Jamaica - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

I just got back from Jamaica and found this book to be spot-on as a cultural guide. If you're going to an all-inclusive resort you may not need it, but we were on our own and I found the advice really worthwhile. It's an inexpensive and useful way to do your research before you go to Jamaica. I recommend it as a valuable adjunct to a tour guide.

The "Jamaica - Culture Smart" guide was written by a native Jamaican and veteran BBC corrspondent who knows the country and its people well. The guide is a no-frills briefing on all aspects of the country, invaluable for anyone planning to spend time in country as a tourist or on business.If you're looking for great storytelling or personal vignettes, this book isn't for you. It's a factbook, written in an easy-to-read, straightforward style.Highly recommended.

I bought this book and took it with me to Jamaica.. It was helpful as far as the culture and how to interact with the people.However, there was only one small map and it is not very detailed. We kept trying to look at it to figure out where we were, and there wasn't much to go on.Overall, cute little book. Needs a better map

Provides good general information for travelers. Does not go into specific detail, but that level of detail is not the focus. Still gives a good background on many aspects of the island, history, people, and culture.

This book is good for someone like me that wants to know about someplace they are going to before arriving. I learned alot about the people and the country. Learned why the country did have a bad name for awhile for tourists.

interesting book

I am amazed at how little I knew about Jamaica. This goes really deep into the history and the culture. A great companion to The Harder They Come DVD about Jimmy Cliff.

This is an excellent interesting book about Jamaica. I liked this book because I learned many things about Jamaica that I did not know before reading this book. I read this book for my personal pleasure and personal knowledge. Some of the interesting facts that the author of this book mentions in this book include the following information: Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean. Jamaica lies some 90 miles South of Cuba. Jamaica is 146 miles long and just 51 miles wide at its widest point. The land rises steeply up to 7500 feet at its highest point. Jamaica has an abundance of cook shops- takeout places that sell a wide variety of local food. These are generally no-frills eateries. McDonalds's was unsuccessful on the island, so they left Jamaica in 2005. The Jamaican pastry is a flaky pastry that contains various fillings. It is made like a turnover. People in Jamaica often identity foreigners by their speed more than anything else. Many Jamaicans don't hide their feelings, and their directness is often misinterpreted as aggression. Eating breakfast together as a family is common in Jamaica, especially when there are young children.

Excellent book. Condition of the book was like new.

I am 4th Gen. Canadian and married to a wonderful Jamaican man for over 40 years. I have visited Jamaica many times over the years beginning in the early 70's to the present. I have also visited many other places in the world during a long life. Jamaican trips have been from 1 month to 6 weeks and we have visited my husband's relatives and good friends in locations at many places on the island. Much time has been spent at the home of our friends [who are like family] in Kingston and a sister living in Kingston. This brief but very accurate description of the people and culture [including culture in the anthropological sense] I find to be a very accurate and an excellent reference for potential "adventurous" visitors who travel outside the boundaries of the all inclusive resorts. In short I love this easy to read book as I do the Island, people and one of the most vibrant talented places in the world.

Great book

very good book , lots of info in this book , that i was looking for.

Very much a personal and selective guide to Jamaica, but non the worse for it!Serves as a basic introduction to the island and may be all most holiday makers need.Written in a very user friendly way, full of interesting trivia and historical facts. Nothing too detailed but enough to leave you wanting more......The book covers all the main areas of interest - a potted history of the island, the diferrent peoples that make up modern day Jamaica, how they dress, what they eat and - of course - the music they make!The format is sized to be travel maker friendly, with good use of photos, breaking up the text, making it easy to read and digest.Contains plenty of useful advice, including what to eat and where to visit. Also gives an insight into the sexual culture of the island - which - depending on how adventurous you are - may be of considerable use!Basically, Jamaican's aren't shy!A useful book, easy to read and easy to pocket or poke away in a spare corner of a suitcase.Would be a great book to buy for anyone planning on visiting Jamaaica!