Rule Makers, Rule Breakers

Why are clocks in Germany so accurate while those in Brazil are frequently wrong? Why do New Zealand's women have the highest number of sexual partners? Why is the driver of a Jaguar more likely to run a red light than the driver of a plumber's van?In search of a common answer, Michele Gelfand has spent two decades conducting research in more than fifty countries. Across all age groups, family variations, social classes, businesses, states and nationalities, she has identified a primal pattern that can trigger cooperation or conflict. Her fascinating conclusion: behaviour is highly influenced by the perception of threat. It's why certain nations seem predisposed to tangle with others; some American states identify as 'Red' and others as 'Blue'; and those attending a sports contest, health club, or school function behave in prescribed ways.Consistently riveting and always illuminating, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers reveals how to predict national variations around the globe, why some leaders innovate and others don't, and even how the relative tightness or looseness of a society's cultural norms can determine happiness.