What Every American Should Know about the Rest of the World: Your Guide to Today's Hot Spots, Hot Shots and Incendiary Issues

by Melissa L. Rossi and Athena Dixon

Book Overview

Confused about the news? Slip out of the room when friends talk current events? Now you can keep up with ease and learn to talk like a diplomat.

Among the things you'll soon be able to slip into everyday conversation:

What is the difference between Kurdistan and Kazakhstan? Why did North Korea's leader kidnap his favorite actress? Why is Osama bin Laden so mad? Which countries still have slaves? Why is Kashmir "the most dangerous...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452284058
• ISBN13: 9780452284050
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Plume Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A Good Book To Have in the Bathroom.

The book contains interesting anecdotes and facts on various countries of the world. It is pretty hard to put down. Like GUINNESS WORLD'S RECORD, it needs to be located in the bathroom as short reading materials. The content is amusing and entertaining, something to occupy one's time in a more productive way.

A must-buy

Most of the time, a book this useful is a drag to read -- you feel like you're just taking your medicine, fighting through boring parts to get the information you want. But Rossi's book transcends all that, with a witty, even sarcastic tone that never lets you forget that this stuff isn't just numbers and statistics; it's the human story behind everything that makes the book so incredibly interesting. It's one thing to read about whether the actions of North Korea should concern you, it's another to read that Kim Il-Jong spends all his time getting drunk on expensive whiskey while still leaving his father (dead for eight years) as the official president of North Korea. Numbers don't tell the whole story! Anyone who wants to get an idea of what's going on in the world, where, when and WHY, should get this book. You'll keep it by your bed to read again and again.

Fantastic and on target.

Bravo! In these times when the big media (ahem, the FCC's vote last week...) make it hard for America to get full pictures of what's going on in the world, What Every American Should Know About the Rest of the World is a fantastic resource. Rossi provides a great range of important information, throws in humor to keep it digestible, and--best of all--enticed me not only to read the whole book but to dig deeper, check other resources, and continue learning about this wonderful and complicated world. Somebody send a copy to W.

A much needed book!

I try very hard to keep informed of world events, but it can be daunting to try and unravel all the history and facts behind the world's latest conflicts. So what's an American to do in this age of deregulated corporate media conglomerates and embedded journalists? Luckily we now have this guide to help fill in the blanks. While it never purports to be the last word on global politics, it IS a very helpful primer for learning more in depth. Read this entertaining and informative book, and then dive into some of the wonderful links Ms. Rossi has provided. I guarantee you'll astound and amaze your Canadian and European friends on your next vacation with your background knowledge. :-)Dare I call it Cliff Notes for Geopolitics? It's close! Buy it and send to your isolated friends across the United States, or send them to the companion site, armchairdiplomat.com