Product Description
Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships.

Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whether on 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 Smart has come to the rescue of hapless travellers." Sunday Times Travel

"... the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries." Global Travel

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

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

"...offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world." New York Times
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Customer Reviews (8)

Egypt Culture Smart
I found "Egypt Culture Smart" very informative and interesting. I went to Egypt some years back and had no idea that Egypt had an underground rail system that ran from Cairo to Alexandria. The information on making business connections, "cultural mannerisms and etiquette." were also extremely helpful. In fact, I wish I'd read this book before I went to Egypt last time.

Egypt
It was brief and not much in depth. Easy to understand. It is probably all I needed since my stay will be only for 3 days.

A must for travelers to Egypt
Outstanding guide! If you follow this simple and easy to read affordable book, you will get a great reception everywhere in Egypt whatever you are a man or a woman. It is a beautiful country so worth of visiting. People there are open and friendly. Following their traditions for duration of your visit, although not necessary, is a small gesture of respect they very much appreciate. This book will give you an insight on traditions and culture.

Accurate representation, Wonderful Insight
I picked this book up before our move to Egypt and it has now been 2 years since we moved to Egypt. I still reference it at times when I need to find a quick answer to a question on appropriate etiquette.

Whether you are a first time visitor, a short term tourist or planning to move to Egypt, this book is invaluable because its accuracy and insight is bang on.

An excellent guide
This has everything worth knowing about the Egyptians and Egypt. It's very good if you want to come closer to their culture, or if you want to travel there. ... Read more

Product Description

A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette in Egypt

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Customer Reviews (2)

excellent preparation
My husband and I read this book before traveling to Egypt and found it very helpful in preparing for our travels.We did not go the typical route of American hotels and tours, but rather stayed with a friend and found our way around Cairo, Alexandria, and Luxor more or less on our own.It is an excellent book to make you aware of many cultural differences a traveler might not be aware of.I felt that we were able to be more respectful and understand cultural differences than we might have otherwise, had we just ready one of the regular sightseeing travel guides.This book makes some excellent points for women travelers especially, who need to be especially aware of the image they portray in many of the Middle Eastern countries.

OK for a first-time visitor
Although I have been to Egypt many times, I bought this book hoping to shed a little more light on that very mysterious country. I could have saved my money, because I didn't learn anything new. And the glossary is really terrible! However, first-time visitors will certainly appreciate this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This groundbreaking work presents original research on cultural politics and battles in Egypt at the turn of the twenty-first century. It deconstructs the boundaries between 'high' and 'low' culture, drawing on conceptual tools in cultural studies, translation studies, and gender studies to analyze debates in the fields of literature, cinema, mass media, and the plastic arts.Anchored in the Egyptian historical and social contexts and inspired by the influential work of Pierre Bourdieu, it rigorously places these debates and battles within the larger framework of a set of questions about the relationship between the cultural and political fields in Egypt. ... Read more

Product Description
Discusses the geography, history, government, economy, and culture of the Middle Eastern country that at one time had the most advanced civilization the world had yet seen. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

One of the great lands of the Arab and Muslim World
This book about Egypt teaches one about Egypt's relations with it's Arab neighbors Syria, Jordan, the Palestinians, and also Israel (It's only non-Arab neighbor) which it has been in three wars with in 1948, 1967, and 1973.

The book also tells about the two types of people that live in Egypt that are the Muslim Arabs who number from 85 to 94 percent, and the Coptic Christians who number from 6 to 15 percent and live in Egyptian cities such as Cairo (Al Qahira) and Asyut, and also their is a section that talks about the two leaders who controlled Egypt that are Gamel Abdel Nasser from 1954-1970 (who in my opinion was one of best leaders the Arab world has ever had) and Anwar Sadat from 1970-1981. ... Read more

Product Description
* Explores the cultures of ancient Near East civilizations from prehistoric times to the death of Alexander the Great..* Encompasses Western Asia and Egypt, through the Eastern Mediterranean, to the borders of Greece..* Note: Knapp (unlike Jones, above) does not include coverage of Ancient Greece and Rome. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Don't buy this book!!!
This was a textbook in my first ancient near eastern history class in college.All the other textbooks were fine, but this one seems to have been written for an elementary school audience.It's overly simplistic in every conceivable way a history book could be, and furthermore is almost condescending to the reader, with its dumbed-down vocabulary and basic terms in bold print.If you're looking for a good introductory text on this subject, try some of the cambridge ancient history volumes, or The Egyptians by Cyril Aldred and Ancient Iraq by Georges Roux.I wasted my hard-earned money and some valuable time, but now YOU don't have to. ... Read more

Product Description
Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!Amazon.com Review
"Egypt," wrote the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, "is thegift of the Nile." John Wilson amplifies Herodotus's theme,showing how the rich soils of the Nile made possible the growth ofcivilizations from the earliest native dynasties to the late Romanempire. He also provides compelling biographical sketches of playerswho are even now famous--Nefertiti, Amenhotep, and Tutankhamen amongthem. Although it needs some updating because of recent discoveries,Wilson's book, first published in 1951, remains among the bestone-volume introductions to the history of ancient Egypt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Old, interesting but out of date.
Wilson's book is now a half century old.In its time and for quiet a while, it was the standard one volume text.But time, archaeology and knowledge marches on.Wilson is certainly a good read and for the study of Egypt an important one, but much has changed in the field.I mention only the emphasis on hydrolics as a conditions factor of Egyptian life, and our increasing understanding of the interrelationship between Egypt and Africa, as examples. Many points covered by Wilson have also seen new theories and ideas emerge and be accepted.Read with historical understanding of the field of Egyptology and caution.

Best all around book on Ancient Egypt
Of all the one volume surveys of Ancient Egypt that I've read, this remains my favorite for its easy, flowing style. It may be old, but it doesn't seem a bit dated. I reread this book periodically and wouldrecommend it strongly. It is enjoyable as well as informative. ... Read more

Product Description
Modern Egypt blends African history and geography with Arab culture and religion. With its position at the crossroads of Africa, its status as a major Islamic nation, and continuing interest in its ancient monuments, Egypt makes for fascinating study. This volume provides an accessible, up-to-date overview of a society that greatly evolved, yet retains traces of attitudes and behaviors from the days of the Pharaohs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Disappointing but still a good overview of modern Egyptian life


Molefi Assante, the father of the Afrocentric movement, attempts to write a overview of modern Egypt. Molefi covers the customs and cultures that make up the modern Egyptian nation.Everything from modern religion to cusine is covered.

Problem is most of the information to be expected from Molefi Assante is missing. He shows his ignorance in completely neglecting the customs and cultures of rural Egyptians.The largely neglected fellahin which most Cairene Egyptians desend from. Assante could have taken this oppotunity to connect the folk customs of the rural and poor baladi Egyptians to other Africans.

Although most Egyptians pratice Christianity and Islam, some folk customs survive and deserve attention.Other volumes ofCultures and Customs provide a great overiew of folk customs ..ie Culture and Customs of the Congo,Ghana and Nigeria.


The other faulty notion is that simply the Coptic or Nubians Egyptians preserve the ancestry of the ancient Egyptians. True, many modern Egyptians are hetrogenous including both Copts and Nubians but this does not negate that many Muslims also have ancient Egyptian ancestry.


Also neglected is certain ethnic grous such as the Hawwara,Ababda,and others who are hidden within the framework of Copts,Nubians and Muslim Egyptians.

One very positive aspect of this books is it shows many nice pictures of rural Egyptians and Nubians.Both demonstrate that African ancestry flows through the veins of modern Egyptians no matter how diluted from foreign incursions.

I recommend this book to anybody who anybody wanting a crash course in modern Egyptian life.This book is a very mainstream and westernized view. If you want to know more about how the everyday Egyptian lives and their folkculture then check out Baladi Women of Cairo Evelyn E Early,Coptic Saints and Pilgrimages Otto Meinardus,and Upper Egypt: Life along the Nile, Nicholas S Hopkins.


For resources on the Nubians check out Nubian Ceremonial Life edited by Joeseph Kennedy.

Culture, society, and religion in Egypt today
Part of the "Culture And Customs Of Africa" series, Culture And Customs Of Egypt by Molefi KeteAsante (Professor, Department of African American Studies, Temple University) is a straightforward and reader accessible look at daily life in modern Egypt, including its people, history, religion, art, food, social customs and much, much more. Written in a plain, easy-to-understand prose that is ideal for students and non-specialist general readers alike, Culture And Customs Of Egypt is an enriching presentation and survey of a great nation Middle East nation which is very highly recommended reading for tourists, vacationers, armchair travelers, and anyone else who wants or needs to know the basics of life, culture, society, and religion in Egypt today. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is suitable for ages 9 to 10 years. To the rest of the world, Egypt is a living museum of the ancient world. Pyramids lie amidst modern farming villages, and construction crews renovate and restore crumbling old city architecture. "Egypt the Culture" examines the ancient and modern cultural history of Egypt. With 50 per cent new images, the revised "Egypt the Culture" examines contemporary issues such as sustainable development and how the country combats terrorism. It also looks at the environmental impact of Egypt's growing population and how pollution effects the pyramids. The topics include: mummies; King Tut; everyday life in Ancient Egypt; Modern Egyptian music, dance, literature, and art. ... Read more

Product Description
The Global Music Series is an innovative introduction to world music that focuses on how people make music meaningful and useful in their lives. It includes captivating case studies that feature eyewitness accounts of performances, interviews with performers, and vivid illustrations. Each volume is packaged with an audio CD that contains representative examples of the music discusses in the book. Numerous listening activities encourage readers to engage actively with the music.Music in the Middle East focuses on the varieties of music that fill the eastern Arab world--with special emphasis on music found in contemporary Egypt--and looks at music's role in creating a regional, national, and community identity. Drawing on his extensive fieldwork, Scott Marcus highlights the dynamic nature of Middle Eastern musical culture, exploring its fascinating blend of traditional art music, modern popular music, and religious music. He also introduces features that are common amongst these different types of music. The book concentrates on three themes: the concepts of melodic and rhythmic music that underlie the art; the folk and popular styles of the region; and the deep connections between Islam and music and westernization and modernization. Music in the Middle East provides an intimate sense of the fabric of the region's music and of the cultural contexts that surround it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Superb Survey and Introduction
[Actually 4.5 stars] The quality of the various books in the Global Music Series varies, of course, as much as with the author as with the form and location of the music examined.Some such books bog down in the nuances of the particular music; others spend too much time in social and historic matters. Similarly, the accompanying CD may offer examples that are too short or too involved in demonstrating form and not the overall effect. Marcus achieves the best balance of both text and example.His writing is engaging and the historical and sociological development of Egyptian music is clearly presented.The detailed analysis of Umm Kulthum and her musical example is so exciting that one is anxious to actually hear it.The CD itself is so good that it can stand alone; 65 minutes of samples of genre pass by before the didactic section begins, which are scales of maqam and rhythmic examples. A reader/listener can learn much quickly and easily from perusing this book. It can lead to further study and appreciation of Arabic music and thereby the culture as well. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is suitable for ages 9 to 10 years. Egypt is one of the world's oldest civilizations and its people live with daily reminders of the past. Egyptian school children are still taught the ancient stories of the origins of the Nile, while learning about newer traditions. With over 50 per cent new images, "Egypt the People" examines: the many different cultures that make up modern Egypt, Islam and other religions of Egypt, festivals and family events and how village life is changing to reflect the modern world. This revised text also includes an update on terrorism and its impact on visitors to the country. ... Read more

Product Description
Archaeological excavations at Sakkara, the necropolis of ancient Memphis, have uncovered important evidence about Egyptian civilization in the first two dynasties 3200-2780 BC. This book provides a survey of what we know, through these discoveries, of the cultural achievements of the great people who lived on the banks of the Nile nearly 5000 years ago. ... Read more

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Product Description
Hellenistic Egypt brings together for the first time the writings of the preeminent historian, papyrologist, and epigraphist Jean Bingen. These essays, first published by Bingen from 1970 to1999, make a distinctive contribution to the historiography of Hellenistic Egypt, a period in ancient Egypt extending from itsconquest by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. until its annexation as a province of the Roman Empire by Octavian (later Augustus) in 30 B.C., after his defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Ruled by Ptolemaic kings during this period, Hellenistic Egypt was a sophisticated, rich, and fertile country. Its history is intimately bound up with the history of the Mediterranean as a whole, yet parts of that history remain relatively obscure and open to debate. New evidence, particularly from papyri, emerges frequently and shifts our understanding and interpretation of this significant time. For the last six decades Jean Bingen has been a leading editor and interpreter of such evidence. In particular his work on the Ptolemaic monarchy and economy, which illustrates how the Greeks and Egyptians interacted, has transformed the field and influenced all subsequent work. Historian and classicist Roger Bagnall has selected and introduced Bingen's most important essays on this topic.
Copub: Edinburgh University Press ... Read more

Product Description
Reading the Sphinx unearths buried conflicts in religion, myth, and the memory of Egypt in the West, illuminating issues of identity, inheritance, gender, and sexuality through cultural productions ranging from Herodotus to Freud. ... Read more

Product Description
Children discover and explore the rich heritage of ancient cultures around the world through fascinating myths, legends, festivals, and stories of the culture. Detailed maps and vivid illustrations show how various people lived and what they accomplished. Each book in this popular series contains five easy-to-do art projects- complete with unique punch-out stencils for making many of the traditional arts and crafts still produced today. Ages 8+ ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Teachers: This Book is a Must
Stencils of Ancient Egypt and Nubia is a "must" for teachers of social studies who enjoy doing "hands on" projects.Not only are the symbols of Ancient Egypt clearly explained, the stencils can be used over and over to create many projects in the classroom.My students have used these stencils for the last four years and they are still in good shape.Teachers looking for a simplified and concise teaching tool for Ancient Egypt will find more than enough information to share with their students in this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The Middle Kingdom (c.1940-1640 BC) was a golden age of Ancient Egyptian writing. This pioneering book is the first comprehensive study of this literary legacy. The status of literature is controversial in many ancient civilizations, and Middle Kingdom poems have often been regarded as propaganda for the ruling dynasty. This study radically reassesses their cultural role, drawing on recent studies of the individual texts, some by the author, and on general developments in literary criticism, to argue that they were entertainments that voiced potentially dissident views while also being integral to elite culture. The book explores literature's status as a differentiated form of discourse, suggesting what social practices made its role possible and offering an innovative model for the reader's engagement with these subtle and complex ancient works. The book also surveys the social and ideological context of literature and proposes readings of the main tales, discourses, and teachings. The conclusion sets the readings in a broad context, while an appendix surveys the entire range of surviving texts. ... Read more

Product Description
Get to know the women of Jeme, a Christian enclave in Egypt that existed from 600 to 800 C.E.Using texts documenting the women's activities, the physical remains of their possessions, and the writings of the local religious leaders, T. G. Wilfong traces the lives and careers of individual women and, through them, arrives at an understanding of the reality of women's lives in this place and time.
Contrary to the submissive, demure ideals for women proposed by the religious writers of Christian Egypt, the evidence from Jeme points to a more complex, dynamic situation. Women were active in the home, but some also played important and visible parts in the religious and economic life of their community. A bishop's attempts to monitor the behavior of the women in his district, the intricate inheritance dispute between an aunt and her niece, one woman's pious donations of murals to a church, three women's agonized decisions to give up their children to the local monastery, and the transactions of a family of women moneylenders--all these episodes paint a vivid picture of life in a Coptic town.
Although the remains of Jeme have long been known to scholars, little synthetic work has been done on this rich source for social history in Egypt before and after the Muslim conquests. The Women of Jeme is the first book-length study of the evidence. It will be of interest to Egyptologists and papyrologists, as well as to scholars of Coptic studies, early Christianity, social history and women's studies. The book assumes no prior knowledge of the subject, and the author has taken care to make it accessible to anyone with an interest in the ancient world.
T. G. Wilfong is Assistant Professor of Egyptology and Assistant Curator for Greco-Roman Egypt, University of Michigan.
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Customer Reviews (1)

A useful and much needed addition to women's studies
This is a well-written book about women in Egypt from the late Byzantine to the early Arab rule of Egypt, or 6th-8th centuries AD. The book is based on the author's research using textual, archaeological and iconographic documentation excavated from the ruins of a Christian-Egyptian, Coptic, village, called Jeme. The primary audience of this book would include students and researchers of Egyptology, Coptology and Women `s studies, however the book would be of interest to a wider circle of readers. This book is a good addition to several previously published books about women in Egypt e.g. Gay Robbins about women in ancient Egypt, Sarah Pomeroy and Jane Rowlandson about women in Hellenic and Roman Egypt. It extends the study of women in Egypt to late antiquity.
The prevailing culture of ancient Egypt accorded women an equal status with men, with major emphasis on the family. Records from ancient Egyptian mythology and history include many independent and highly-respected women e.g. Isis an ancient Egyptian goddess whose worship expanded beyond Egypt to major cities in the Roman empire, and several capable rulers including Nitocris, Nefertiti, Hatshepsut and Cleopatra. Ordinary women were no less independent or capable. They engaged in trade, farming, and various crafts. They owned property and were full partners to their husbands in religious and social lives. The ancient Egyptian legal system recognized the equality of men and women. Though Greeks and Romans considered the status of women in ancient Egyptian to have been somewhat strange, women in Egypt continued to enjoy equality in the Hellenic and Roman eras. It is interesting to note that women, including those from Hellenic and/or Roman origin, preferred Egyptian courts, as they were culturally attuned to equality between men and women. But whereas a woman could represent herself in an Egyptian court, she needed a male representative "Kirios" to represent her in a Roman court.
The book shows that many Coptic women in Jeme took advantage of the relative mobility and independence available to them and acted outside the family and home as well as in it. Women were deeply involved in the economic, social and religious life of the town. However omens of a much diminished status for women after the Arabs conquest were on the horizon, as women shied away from pursuing legal proceedings in courts presided by Arab rulers or their assistants, and preferred instead to resort to proceedings in their local Coptic communities.
The book reviewed writing by one of the local bishops Pisentius 599-632 AD to illustrate what the expectations and ideals may have been for women's lives in that time. Pisentius writing emphasizes chastity, marriage and avoidance of divorce. Pisentius's writing led the author to conclude that the bishop and like-minded writers may have considered women as secondary derivations from men and hence inferior.This conclusion in our view may not be justified. Pesentius exhortations in the 6th century AD are not that much different from Protestant and Catholic preachers exhortations in the 21ist century.Contemporary American preachers also exhort men and women to pursue a life of virtue, get married, raise families and be responsible parents. This is not considered to delegate women to a secondary or inferior status. The book however indicates that Coptic women seemed to occupy a strikingly visible and active position in Jeme documentation was in contrast to the rather vague notions the author had about women's status after the coming of Christianity. The author further adds that these vague notions are hardly accurate.
The book' s review for the lives of women in Jeme further focuses its intensive scrutiny on a few well-documented individuals to enable the assessment of broader trends in that era. The book reconstructs the lives of several women such as Elizabeth and her niece Abigaia, and Koloje who took a very active role in the economic life of Jeme and environs.
The author concludes her book by exploring how did Jeme come to an end. After 785 AD the documentation breaks off abruptly and the inhabitants of Jeme disappear. One plausible explanation given for the disappearance of Jeme may have been the struggle for power between the Arabic Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties.
This is a well-written book that aficionados of Egyptology, Coptology and women's studies would find to be both informative and entertaining. ... Read more

Product Description
This companion provides the very latest accounts of the major and current aspects of Egyptology by leading scholars. It is delivered in a highly readable style and extensively illustrated; published in two volumes, it offers unprecedented breadth and depth of coverage, giving full scope to the discussion of this incredible civilization.

• Provides the very latest and, where relevant, well-illustrated accounts of the major aspects of Egypt’s ancient history and culture
• Covers a broad scope of topics including physical context, history, economic and social mechanisms, language, literature, and the visual arts
• Delivered in a highly readable style with students and scholars of both Egyptology and Graeco-Roman studies in mind
• Provides a chronological table at the start of each volume to help readers orient chapters within the wider historical context