CONTENTS

1 LAND AND PEOPLE

• The German People: A Brief History

• The German People Today

• Germany’s Cities

• American Influence

• The Eurozone

• The European Migrant Crisis

2 VALUES AND ATTITUDES

• Ordnung Muss Sein

• Bildung—Culture and Education

• Truth and Duty

• Duty (Pflichtbewusstsein)

• The Work Ethic

• Authority and Status

• Private and Public

• Social Cohesion and Tolerance

3 CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

• National and Religious Festivals

• Annual Fairs

• Family Occasions

• Historical Celebrations

4 MAKING FRIENDS

• Work and Social Life

• Du and Sie

• Greetings In Shops

• Attitudes Toward Foreigners

• Joining Clubs

• Invitations Home

• Entertaining

• Gift Giving

• Manners Makyth Man

5 THE GERMANS AT HOME

• Ecological Awareness

• Living Conditions

• Daily Life and Routines

• Bounds and Boundaries

• “Kinder, Küche, Kirche” (“Children, Kitchen, Church”)

• Schools and Schooling

• TV and Radio

• Complaining

• Are You Stammtisch?

• Changing Lifestyles

• Sunday Closing

• Restaurants, Food, and Drink

• High Culture

• Popular Culture

• Countryside Pursuits

7 TRAVEL, HEALTH, AND SAFETY

• Getting Caught

• Drinking and Driving

• Car and Driver’s Licenses

• Local Transportation

• Where To Stay

• Health and Security

8 BUSINESS BRIEFING

• Office Etiquette and Protocol

• Management Styles

• Women In Management

• Leadership and Decision Making

• The Company Works Council

• Presentation and Listening Styles

• Meetings and Negotiation Styles

• Teamwork and Managing Disagreements

• German Economic Preeminence

• Be Prepared

9 COMMUNICATING

• Communication Styles

• Lost In Translation

• Seriousness and Humor

• Analysis and Detail

• Conversation

• Body Language

• Making Contact

• New Technology

Further Reading