Living and Working in France: Chez Vous En France (Living & Working in France)

I am not even a quarter of the way through (I read at least 5-6 books at a time) kinda like when I was in school. Works for me. She has an interesting style that keeps you reading and makes the information easy to understand. Glad I bought the book!

The emphasis of this book is for people who want to start a business. There is an analysis of each department's plusses and minuses vis a vis opening one's own firm, and the information in that section may be useful for readers whose emphasis is NOT self-employment.

French-born author Genevive Brame acknowledges the cold reputation of her own people, but promises that they would welcome anyone who takes the time to learn about French culture and customs. Thus she brings us Living and Working in France, a survival guide for anyone planning to work, live, visit or study in France. This primer on the minutiae of everyday French life, including government, communication, media, real estate, weather, shopping, schools, driving, and healthcare puts France under a microscope while teaching new expats how to accept and be accepted in French culture.

Readers may be surprised by the many similarities between American culture and French life, and even more surprised by the differences. For example, in this country where cooking is a culinary art, even rapid meals are enjoyed sitting down at a table. Practical bits of advice like this can help readers avoid the occasional faux pas, but the most important step one can take to fit into French culture is to learn the language. "Immerse yourself linguistically," Brame writes. "Take the opportunity to speak, without restraint, and learn French, without being a perfectionist." Chock full of French phrases, the book offer quick learners the opportunity to learn some key phrases before their planes touch down in Paris. It also features a list of informative Websites, a timeline of French history, maps, and a metric conversion table.