Success in international business isn't just about products, service, terms and delivery schedules. Success is also about people, traditions and relationships, the same factors that can make all the difference in the success of a non-business traveler's trip. Although business operations have become highly internationalized, national traditions, attitudes and beliefs remain diverse. Passport to the World books are comprehensive guides to culture, etiquette and communication styles. Engagingly written by people who know the countries firsthand, Passports pinpoint cultural and economic trends and explain them within a historical context. Whether discussing nations that are in the process of rapid change (Israel, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Germany) or countries in which ancient traditions remain the most steadfast (India, China, Mexico, Philippines), Passport books are an excellent pocket-sized resource. Passport to the World books will help you avoid cultural mistakes, learn about a country's values and beliefs, and develop a negotiating style appropriate to the setting. Passports are designed to be of interest to businesspeople, non-business travelers, educators, students, trade missions, embassies, multi-cultural international corporations and chambers of commerce--in short, to anyone interacting with a culture other than their own. Each book is custom illustrated and follows a consistent series format.

Sofia comes from a family of storytellers. Here are her tales of growing up in the barrio in McAllen, Texas, full of the magic and mystery of family traditions: making Easter cascarones, celebrating el Dia de los Muertos, preparing for quinceañera, rejoicing in the Christmas nacimiento, and curing homesickness by eating the tequila worm. When Sofia is singled out to receive a scholarship to boarding school, she longs to explore life beyond the barrio, even though it means leaving her family to navigate a strange world of rich, privileged kids. It’s a different mundo, but one where Sofia’s traditions take on new meaning and illuminate her path.

“The Amazing Race" meets Around the World in 80 Days as a woman desperate to save her family bookstore falls for her competition. Born and raised in New York City, Ramona Keene dreams of attending photography school and traveling to Paris, but her reality never quite catches up with her imagination. Instead, she works at her uncles' quaint bookstore, where the tea is plentiful and all the adventures are between the covers of secondhand books. But when the new landlord arrives with his Evil Nephew in tow, Romy's quiet life comes crashing down. He plans to triple the rent, something her uncles can't afford. In order to earn the money to help save the bookstore, Romy applies for a job at ExLibris Expeditions, a company that re-creates literary journeys. Romy snags the oddest internship ever: retrace Phileas Fogg's journey from Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days and plan a suitable, contemporary adventure for a client. The task is close to impossible; sticking to the original route means no commercial aircraft permitted, and she’s got a lot less than eighty days to work with. Shaking off her fear of leaving home, Romy takes on the challenge, only to discover she’s got competition. Worse, Dominic Madison turns out to be the – unfortunately hot – nephew of her family’s worst enemy. Can Romy win the race and circle the globe in time to save the bookstore? And what happens when she starts to fall for the very person who may just be the death of her dreams?

Passport Mexico contains detailed information about Mexican business practices, negotiating styles, customs and business etiquette.

Author Desi Downey had never been out of the States and rarely out of the Midwest when her husband's job was transferred to China. Without a clue--and virtually overnight--Downey was thrust into a new and bewildering existence. Ni Howdy is Downey's nitty-gritty, down-to-earth, and hilarious account of how she triumphed over the trials and tribulations of becoming accustomed to daily life in a foreign country. From the horror of her first encounter with the primitive "squatty potty" to the difficulties of grocery shopping, Downey paints a vivid and humorous picture of her experiences. With no-holds-barred candid wit, Downey writes frankly about herself, her fellow expatriates, and the Chinese people, zeroing in on both the differences and similarities of two vastly different cultures. Dispelling all those old stereotypical myths about East vs. West, Ni Howdy brings two incredibly diverse cultures together with laughter and heartwarming anecdotes.

This is the first in a one-of-a-kind, spectacularly well-written mystery series featuring Buck Schatz, an 87-year-old retired Memphis cop. When an old adversary escapes Germany with a fortune in stolen gold, Buck decides to hunt down the fugitive and claim the loot.