Sixty million Frenchmen can't be wrong
I usually don't post book reviews on my blog, and I don't know whether this time is just a one off, but Sixty million Frenchmen can't be wrong is the kind of book most of us are not likely to actively seek or even encounter in most bookstores. It is, however, a book that deserves to be read. I came across this book almost by chance in a Canary Wharf bookstore while waiting for some friends. The fact that my friends did not turn up at all meant that I had read through quite a bit of the book before I finally decided to buy it and head home.
The blurb goes something like this: "They work 35 hour weeks and take seven weeks of paid vacation every year, and yet they have one of the largest, most productive economies in the world. They smoke, drink, and eat the most fat in the world, yet they live longer and have fewer heart problems than most of the world." The contrast instantly struck me. More so because the French have almost everything that we in the developing world so desire, and yet they don't work half as long as we do in a week. Of course, they're also pretty laid back with respect to the Americans, British, and other English-speaking societies and it is from their perspective that this book is written(The authors are French Canadians).
Another thing I noticed while reading the book was the number of parallels that I could draw between French and Indian culture as I read the book. I'm pretty sure that the authors never investigated the parallels between the Indians and the French, but if they did, they'd realise that as alien as they might be to each other, the Indians and French are very close in their attitude towards the State and each other. Like the French, Indians expect their State/Government to do a lot for them in their lives. This is highly unlike the Americans or the British, who are more comfortable taking the reins into their own hands. Also, the French have a close bond to their land despite living in a highly developed and industrial society. The reason that the French system works so much better than the Indian state is the sheer difference in the numbers the Indian state must support. The French government also seems to have a highly developed sense of social responsibility (what the authors refer to as Interet General, or general interest).
The book also does a good job at explaining a lot of the idiosyncracies (or rather the things we think of as idiosyncracies) of the French and the French societal structure. For instance, it explains why French politicians seem to get away even after outrageous claims are proven against them. Or why it is that most foreigners tend to get the raw end of the deal when they approach sales clerks or government service counters in French cities.
The book is divided into three parts: Spirit, Structure, and Change in that order. Each of these parts is full of insights into the French mindset, their system, and what shaped them. My personal favorite would have to be the Spirit section if only so for the large number of anecdotes and events the authors quote in their bid to prove their point. That brings me to another great thing about this book. Unlike most other books about the French in English, this one is definitely well-researched. The authors do not chose to live their time in France in some quiet country house. They live in a working class Paris neighbourhood and make it a point to interact with the people around them to understand them better. Although the book isn't too objective, it does not pass any judgements on French society, which is a sad mistake most American authors make when approaching France/French as a subject. In other words, the authors do not set out to prove any stereotypes. If anything, they debunk some popular myths about the French along the way.
For those of you who are the least bit anthropologically inclined, or ever intend to visit France, this book is a must have. In fact, the cover of the edition I bought went so far as to quote a reviewer saying that the book is worth handing out at the Charles de Gaulle airport. I wholly agree with that view. We frequently tend to treat the French as just another western society. This book explains why we are so very, very wrong in doing that. The French are as different from the Britons or the Americans as chalk is from cheese. The book is also available through firstandsecond.com in India.
Unfortunately, I managed to leave my copy behind when I left for India. I was about 50 pages away from finishing the book. I'll get it back the next time I go, but meanwhile, if somebody buys a copy, do lend it to me.
The blurb goes something like this: "They work 35 hour weeks and take seven weeks of paid vacation every year, and yet they have one of the largest, most productive economies in the world. They smoke, drink, and eat the most fat in the world, yet they live longer and have fewer heart problems than most of the world." The contrast instantly struck me. More so because the French have almost everything that we in the developing world so desire, and yet they don't work half as long as we do in a week. Of course, they're also pretty laid back with respect to the Americans, British, and other English-speaking societies and it is from their perspective that this book is written(The authors are French Canadians).
Another thing I noticed while reading the book was the number of parallels that I could draw between French and Indian culture as I read the book. I'm pretty sure that the authors never investigated the parallels between the Indians and the French, but if they did, they'd realise that as alien as they might be to each other, the Indians and French are very close in their attitude towards the State and each other. Like the French, Indians expect their State/Government to do a lot for them in their lives. This is highly unlike the Americans or the British, who are more comfortable taking the reins into their own hands. Also, the French have a close bond to their land despite living in a highly developed and industrial society. The reason that the French system works so much better than the Indian state is the sheer difference in the numbers the Indian state must support. The French government also seems to have a highly developed sense of social responsibility (what the authors refer to as Interet General, or general interest).
The book also does a good job at explaining a lot of the idiosyncracies (or rather the things we think of as idiosyncracies) of the French and the French societal structure. For instance, it explains why French politicians seem to get away even after outrageous claims are proven against them. Or why it is that most foreigners tend to get the raw end of the deal when they approach sales clerks or government service counters in French cities.
The book is divided into three parts: Spirit, Structure, and Change in that order. Each of these parts is full of insights into the French mindset, their system, and what shaped them. My personal favorite would have to be the Spirit section if only so for the large number of anecdotes and events the authors quote in their bid to prove their point. That brings me to another great thing about this book. Unlike most other books about the French in English, this one is definitely well-researched. The authors do not chose to live their time in France in some quiet country house. They live in a working class Paris neighbourhood and make it a point to interact with the people around them to understand them better. Although the book isn't too objective, it does not pass any judgements on French society, which is a sad mistake most American authors make when approaching France/French as a subject. In other words, the authors do not set out to prove any stereotypes. If anything, they debunk some popular myths about the French along the way.
For those of you who are the least bit anthropologically inclined, or ever intend to visit France, this book is a must have. In fact, the cover of the edition I bought went so far as to quote a reviewer saying that the book is worth handing out at the Charles de Gaulle airport. I wholly agree with that view. We frequently tend to treat the French as just another western society. This book explains why we are so very, very wrong in doing that. The French are as different from the Britons or the Americans as chalk is from cheese. The book is also available through firstandsecond.com in India.
Unfortunately, I managed to leave my copy behind when I left for India. I was about 50 pages away from finishing the book. I'll get it back the next time I go, but meanwhile, if somebody buys a copy, do lend it to me.
posted by Arun at 9:05 AM
2 Comments:
I would've bought this, but 1stand2nd takes a bloody month to deliver. Methinks I'll just scout local shops.
True dat! But I sometimes do wonder. What will happen to the living standards of the world as a whole as globalisation grows. Are countries like India and China going to go the way Japan did? After all, the major Japanese car makers too started out as offshore assembly units for American car manufacturers. Or maybe its all going to fall apart any minute. I just can't make up my mind, especially because local demand for goods does not seem to be experiencing the sort of explosive growth that the japanese saw in the 70s. I'm afraid the Indian economy (and maybe even the Chinese) might just fizzle out in a few years without reaching its true potential. This sort of thing could happen if another great depression hits, which seems quite likely given the humongous size of American budgetary deficit (8 trillion dollars last I heard).
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