Heavy reading

The first thing that struck me me about this book was its size. It’s a weighty tome. In fact, according to Amazon.com, its 560 pages weigh 2.4 pounds. I haven’t checked this on my bathroom scales, but I take their word for it. Before seeing the extent of the job I had taken on, I rather rashly agreed to write a review of it. If anyone out there in cyberspace has any opinions on this book, I’d love to hear from you. I must admit that I’m struggling a bit.

I feel quite a sense of responsibility, as this is likely to be an influential work that will define the landscape for intercultural professionals. A massive amount of effort has obviously gone into creating it, so I want to do justice to the authors and the editor. At a list price of $130, it also doesn’t come cheap, and so I want to inform potential purchasers, whether they be individuals or more likely libraries, about the value (or lack of it) of their investment. The publisher is highly respected for publications on intercultural matters, and there are some very well-known names amongst the more than 40 authors of individual chapters. On the back cover there is even an impressive endorsement by Desmond Tutu: "This much needed handbook provides the latest scholarship and work on intercultural competence, which is so vitally necessary in pursuit of mutual understanding and peace in today’s world."

This is what the publisher says about the book:

Bringing together leading experts and scholars from around the world, this Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the latest theories and research on intercultural competence. It will be a useful and invaluable resource to administrators, faculty, researchers, and students. Key Features: Covers intercultural competence from a variety of cultural perspectives (including Arab, Chinese, and Indian) Applies intercultural competence to different fields such as business, health care, and education Provides guidance on researching and assessing intercultural competence

This all sounds very interesting to me, and it is great to see how much has happened in the field since I started getting professionally involved in intercultural competence development 20 years ago.

On closer examination, I fear it may be a deeply flawed work. The authors are almost exclusively from academia and, although there are contributors from other countries, it has a strong US bias. There seems to be little continuity of style, with a mixture of the academic and the anecdotal. Above all, I miss the practical connection to the experience of the business world. It seems like a worthy project which hasn’t quite met its ambitious goals.

By the way, the book is The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Competence, edited by Darla K. Deardorff, Sage, ISBN 9781412960458.

With a bit of luck, and some hard work on my part, you’ll be able to read my more extensive review on the website of the Delta Academy later in the year.