The Bonjour Effect

Why do the French enjoy starting a conversation with an argument? Why do they love talking about the decline of their country? Why do they claim to hate their jobs even when they don't, and fall silent if anyone so much as mentions money? Conversation is an art form in France, guided by a complex set of rules, codes, conventions and taboos fit to make the bravest foreigner reach for the cognac. In The Bonjour Effect, the bestselling authors and journalists Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoit Nadeau take a `hugely engaging' (France Today) tour through French culture, to reveal that talking to the French is not about communicating or being nice: it's about being interesting. With their extensive experience living and travelling in France, and dealing with everyone from shopkeepers and waiters to doctors and business associates, they teach us how to navigate the choppy waters of French culture and make a little language go a long way. Even if you only have un petit peu de French, after reading The Bonjour Effect you will be able to hold your own when you next walk into a bistro on the Left Bank.