Book: Wattley-Ames, Helen. Spain Is Different. Yarmouth, Me.: Intercultural Press, 1999. 

Pages:133

Point: Spain as a location, culture, and people is absolutely unique.

Path: The author leads the reader through a maze of cultural confrontations between the standard citizen of Spain and that of the United States. The concept of Spain as a country is considered in chapter 1. Chapter 2 deals with society structure and the individual. Relationships , communication, and work take up the next three chapters. The final chapter addresses the Spaniard and his diversion.

The chapters include a spanish point of view and an “american” point of view. Each chapter ends with a probable scenario of a confrontation between the two cultures and offers choices on how to handle it.

Sources: The author spent extensive time in Spain and then interviewed a variety of Spaniards and Americans.

Agreement: I appreciated the work of the author. Although describing a culture automatically includes generalizations, I felt that the author did a good job at expressing both cultures. I think that reading this book will give me a better understanding of the Spaniard and his/her culture.

Personal App: Am I willing to adjust my personal culture as I see how others live and think? Perhaps my way isn’t the best.

Favorite Quote: “Spain’s worth resides in what it is, much less than in what it produces by the labor of its people.” Fernando de la Torre (121).

Stars: 4 out of 5

It would be worth another read and I would recommend it.

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