Recommended!

Watching the English
by Kate Fox

"Kate Fox writes a fantastically detailed examination of English social stucture, that explains the perception of the English as "Cold" or "Unfriendly". She does it with sharp-witted and humorous writing that has a useful social-anthropological edge that gives substance to her claims. There are several hilarious (and still useful) sections on the english use of Irony, the rules of Queing "
(extract from  )

This is superb!

I'm just over halfway done with this one, but I have to confess I'm finding it a bit blah.  She seems to classify things as "typically English" that are not any different from the way things were where I grew up  I don't know if my upbringing was more English than I ever knew or if there really just isn't that much difference between the two after all.

She also has a habit of calling things "typically American" that I don't know a soul in the US who wouldn't call them rude.

I'm really glad somebody else here is reading it!

I've already read it....although my upbringing was quite 'British', including stints in both Scotland and England, I did find some of the chapters quite enlightening!

haha i just tooted this books horn in the 'what ya reading' thread - i've got a copy in Bristol if anyone would like to borrow it after June