Essential Guides to Culture

For thousands of years, the Chinese believed that they had created a perfect social system based on Confucian values, tempered by the "Mandate of Heaven." Since the twentieth century, change has taken place in Chinese society at an unprecedented speed, as the country experienced the turmoil of civil war and revolution before emerging on to the world stage as a global superpower. Culture Smart! China puts these changes into an historical context, explains cultural attitudes, and guides you through the maze of unfamiliar social situations.

Malaysia presents visitors with an exciting and fascinating medley of cultures—Malay, Chinese, Indian, Arab, Eurasian, Dayak, and aboriginal. Though very much a modern nation state, its diverse communities retain a considerable amount of their unique heritage and, in its customs, religions, festivals, costume, cuisine, languages, and architecture, Malaysian society perfectly illustrates the virtues of a vibrant pluralism.