The book starts slowly and it has some useless information. It basically tries to convince the reader that understanding other cultures is important. Well, if I didn't think so, I wouldn't have bought the book in the first place.



Then, there is some generalities about business, wrapped up in a lot of business/MBA BS. But it gets better.



Then, they lay out a method of classifying cultures with several measures that do make sense. Then, there is a quick survey of several cultures. This section is extremely useful. I grew up in France but I have now lived in the US for 6 years. Their analysis is true, but it also puts a structure on the observations I made. Working with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean folks, I agree with their presentation.



Form inside or outside a culture, it helps understanding how you react, and how other people react. The book doesn't make value judgments on cultures peculiarities, just gives the information.



I would say it's a must read, especially when it is below 20 bucks. Just skip the beginning.