Book Discussion No.3

...opinion pieces for some of our favorite books...

The Pharos of Perception is a book about cultural competence. It provides guidance in developing the necessary skills for approaching and effectively understanding new cultures.

If you are an expatriate, a global citizen, working with other cultures, planning a relocation to a new environment, or looking for ways to develop your cross-cultural skills this is a very useful book.

It has been written to help you navigate complex cultural environments and provides a practical approach to building cultural competence.

The book is divided into eight chapters. The first chapter describes the importance of being culturally competent and the effect on personal and professional aspects of life. In chapter two the relationship between culture and identity is discussed, which provides a solid base for understanding how culture influences several aspects of the way we think and view the world. From chapters three to six, the book shares some important practices to enable you to develop strong cultural competence. These practices are the results of many years of learning and have been applied by international citizens, expatriates, and people that have the know-how of dealing effectively with other cultures. These practices are the core of competence development and the main topic of the book. In chapter seven the topic of Multi-cultural identity development is discussed, where specific methods for developing and handling multiple cultural identities are described. Lastly, in chapter eight a recommendation on how to approach the overall competence development is described.

...few words about the author...

Writer, engineer, and mentor Andy T. is the author of “The Pharos of Perceptions: Effective Practices for Exploring Cultures”. With several years of coaching and writing articles for websites and blogs, a large part of his work focuses on cross-cultural skill development and self-development that serves the greater good and allows every individual to bring the best in every situation.

For more than two decades Andy T. has traveled the globe, working and living for an extended period in different countries. His understanding of different cultures and human interactions has allowed him to drive strategic assignments for multinational corporations and lead cross-cultural teams.

Andy T. can usually be found photographing nature or the night sky. Writing a book on how to approach other cultures was always his dream, and with “The Pharos of Perceptions” it became a reality. He enjoys playing tennis and reading books. He lives in Denmark together with his wife.