Lanier Alison R. Living in the USA

Intercultural Press, 2005, 265 с.Living in the USA critical read offering fresh, objective look at US diversity. Well organized with abundant and useful information easy to find.
Short-term visitors to the U.S. will find advice for surviving customs and immigration, finding an apartment, doing business, obtaining health care, and navigating the supermarket, bank and post office. If you plan to stay longer, you will find practical pointers for getting along at work, school, and at home; buying a house; making and keeping American friends; and understanding dominant American values in a diverse and complex society. Living in the U.S.A. is a comprehensive guide to attitudes, customs, manners and daily life in the United States.Acknowledgments xiii
Original Preface xv
Introduction xvii
Part i: American intangibles
chapter
First Impressions
Pace
People
Size
Climate
Chapter
Dominant U.S.American Values
Egalitarianism
Directness
Silence
Public and Private Selves
Social Distance and Touching
Americans in Motion
Controlling Nature
Personal Progress and Changing Jobs
Materialism
Parochialism
Chapter
American Cocultures
Ethnic Differences
African Americans
Latino Americans
Asian Americans
Native Americans
Other Groups
Class
Part iI: American institutions
chapter
American Social Life
Friendships
Parties
Invitations
Announcements
When to Arrive and Leave
Drinking Alcohol
Dinner in a Home
Relationships between Men and Women
Chapter
American Civic Life
The American Political System
Majority-Minority Politics
The American Way of Giving
Volunteerism
Chapter
American Religious Life
Chapter
American Family Life
What’s in a Name?
Gay and Lesbian Families
Single Parents and Blended Families
Americans and Their Pets
Chapter
American Business Life
Labor Unions
Women in the Working World
Job Sharing and Part-Time Work
Attitudes toward Foreign Investments in the U.S
risk Takers and Experimenters
Time
Letting Emotions Show
Directness and Confrontation
Competition and Decision MakingNegotiating
Tax Compliance and Corporate Fraud
Life in the Office
Sexual Harassment
Part iii: Getting here and getting settled
chapter
Getting Here
Immigration and Customs
Dependents
Shipping Your Belongings
Clothes You Will Need
Chapter
Money and Banking
Coins and Bills
Banks
Taking Care with Cash and Valuables
Sending Money Abroad
Charge Accounts and Credit Cards
Tipping
Chapter
Medical Care
Before You Leave Home
Obtaining Medical Care
Medical Emergencies
Health Insurance
Chapter
Safety and Emergencies
Safety on the Streets
Safety and Unescorted Women
Security at Home
Fire and Other Emergencies
Liability and Homeowners’ or Renters’ Insurance
Chapter
Food and Food Customs
Hotels
Restaurants
Quick and Cheap
Bars and Pubs
Table of Contents ix
Hours of Meals
American Food Habits
The Language of Food
Smoking
Obesity
Health Food
Chapter
Staying in Touch with People
Postal Service
Packages
Telephones
Telegrams and Cables
E-Mail and Internet Access
Chapter
Transportation
On Foot
By Bus
By Subway (or Metro)
By Taxi
By Car
Part iv: For those who stay longer
chapter
Housing
How to Begin Looking
Renting a House or Apartment
Buying a House
Moving In
Chapter
Shopping: Getting the Most for Your Money
Food
Returning Merchandise
Warranties
Repairs
Telephone Sales
Installment Plans
Comparison Shopping and Reduced PricesBuying Secondhand
Internet, Catalogue, and Tv sales
Chapter
Household Help and Care of Young Children
Household Cleaning or Party Help
Childcare
Taxes on Household Employees
Chapter
Educating Your Children
The School Year
Nursery Schools and Preschools
Public Schools
Private and Parochial Schools
Relationships between Parents and School
After-School or Extracurricular Activities
Higher Education
Summer Camps and Jobs
Chapter
Raising Teenagers
Chapter
Finding Friends and Having Fun
The Land of Leisure Time?
Volunteering
Organizations and Interest Groups
Classes and Lectures
Museums
The Performing Arts
Sports
Watching Americans at Work
Chapter
Twenty-First-Century Issues
The Effect of September 11,
The Impact of the War in Iraq
The Rise of Religious Fundamentalism
Segregation, Polarization, and PerniciousDualism
Globalization and Corporate Power
Health Care and Retirement
Table of Contents xi
World Leadership
Energy,Water, and the Environment
Privacy
The Wealth Gap