In this book, Dr. Zhou rethinks the evolution of the American history and criticizes the values and styles of life held by Americans. The focus on the cultural aspects of ordinary American people found in this book is unusual among Chinese scholars; and he seeks to make contributions to developing the cross-cultural communicative competence and the global horizon of young Chinese. Like any other writer of an introductory book, he exerts himself to make connections with other fields and find appropriate examples from the literature or his research experience. I think that Americans and Their Culture is an exciting book which goes far towards providing Chinese university students with a new perspective from which to understand the American culture. Though the book is aimed at undergraduate courses and introductory graduate seminars on the American history and culture, researchers interested in selected topics should be able to read selectively without feeling lost.

Foreword

Chapter 1 Views about America, Americans and Their Culture

 1.1 Views of Westerners

1.1.1 A Free Nation and a Slave Nation

1.1.2 Enlightened People and Outlandish People

 1.2 Views of East Asians

1.2.1 Japanese: From Learner to Megalomaniac to Follower

1.2.2 Chinese: From Naive Fantast to Estranger-Antagonist to Rival-Partner

 1.3 Exploration of American Culture

1.3.1 Characteristics of American Culture

1.3.2 Five Symbols of American Culture

1.3.3 Ten Pieces of Advice for Exploring American Culture

Chapter 2 Facts about Americans and Their Country

 2.1 Favorable Natural-Historical Geography

2.1.1 Exceptional Natural Geography

2.1.2 Ambitious Colonization

 2.2 Unique Cultural Heritages

2.2.1 Do Americans Have No Tradition?

2.2.2 Where Does the American Spirit Come from?

Chapter 3 Americans and Their Values

 3.1 Basic Values

3.1.1 Individual Freedom，Self-Reliance and Privacy

3.1.2 Equality，Opporuniff and Competition

3.1.3 Material Wealth，Hard Work and Play

 3.2 Foundations of the Values

3.2.1 Heritages from Europe

3.2.2 Individual Freedom，Self-Improvement and “Vocation” from Protestantism

3.2.3 Rugged Individualism，Equality and Effort-Optimism from the Frontier Heritage

3.2.4 Diligence，Competition and Material Wealth from Abundant Resources and Commercialization

Chapter 4 American Perception，Thinking and Verbal and Non.Verbal Behaviors

 4.1 American Perception

 4.2 American Thinking

4.2.1 Origin

4.2.2 Characteristics of American Thinking

 4.3 American Verbal and Non-Verbal Behaviors

4.3.1 Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis and American English

4.3.2 Comparison between American English and British English

4.3.3 American Non-Verbal Behavior

Chapter 5 Patterns of Sodal Relations and Behavior of Americans

 5.1 Social Identity and Interpersonal Relationships

5.1.1 Social Identity and Sense of Equality

5.1.2 Interpersonal Relationships and Rules

5.1.3 Friendships and live Affairs

 5.2 Problem-Solving and Cooperation in Competition

5.2.1 Facing Up to the Music

5.2.2 Cooperation in Competition

 5.3 Time and Space Orientations

5.3.1 Sense of Time

5.3.2 Sense of Space and Tactility

Chapter 6 Selfhood, American Dream and Materialism

 6.1 Selfhood

6.1.1 Concept of Self

6.1.2 Individuality and Changeability

 6.2 American Dream and Materialism

6.2.1 American Dream

6.2.2 American Materialism

Bibliography

General Index