Dr. John J. Ivers, a professor of Languages & International Studies, and former college dean, intends not only to inform readers about profound cross-cultural differences, but attempts to do it in an interesting and entertaining manner. Ivers' work demonstrates how all people, in a sense, are victims of their cultural paradigms and how a deeper understanding of these manipulative models can lead to a more fulfilling existence and a more rational and healthy self-concept. He believes it is a sin to bore people and the cross-cultural material in the book is interspersed with stories from the ancient Greeks and Romans such as the Oracle at Delphi, the Vestal Virgins, and a number of accounts from the venerable Plutarch. He discusses archaeological and cultural mysteries from the jungles of Mesoamerica to the diverse subcontinent of India. The material in the book allows one to delve into the deeper psychological realm of our distinct cultural realities in an engaging and provocative way.
