Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English behavior

Kate Fox is an anthropologist who works with Desmond Morris and has a flair for humorous-serious writing. Her recent book, Watching the English ,was one of the first things I read after having moved to the UK from abroad (it was highly recommended to my husband by an Italian colleague of his). Besides finding it very enlightening I also found it immensely funny. It is a tad snobbish sometimes but that adds to the book's appeal: the author's own personal points-of-view give the book a unique dimension that transcends the interesting but plain anthropological study. I'd recommend it to anyone coming to live in the UK or just interested in this country's intriguing behaviour rules and codes of conduct.

Synopsis

In Watching The English anthropologist Kate Fox takes a revealing look at the quirks and habits of the English people. From the most famous national traits through to the most bizarre reflex reactions, she holds a mirror up to the English national character and finds a complex tribe, riddled with unspoken rules and unique codes of behaviour. Watching The English covers drinking, eating, shopping, driving, flirting, fighting, apologising and many more - all the things that make up a country world-renowned for its quirkiness. Through a mixture of anthropological analysis, observation and her own unusual experiments, Kate Fox shows how the peculiar idea of 'Englishness' has shaped itself over the years. Watching The English is written with an insider's knowledge but from an outsider's perspective. Combining anthropology with a dry wit and a writer's eye for detail, the behaviour of the English will never look the same again.