Everyone should read this book. I wish I'd read it when I was MUCH younger. ( )

Everyone should read this book. I wish I'd read it when I was MUCH younger. ( )

Notes
"Brilliant book. Thoroughly enjoyed it and want more. This is the one who created the theory of 'high context' vx 'low context' cultures.

Hall was one of the sources my Cross-Cultural Communications professor at AGSIM drew on, and I've always wanted to read him. In this book, Hall discusses the concept of context as an human behavioral influence. A high-context situation is one in which much of the communication is non-verbal or understood because of the shared context. He characterizes societies as being typically low-context, which are typical of northern Europe, and high-context, most dramatically represented by Japan. Context even affects language, and human speech patterns will change, depending upon who they are speaking to and the context of the communication. I liked the idea of ‘action chains,’ which is a sequence of events in which two or more individuals participate. Shaking hands is a simple chain, becoming engaged is a more complex one. Again, different cultures vary in their emphasis on completing action chains. An American may be very casual about dropping an ongoing chain, which may be very negatively received in other cultures.
His chapter “Culture as an Irrational Force” is full of good common-sense advice on getting along with other people. Hall has provided advice to diplomats and corporate executives, and his book is very practical. While it delves into theory, it always has a concrete application.
He has some very strong political opinions on human institutions and the state of academia. “Bureaucracies have no soul, no memory, and no conscience.”" ( )

"A fascinating book that no one should do 'himself' the disservice of failing to read. Beyond Culture not only will increase the reader's knowledge, but also will enlarge 'his' mind. Opening up new dimensions of understanding and equipping the reader with new capacities for perception, the book is an eye-opening experience that will reward the reader with high dividends...Hall's book helps us to rethink our values in these and so many other matters constructively. We come away from it exhilirated."
-Ashley Montagu
Chicago Daily News ( )