cover image Brit-Think, Ameri-Think: A Transatlantic Survival Guide

Brit-Think, Ameri-Think: A Transatlantic Survival Guide

Jane Walmsley. Penguin Books, $12.95 (144pp) ISBN 978-0-14-009367-4

An American broadcaster and journalist who lives in London with her British husband, Walmsley observes that Yanks and Brits have distinctly different ""attitudes and aspirations.'' Here she catalogues some of those differences, and the subjects include pets (``What Joan Collins is to Yanks' fantasies, sheepdogs are to Brits' ''); humor (``The vastly popular Johnny Carson Show laid a U.K. egg''); sports (cricket is ``an exercise of such subtlety that only life long devotees can tell when the ball is actually in play''); consumerism (``British salespeople are very attached to merchandise and try hard to keep it in the store''); and public appeal (``To succeed in America, you have to be `cute' ''). Walmsley also covers sex, death, religion, war, television and ice cream (``the Great Levelerthe Yank version of pubs''). This is a fine, funny guide from a perceptive humorist. (June)