MICHAEL ROMANOWSKIs and my book went into its third printing in January. We were thrilled. Now I see that JAMES SIRE, one of my favorite thinkers/authors (The Universe Next Door, Discipleship of the Mind, Naming the Elephant: Worldview and Concept) wrote a review of our book for Amazon! Excuse me, but I just gotta share this one! BLOWN AWAY! When the Berlin wall came down, I was invited to lecture and teach in most of the countries formerly closed to direct Western influence. I remember calling a friend who had been lecturing and teaching in many foreign countries. My main questions were what is the food like? I will be hosted by local families; where will I sleep? (Having been in the army, I knew about the food in one Asian country; I feared I might have the same reaction to food in Eastern Europe. Living on a U.S. army base, I did not have to eat much in private homes or even in public restaurants. In countries I could not locate in my mind without looking at a map, however, I would be at the mercy of my hosts for food and hospitality.) My whole travel and teaching experience extended off and on for over ten years. I am delighted to say that there was no reason to panic or even be nervous. My hosts were delightful, friendly, accommodating, everything a good host American style would be--and more. Still, I found some aspects of the cultures I encountered strange and, frankly, irrational by my standards. In some countries, the natives did not open their windows in hot weather because a draft was unhealthy. Sweating through the night is not pleasant. Of course, this illustration is trivial. Many situations are not--unsafe streets, uncertain travel, unknown rules such as no chewing gum (not trivial, so I understand, in one country), inappropriate clothing, sitting with the soles of your feet displayed, and hosts of others that seem not only strange but (to you) silly. Michael H. Romanowski and Teri McCarthy have been there and done that over and over and much, much more than I. Moreover they have reflected on their experience, drawn from their academic expertise and written an immensely useful book. Everyone planning on teaching in a foreign country or recovering from the shock of doing so should read this book. It would have helped me if I had read such a book before my own travels. The wisdom of their approach to teaching, however, is valuable for those who will never leave the comforts of their own culture. Self-evaluation of ones own goals and analysis of the worldviews of ones own culture are valuable for everyone. This book will help readers regardless of their role in society here and abroad.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 13:49:11 +0000
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