Thursday 4 February 2016

CHINA BOOK REVIEW: DREAMING IN CHINESE BY DEBORAH FALLOWS

Dreaming in Chinese by Deborah Fallows

Blurb:
In this intelligent, sympathetic book, Deborah Fallows opens up a window onto Chinese life through its notoriously difficult language. She shows how even small advancements, such as mastering a single word or phrase, can unlock grammatical and cultural secrets.

Whether it s learning not to say please , or understanding why the Chinese hate the number 4, Fallows uses stories from three years of living and working in China, to offer unique insights into the country s customs and culture.

This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in China, be they first-time tourists, seasoned business people, or just the idly curious. It will help you to think like the Chinese think.

Review:
I will admit I thought I knew a lot about China and its people, but after starting to read this book, I found a great deal of what's in here is surprising right down to how the Chinese can interpret their own language characters. Deborah makes this a very interesting read by throwing in a nice bit of humour and some amazing ways to discover how the Chinese think using what they consider everyday words about life, work and romance. 

This is a book to be enjoyed every break-time and when you kick off your work shoes.

Book Details:
Paperback: 252 pages
Publisher: Short Books Ltd; 1 edition (5 April 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1780720858
ISBN-13: 978-1780720852