Why the Dutch are Different

Posted on 22 November 2018 by Ben Coates

The first book to offer an in depth look at hidden Holland and the fascinating people that live there, Why the Dutch are Different is an entertaining book about a country unlike any other The Netherlands are a tiny nation that punch above their weight on the world stage, where prostitutes are entitled to sick pay and prisons are closing due to lack of demand After a chance encounter, Ben Coates left behind life in London to move to the Netherlands, where he learned the language, worked for Dutch company and married a Dutch wife He takes readers into the heart of his adopted country, going beyond the usual tourist attractions and cliches to explore what it is that makes the Dutch the Dutch, Holland not the Netherlands and the colour orange so important A travelogue, a history and a personal account of a changing country Ben Coates tells the tale of an Englishman who went Dutch and liked it. Free Read Why the Dutch are Different By Ben Coates For Kindle ePUB or eBook – kino-fada.fr The Dutch are different.One Christmas my mother gave my Dutch grandfather a gift pack of expensive soap He opened his lovingly wrapped present, looked up at my mother and asked, in all sincerity Do you think I smell.This incident brought up many times over the years since didn t translate well into polite British New Zealand culture, but if my mother had read Ben Coates fascinating book Why the Dutch are Different she would have understood that Grandad was just being direct, open and bl The Dutch are different.One Christmas my mother gave my Dutch grandfather a gift pack of expensive soap He opened his lovingly wrapped present, looked up at my mother and asked, in all sincerity Do you think I smell.This incident brought up many times over the years since didn t translate well into polite British New Zealand culture, but if my mother had read Ben Coates fascinating book Why the Dutch are Different she would have u...Disappointingly crappy, to be distinguished from amusingly crappy and actually crappy.I do not entirely curse the river of time since I read a good chunk of the book in a modified flamingo pose standing on one leg, leaning forward diet of shrimp optional view spoiler at least in my opinion hide spoiler and since the book was not in fact squeezed out of an animal s rear end, I didn t need to wash my hands, well just a bit.The book has a nice cover though in my opinion , full marks for th Disappointingly crappy, to be distinguished from amusingly crappy and actually crappy.I do not entirely curse the river of time since I read a good chunk of the book in a modified flamingo pose standing on one leg, leaning forward diet of shrimp optional view spoiler at least in my opinion hide spoiler and since the book was not in fact squeezed out of an animal s rear end, I didn t need to w...While the historical parts were interesting the book would be better if the author had experiencedparts of the country The book is not so much about the Netherlands culture and society as it is about Rotterdam.Ben Coates hadn t meant to go to the Netherlands, a flight was diverted and he ended up in Schiphol Airport with no hope of a flight out for a few days Somewhere at the back of his mind he recalled having a contact in the country, so he gave her a ring to see if she could put him up for a couple of nights.He s never left.When people think of the Netherlands, several national stereotypes would spring to mind windmills, bicycles, tulips and Edam and that it was called Holland These quintessenti Ben Coates hadn t meant to go to the Netherlands, a flight was diverted and he ended up in Schiphol Airport with no hope ...Some interesting bits and some witty observations but can t help feeling there is an underlying tone of condescension and some rather sexist remarks about women.I chose to read Ben Coates Why the Dutch are Different A Journey Into the Hidden Heart of the Netherlands as part of my Around the World in 80 Books challenge I found out quite recently that I have Dutch ancestry, and was quite excited to read about the Netherlands What I found was a book quite unlike what I was expecting, which offers quite a strange blend of travelogue and history I found that the two do not really blend together very well in Coates execution of them, and there is quite I chose to read Ben Coates Why the Dutch are Different A Journey Into the Hidden Heart of the Netherlands as part of my Around the World in 80 Books challenge I found out quite recently that I have Dutch ancestry, and was quite excited to read about the Netherlands What I found was a book quite unlike what I was expecting, which offers quite a strange blend of travelogue and history I found that the two do not really blend together very well in Coates execution of them, and there is ...Humorous and informative account of the Dutch and the Netherlands Rotterdam in particular and its history, geography and politics with some personal anecdotes thrown in Some really interesting facts a...Ok, neither good nor bad, although I am a little bit disappointed.Our next exchange student is coming from the Netherlands This book gave us a lot of insights into the Dutch perspective and their history Well written, easy to follow and understand.An interesting book, I grabbed it on my way back from Amsterdam at Schiphol airport, and it s an interesting take on all that is Dutch, especially one staring with a strange lens from Arabia.

English
22 November 2018

Ben Coates