The Culture Code: An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around the World Live and Buy as They Do,   ISBN:9780767920575

Customer Rating: 

Good insight into why we think and act as we do, but the author does not write an in-depth depiction of any one subject. Instead, he only covers items in general, and does not do as great of a job as I expected comparing US culture to other cultures. Overall, it is a good read with some good insight.

Customer Rating: 

Among a lot of things, Rapaille explains why you like or dislike the taste of coffee in the morning, and why Americans prefer action over consideration and evaluation.

Many of us (particularly academics that want theories published in peer-reviewed journals), will not like what he has to say about why we do certain things, but sometimes the brutal truth cuts to the quick and forces us out of denial. At the least his proclamations will provoke discussion and introspection.

Rapaille's book unfortunately does not have an outline or flow chart. You will learn much more about yourself and the choices you make and have made, if you also watch his interview videos on the 'net.

Customer Rating: 

Essential reading for anyone interested in the difference between the American (adolescent) psyche and the Europeon(adult) one. I am interested in how the codes affect group interaction and how it triggers hot button reactions. The three areas of the brain are utilized by Rapaille in a unique and insightful manner. Excellent book. I highly recommend it to all.

Customer Rating: 

I would have hoped I read this book back in college so that I may have been able to understand myself and the world better way back then.

Our cultures present "hidden" codes that when understood will allow for better understanding the world over. I could not believe that marketers have used this for over 30 years and we are only beginning to hear of it these days.

Though the codes appear simple. They are accurately right on point. I sure hope Dr. Rapaille develops another book that articulates more the Asian codes as we begin to enter the Asian century.

Thank you!

Customer Rating: 

The core idea of this pleasant, accessible book is easy to grasp: Culturally specific codes shape people's understandings, behaviors and emotional responses. French-born psychoanalyst and marketing maven Clotaire Rapaille brings a useful perspective shaped by his experiences as a U.S. immigrant to his discussion of what he calls "Culture Codes." His methods for tapping into these codes are straightforward. However, some of his conclusions lead to fairly sweeping, general claims about overall national cultures. His explanations of coded cultural instincts and actions are still interesting, particularly when he delves specifically into American, French, English, German, Japanese and other societies. getAbstract suggests his book to those interested in cultural differences and those responsible for tailoring marketing concepts to reach specific national audiences around the world.