By By Miss American Pie
I don't really like to do the "America, Great Britain, compare and contrast, discuss" thing. For one reason I think it is for acolytes who have not lived here very long. And on principle, to me, if you make a place your home then you should cease comparing it to something else. When you do that you inherently give the compared to subject priority. I am making Great Britain my home and have no interest in giving the States a priority at this point. Your home just is: it is not the place that does not do this, or not have that. This is the main example why I do not court fellow American expat friends, although I have some and I think they are great (Kristen- the only gay in the village scenario ringing a bell?). In my experience, socialising with a large group of Americans (but not my friends of course) quickly degenerates into an oh my god can you believe they don’t have this or like, that they, you know have this crazy inefficient way of doing that, like whatever…(footnote 1)
I do think the differences are interesting although as I am more and more integrated I notice them less. But I had a moment whereby I recognised a difference in such a way that it was almost an epiphany because I had not been meandering on the subject and it isn't as subject that has much relevance to me either.
I have observed that British read non-fiction books about other great British. Or about British Military History (and it would have to be history now wouldn't it). They do not read books about how to be more monetarily or materialistically successful. How to be billionaires. How to manage your company better, how to manage your time better. Or the newest theory in how to manage or be highly effective in a manageable number of Steps. Americans read the following types of non-fiction: books on the latter sentences, current military events, or perhaps a biography or memoir of a political persona.
Americans are obsessed with becoming a person that a book is written about. The British merely want to read books that chronicle the life of their countryman who happened to accidentally and embarrassingly be successful in the probably non-management field.
Ps
I went to the amazon sites for the countries, and on the UK sight there were about 10 books on how not to be rude and write properly (note the irony), and none on politics or business in the top 15. In the US sight, there were 2 on politics, 1 on a business subject, and none on being rude.
FN 1 I have some expat friends and think the world of them and if they read this they will laugh because of course we have whinge sessions at times along the lines of what I just described. But dude, like hypocrisy is totally fun. If properly done.
I do think the differences are interesting although as I am more and more integrated I notice them less. But I had a moment whereby I recognised a difference in such a way that it was almost an epiphany because I had not been meandering on the subject and it isn't as subject that has much relevance to me either.
I have observed that British read non-fiction books about other great British. Or about British Military History (and it would have to be history now wouldn't it). They do not read books about how to be more monetarily or materialistically successful. How to be billionaires. How to manage your company better, how to manage your time better. Or the newest theory in how to manage or be highly effective in a manageable number of Steps. Americans read the following types of non-fiction: books on the latter sentences, current military events, or perhaps a biography or memoir of a political persona.
Americans are obsessed with becoming a person that a book is written about. The British merely want to read books that chronicle the life of their countryman who happened to accidentally and embarrassingly be successful in the probably non-management field.
Ps
I went to the amazon sites for the countries, and on the UK sight there were about 10 books on how not to be rude and write properly (note the irony), and none on politics or business in the top 15. In the US sight, there were 2 on politics, 1 on a business subject, and none on being rude.
FN 1 I have some expat friends and think the world of them and if they read this they will laugh because of course we have whinge sessions at times along the lines of what I just described. But dude, like hypocrisy is totally fun. If properly done.
posted by miss goLondon at 6:22 PM
2 Comments:
Interesting view. I think this book things is brits are brought up to feel stupid for not knowing our rich history and americans are brought up in an entrepeneurial environment.
I tend to agree on the comparison topic though. Living abroad you soon lose it after six months. But you never wake up and forget how bad the UK weather is once you've lived abroad though. Boy it sucks (and I'm british !)
ho ho ho
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