Whether you travel for business, pleasure, or a combination of the two, the ever-popular "Culture Shock!" series belongs in your backpack or briefcase. Get the nuts-and-bolts information you need to survive and thrive wherever you go. "Culture Shock!" country guides are easy-to-read, accurate, and entertaining crash courses in local customs and etiquette. "Culture Shock!" practical guides offer the inside information you need whether you're a student, a parent, a globetrotter, or a working traveler.
Each "Culture Shock!" title is written by someone who's lived and worked in the country, and each is packed with practical, accurate, and enjoyable information to help you find your way and feel at home.
Orin Hargraves, author of Culture Shock! Morocco knows whereof he speaks. As a Peace Corps volunteer to that North African country in the early 1980s, he learned firsthand about the customs and culture in the Maghreb. Hargraves covers the bases with a basic but thorough overview of Moroccan history, geography, and politics. He delves into the psychological and cultural mores of the Moroccan people, from their attitudes about men, women, and family to their views on homosexuality, hospitality, and religion. The areas for potential misunderstanding between western visitors and Moroccans soon become clear, and Hargraves does his best to offer clear explanations of Moroccan thought and behavior.
Chapters on intangibles, such as friendship, world view, and relations between the sexes are followed by practical dos and don'ts for living in the country. In "Communicating in Morocco," Hargraves gives readers a mini-Arabic lesson. in "Where the Guest Is King," he suggests pacing for the many courses likely to be set before a guest at a Moroccan dinner party and other important tips for how to eat from a communal bowl. He gives advice on finding housing, conducting business, and even how to spend leisure time. Though Culture Shock! Morocco is primarily intended for people making a lengthy stay in Morocco, it also makes a terrific introduction to the country for anyone planning to visit there.
I wish that I had a copy of this book five years ago! My wife is from Morocco, I've traveled there several times and stayed with her traditional Moroccan family - and lived elsewhere in the Middle East a total of four years. This book really could have made me worry less about committing cultural blunders had I had it sooner. Unlike many "insider" guides, this book's author really knows what he's talking about. His insights, observations and advice are keen and accurate - unlike so many other books that deal with the often misunderstood cultures of the Arab/Muslim World and are so often plagued with ignorance and stereotypes. I would highly recommended this book to anyone traveling to Morocco who is going to be dealing with Moroccans on a personal or business basis. The book covers everything from the religious views and mentality of the people to their sexual attitudes and about everything else in between - including just general good manners. I especially like the "test" section where the author describes a difficult situation that one may be caught in (such as your host continually demanding that you eat more) and then gives three or four multiple-choice options. The situations were so well chosen and the answers so accurate and well thought-out that my wife and I actually got a good laugh out of most of them. I could almost say that a typical tourist could probably do without this book, since much of it deals with situations that most tourists who stay at a hotel, and just go shopping and sight-seeing, will never encounter. However, after witnessing first-hand all to often the cultural insensitivity of my fellow American countrymen and women, I think that reading this book could certainly promote more open-minded thinking and understanding. At the least, it will certainly enhance one's understanding of Morocco and its people. I was so impressed with this book that I plan on getting copies for my sister and any other relatives who plan to visit Morocco with me. It'll certainly help them out.
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