Ukraine (Culture Shock! A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette)

It's true what the Author says about the Ukrainian people. They are of very strong character and deserve better than they have fared. I found them to be generous, polite and warm. I was invited to several friends homes for dinner... and the customary, "after dinner" entertainment that Ms. Dalton talks about in her book.

If you are looking for a refreshing, entertaining, and sometimes, sad but true reality, of how life is in another part of the world. This book provides an accurate portrayal of such. The book is a great read, and Meredith Dalton is right on target with her interpretation of the modern day Ukrainian culture. It brought back many vivid memories of my own personal "Culture Shock."


Honest, in-depth, and genuinely appreciative of Ukraine   March 12, 2002
Christopher Culver
34 out of 35 found this review helpful

CULTURE SHOCK: UKRAINE ranks as one of the best installments of the Culture Shock series. Straightforward and very thorough, it gave this American reader a helpful introduction to Ukrainian culture. Written by an American, Meredith Dalton, who lived in Kyiv for some time, the book tells expatriates what they need to know for a smooth transition to living and working in Ukraine.

Ukraine is a very different country from the U.S., and things that Westerners would see as corruption and inefficiency are normal matters there. Dalton is very frank about how to deal with Ukrainian bureaucracy, how to maintain patience, and how to refrain from comparing everything to life back home. While she emphasizes to the reader that Ukraine may be a difficult and sometimes infuriating country for outsiders, she is always respectful of the Ukrainian culture and way of life. This is one of the few books in the Culture Shock series that are so admirably dedicated to preventing culture shock.

Meredith Dalton also tackles the delicate issue of ethnicity in Ukraine, and explains how, for some people, the country is polarised into a Ukrainian-speaking half and a Russian-speaking half. However, she also shows how the country is in most respects a united culture in spite of language differences.

I felt the section on Ukrainian cuisine could have been a bit more in-depth. Also, the book is geared towards future residents of Kyiv or Lviv, the two cities to which foreigners are most likely to move. As a result, Ukrainian village life is hardly mentioned. However, the meagreness of these topics left Dalton ample room for discussion of Ukrainian custom, etiquette, and superstition.

All in all, CULTURE SHOCK: UKRAINE is an essential resource for anyone vacationing in Ukraine or moving there. One of the best Culture Shock guides.


ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY   March 28, 2001
Kristine Poptanich (Washington, DC)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I read this book on the flight over to a three month internship in Ukraine. Every page is filled with useful things to know and customs that you need to know. I would not have felt nearly as comforatable without it. I will always look for Culture Shock books when I travel now because this book was an aboslute necessity.


Very good   September 16, 2004
Victoria (Honolulu, Hawaii)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

this is a really good book about Ukraine. It talks about everything you can imagine-customs, laws, people, even jokes. Its very accurate and definately brought back some memories for me. If you are traveling to Ukraine and want some insights into ukrainian lifestyle and people this is the book for you.


Outdated, but accurate   October 24, 2007
E. Herold (Pa)
Although some of the information is outdated in places like Kyiv, great insight to some of the other places. I wish she had more to say about the Western (Traditional Ukrainian) half, but still well worth it.