Living, Studying, and Working in France: Everything You ... (ISBN 0805059474)

The Most Practical Book:
I purchased a number of worthwhile books to help prepare to move a small Yuppie household across The Pond. In terms of practical matters, Living, Studying and Working (etc.) is clearly the best of all the titles I read. Other books placed so much emphasis on cultural expectations that they completely glossed over the hundreds of complications involved in such a complex transaction. It is this book that convinced my girlfriend (who is French, by the way, and learned quite a bit from this book) and I to postpone our target move date due to the difficulty of securing a work permit/residency, getting a bank account, etc. But it is also this book that shifted my attitude from "what am I getting myself into" to "ok, given preparation, this will work".

A must read for someone interested in moving to France:
This book won't tell you everything (that'd take the fun out of it) but it will tell you lots of little things that really add up. This is one of the books I bought before I moved to France and it definitely helped. There's lots of little details that will make your move and your life in France go smoother. What I liked about it was it covered a wide range of topics, including social differences, taxes, transportation, appartments, etc.

Helpful basic information:
I bought this book for my college-age daughter who was spending a semester studying in France. It was her first solo trip and her first time living solo in Europe. She found the book extremely helpful in learning about the culture and bureaucracy of France. There's lots of information on visas, transportation, money, documents, traveling in France and around Europe, and studying abroad. There's also a good chapter on the people of France that helped her understand attitudes and behavior. It gives very basic information and should be used as a supplemental guide to other books about living abroad.

La Vie en Noire:
In preparation for a three-year tour in Paris with my wife and children, I purchased this book and five (!) others on the subject of living in France from Amazon.com. While all have their merits, none have adequate coverage of the French legal system and how to work with the police. It shouldn't have surprised me that, in a country whose history contains episodes such as the Reign of Terror after the French Revolution and collaboration with the Nazis during WWII, there is an official process, called "main courant" in which citizens can "denounce," or file official complaints, against their neighbors for things such as having a baby that cries. Suffice it to say, this process, apparently embedded in the culture for centuries, can result in tremendous prolonged misery and stress, even for a Francophile like me, with many, many wonderful French friends. It might have been easier to deal with summons to the police station, investigations by the mayor's office, visits from social workers - all in less than three months of living here - with some advance prep. Thank goodness I work for a supportive company. Be forewarned!

Great!:
It is a great book! Easy to understand and they give you pratical advice. Thank you to the authors!!!!!!!!!!