horses
and the owner of the lands, and the battles.
A few apple trees grow among their bones
and the tough gorse. That's how they fertilize
this dark tilled land,
That's how they serve the owner
of war, hunger, and the horses." ... Read more

Product Description
This work is intended for children aged 9-14 years. Music, dance, and art feature prominently in this updated edition. In a new section, readers will be introduced to writer Mario Vargas Llosa and will learn simple words in Quechua. Young readers will be fascinated by this country's ancient mysteries, modern cities, and culture which blends the traditions of indigenous ancestors, such as the Inca, with those of the Spanish. Topics include: many early civilisations including the Inca empire; the Spanish conquest and Peru's path to independence; life in Peru's towns and cities; religion and festivals, including the sun festival, Inti Raymi; ancient foods such as corn beer and roasted guinea pig; a recipe for natillas piuranas, a sweet milk pudding; and clothing, sports, and leisure. ... Read more

Product Description
Scattered throughout their coastal homelands, the remains of impressive artworks produced by the Moche of northern Peru survive. These works include ceremonial centers extensively decorated with murals, as well as elaborate and sophisticated ceramic vessels, textiles, and metalwork, that serve to visually represent an ancient American culture that developed a complex, systematized pictorial code used to communicate narratives, sets of ideas, and ideological constructs.

In this study, Margaret Jackson analyzes Moche ceremonial architecture and ceramics to propose the workings of a widely understood visual language. Using an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates archaeology and linguistics with art history and studies of visual culture, Jackson looks at the symbolism of Moche art as a form of communication, the social mechanisms that produced it, and how it served to maintain the Moche social fabric. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

pictorial communication of pre-Columbian civilization
"The Moche of the North Coast of Peru (ca. A.D. 100-800) provide an excellent example of an ancient American culture that developed an elaborate, systematized pictorial code." Jackson, a fellow associated with Stanford University, uses the latest research, methodological tools, and ideas in pre-Columbian pictography to extensively explore this "example" of the fascinating type of pictorial language. While not going so far as to proffer new or revolutionary perspectives, the book records and pictures a wealth of recent archaeological finds. With this, Jackson also explains and analyzes details of these and relates such details to aspects of the Moche culture. The work is thus a fresh look at this major, highly-developed pre-Columbian South American culture.

The Moche preceded both the Incas of mountainous Peru and the Aztecs of Central America. Jackson's study is so broad and intricate that it implicitly presents a picture of the major native civilizations of Central and South America. The Moche did not exert influence on these later civilizations from conquest or expansion. Rather, the Moche represent one of the earliest highly-developed pictorial languages related to the particular type of native cultures that grew in the southern Americas. That similarities among these cultures, some quite distant from one another and separated by centuries, are not explained by conquest or expansion or migration opens up intriguing questions about roots, attributes, circumstances, and histories of the different civilizations.

The archaeological finds are mostly ceramics. The author concentrates on these while at times referring to other artifacts. The complex pictures of the ceramics are not decorative (as with Greek vases for the most part even though many of the pictures represent mythical figures), but is instead a means of communication. The Moche "ritual-use ceramics [along with] monumental arts, in the form of imposing architecture [e. g., pyramids] with oversized murals and friezes...played critical parts in the society's communicative strategy." One evidence of the integral relationship between the Moche pictorial language and the culture is changes the language underwent as the culture underwent fundamental changes for unknown reasons. The identification between the language and the culture ebbed away as the pictorializations became "increasingly repetitive, geometric, and abstract" as Moche culture moved into what is known as its Chimu phase about 800AD.

Jackson's absorbing and rewarding study gives a good foundation in Native American studies which carries beyond its particular topic. While the material is scholarly, meticulous, and scientific in parts, the related more anthropological and occasional sociological-like material meet the interests of general readers.
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Product Description
Far from the mainstream of society, the pastoral community of Chillihuani in the high Peruvian Andes rears children who are well-adjusted, creative, and curious. They exhibit superior social and cognitive skills and maintain an attitude of respect for all life as they progress smoothly from childhood to adulthood without a troubled adolescence. What makes such child-rearing success even more remarkable is that "childhood" is not recognized as a distinct phase of life. Instead, children assume adult rights and responsibilities at an early age in order to help the community survive in a rugged natural environment and utter material poverty. This beautifully written ethnography provides the first full account of child-rearing practices in the high Peruvian Andes. Inge Bolin traces children's lives from birth to adulthood and finds truly amazing strategies of child rearing, as well as impressive ways of living that allow teenagers to enjoy the adolescent stage of their lives while contributing significantly to the welfare of their families and the community. Throughout her discussion, Bolin demonstrates that traditional practices of respect, whose roots reach back to pre-Columbian times, are what enable the children of the high Andes to mature into dignified, resilient, and caring adults. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Wishing the U.S. had a culture of respect, as well
The book was as I expected it to be from the great reviews. I find it interesting that the culture under review has no word in their language for "respect." I like how the researcher and author says that this culture is "permissive" toward their interactions with young people--and that this is not considered a "dis" toward parents. The U.S. could benefit from adopting many of these parenting postures. Thanks Inge Bolin for the years of personal involvement with this culture, and reporting back on how we can help make the years of childhood more respectful toward our youngsters.

a fascinating read on cultural diversity
This is an engaging description of people in a small Andean community who follow many traditions that date back to Inca times. Inge Bolin's focus is childrearing, and through this lens we get to know a whole culture, which is based on reciprocity and respect for all life. Bolin addresses many interesting issues, such as how children who live without most of the resources we take for granted experience a relatively stress-free adolescence and grow up to be well-adjusted and responsible adults. We also learn why these children tend to excel in school and other areas even though in this egalitarian society competition is not encouraged. This is not a dry analysis of other people's customs; it is a vivid description of the lives of individuals and their families in the Andes today. Like any good anthropological writing, it gives us a broader perspective and causes us to question some of our own cultural assumptions. This very readable book will be of value to anyone interested in childrearing, education, Latin America, and in cultural diversity in general. I highly recommend it.
Karoline Herbison, M.A.
Camosun College, Victoria, BC

A Culture of Respect
Societal changes have consequences, and how a people choose to raise their children reveals much about their values and spirit of place.Andean children (though living with material scarcity) are fully entwined in a network of reciprocal obligations, thereby discovering the meaning of being human.It is this culture of respect that Inge Bolin reveals in this splendid and original book.
Wade Davis - Explorer-in-Residence, National Geographic Society
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An introduction to the geography, history, economy, culture, and people of Peru. ... Read more

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Set in Arequipa during Peru's recent years of crisis, this ethnography reveals how dress creates gendered bodies. It explores why people wear clothes, why people make art, and why those things matter in a war-torn land. Blenda Femenías argues that women's clothes are key symbols of gender identity and resistance to racism. Moving between metropolitan Arequipa and rural Caylloma Province, the central characters are the Quechua- and Spanish-speaking maize farmers and alpaca herders of the Colca Valley. Their identification as Indians, whites, and mestizos emerges through locally produced garments called bordados. Because the artists who create these beautiful objects are also producers who carve an economic foothold, family workshops are vital in a nation where jobs are as scarce as peace. But ambiguity permeates all practices shaping bordados' significance. Femenías traces contemporary political and ritual applications, not only Caylloma's long-standing and violent ethnic conflicts, to the historical importance of cloth since Inca times. This is the only book about expressive culture in an Andean nation that centers on gender. In this feminist contribution to ethnography, based on twenty years' experience with Peru, including two years of intensive fieldwork, Femenías reflects on the ways gender shapes relationships among subjects, research, and representation. ... Read more

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This work is intended for children aged 9-14 years. Many breathtaking new photos highlight this newly revised edition. New information includes environmental concerns over the effects of mining in highland villages. Readers will love this tour that includes Lake Titicaca, the mighty Amazon, and Colca Canyon. Topics include: the Andes Mountains and other natural wonders; traces of ancient cultures at Machu Picchu and Nazca; Lima, Arequipa, and Peru's other major cities; farming and fishing; environmental effects of logging, oil drilling, farming, and tourism on the rainforest; the llama, jaguar, and other wildlife. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Outstanding series on foreign cultures
Consistently outstanding series on a variety of well known and obscure foreign countries.The "people", "land", and "culture" breakdown makes it easy for people to track information from one book to another through the series.Good info on religion, customs, cities, resources, ancient civilizations, history, etc.Probably best for advanced elementary school/middle school students, but also outstanding for ESOL students at any age level. ... Read more

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The breadth of Peru's culture from pre-Columbian times to today is surveyed in this one-stop reference. Modern Peru emerges as an ethnically divided nation progressing toward social integration of its heavily Indian and Hispanic population. Ferreira and Dargent, native Peruvians, illustrate how the diverse geography of the country--the Andes, coast, and jungle--has also had a role in shaping cultural and social expression, from history to art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent book on textiles
Before I went to Cusco I bought this book written by Anthropologist, Dr. Gail Silverman, and boy I am glad that I did.It is the only book that explains the meaning of the motifs woven in Cusco.I could see what I wanted to buy and understand what the motifs meant. It is a great great book with lots of field work and real explantations by Cusco quechua speakers.I recommend that you buy it!!!A Woven Book of Knowledge: Textile Iconography of Cuzco, Peru

This book is about a lot more than just textiles
This is a truly amazing book, focusing on the stunning textiles of the Q'ero people of the high Andes, and what they represent. This book goes into great depth about the iconography of these textiles, including how they reflect a great deal of cosmological information. Anyone who is interested in the traditional ways and knowledge of the Q'ero will find this book to be absolutely fascinating! Highly recommended!

Review of "A Woven Book of Knowledge."
Dr. Gail Silverman has written a beautiful book on the iconography of Andean textiles.Based on thirty years of field research in textile communities in the Cuzco region, A Woven Book of Knowledge, explores the system of communication, of weaving, used by contemporary Andean communities.Her work has historical continuity with pre-conquest ancestral traditions transmitted through the art of weaving from the perspective of the Q'ero community.This book explores the manufacture of cloth, the technology of weaving, and examines, in detail, the textile motifs and symbols used by the weavers to communicate a world view in which Q'ero motifs store time and space and Qheswa motifs only store space.Dr. Silverman's study of the graphic art produced by female weavers reveals the persistence of certain icons and images, like the decapitation of the Inca and his reincarnation, in contemporary drawings and textiles.This book not only offers us a view of life in Andean communities, but it reveals information on language, culture and memory.It is a fine contribution to contemporary discussions on memory and the effect the violence of the conquest had on language and on the storage of information.Dr. Silverman has produced the only existing typology for the textile motifs woven in northeast and northwest Cusco as well as a graphic dictionary of 58 motifs with their corresponding names and meanings as interpreted by Quechua people.

Review of "A Woven Book of Knowledge".
Dr. Gail Silverman has written a beautiful book on the iconography of Andean textiles.Based on thirty years of field research in textile communities in the Cuzco region, A Woven Book of Knowledge, explores the system of communication, of weaving, used by contemporary Andean communities.Her work has historical continuity with pre-conquest ancestral traditions transmitted through the art of weaving from the perspective of the Q'ero community.This book explores the manufacture of cloth, the technology of weaving, and examines, in detail, the textile motifs and symbols used by the weavers to communicate a world view in which Q'ero motifs store time and space and Qheswa motifs only store space.Dr. Silverman's study of the graphic art produced by female weavers reveals the persistence of certain icons and images, like the decapitation of the Inca and his reincarnation, in contemporary drawings and textiles.This book not only offers us a view of life in Andean communities, but it reveals information on language, culture and memory.It is a fine contribution to contemporary discussions on memory and the effect the violence of the conquest had on language and on the storage of information.Dr. Silverman has produced the only existing typology for the textile motifs woven in northeast and northwest Cuzco as well as a graphic dictionary of 58 motifs with their corresponding names and meanings as interpreted by Quechua people. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

As an ethnography of Peru, the book is a disappointment, but
Among the reasons that you may be interested in this book, two standout: the first is that you desire to understand the ethnography of Peru and the second is that you work with "sex workers".

Lorranine Nencel is an feminist anthropologist, and the book is a revision of her dissertation (U. of Amsterdam).

`Ethnography and Prostitution in Peru' succeeds in giving the reader insight into the lives of prostitutes, but as an ethnography of Peru, the book is a disappointment.

Lorraine Nencel journals her interviews withthe prostitutes that work the streets, and clubs, of Lima.She succeeds at presenting a perspective (how-be-it liberal and feminististic) from which to understand the lives, and characteristics, of the "sex workers."She argues that these women's lives are highly conditioned by pre existing gender meanings produced by a traditional patriarchal system "that aims to marginalize and control the prostitute".Commendable is how she lives with the women during the work hours (in a reasonable manner) and thus was able to become `close' with various "women who prostitute" and journal their life stories.

The weakness of her investigation is that she does not adequately show the interrelationship between the prostitutes and the Peruvian society, i.e. family, neighbors, friends, and other groups (for example, social, political, religious).All of the rich social life that exist within this traditional Latin American society is glossed over.This is the verythe disposition of ethnography.

I have lived in Peru for seven years and my yearning to know more about the ethnography of this
country was the primary reason for buying this book.I was disappointed.However, if I was working the streets of any major city as a social worker or religious worker (Salvation Army, etc.) this book would be a valuable find.In short, Nencel's sociological understanding of prostitution is the strength of this dissertation (4 stars), but the ethnography (anthropology) regarding Peru is disappointing (2 stars). Conditionally recommended. ... Read more

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Peru is a vibrant blend of old and new - from its exciting multicultural capital city of Lima, to the ancient mysteries of the Incas. ... Read more

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Presents information on many aspects of this South American country beginning with its geography and history and including government, religion, arts, and food. ... Read more

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Redden uses a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the transcultural phenomenon of the devil in early modern Peru. He demonstrates that the interaction between the Christian and the Andean worlds was far more complex than any interpretation that posits a clear dichotomy between conversion and resistance would suggest. The study analyses historical sources such as missionary letters, inquisitorial trials, and chronicles written by commentators from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; it also draws on theology, ritual and liturgy, as well as literature, art, ethnography and anthropology in order to attempt a portrait of a communal society that formed an integral part of the Hispanic world between the sixteenth and the eighteenth centuries. ... Read more