A few hundred kilometres from France, there is in Europe a peculiar society with a distinctive way of life, a peaceful way of living in community that is unbelievable for many French people.

Whether you are a «gewoon» Dutch person who is interested to know how you are perceived by a «gewoon» French person who spent 30 years in the Netherlands, noticing how different the Dutch are, and eventually becoming an «Oranje» enthousiast, whether you are engaged in business dealings with French people, or simply whether you are a foreigner to the Dutch society wishing to understand how come the Dutch are indeed so peculiar and unique in Europe, how they can feel such happiness in their way of living and how they can embrace the future, this book will take you to the roots of the cultural, historical and religious differences that clearly distinguish the Netherlands from France and from other countries in Europe.

Immerse yourself in the land of reclamation over the sea in a constant battle against rising waters, of tolerance, of the « living together » in community, of acceptance of death and euthanasia, of gender equity, of cycling as a way of life, of autonomy and individual responsibility, of a stress-free life, of rules and discipline, of children's social development, of an omnipresent police force, of consultation and endless discussions, of government coalitions and compromise in politics and in business, of private overbooked agendas to manage birthdays, of foreign languages and openness to the world.

Welcome to the land of balanced, pragmatic and happy people.

"I really enjoyed this book! I found it incredibly useful, even though I've lived here for 30 years !" Arvind Parmar, Englishman resident in the Netherlands.

"I wish I had it when I arrived in the Netherlands 33 years ago." Philippe Escoubet, Frenchman resident in the Netherlands.

"Perhaps one doesn't often wonder what foreigners, who live and work in the Netherlands, think about the Dutch. For instance, our way of life, how we are brought up, experience school education and our general behaviour at work. Reading this book shows some of these differences in all walks of our daily life, which sometimes make you frown, smile or at least makes you think and understand that there are indeed interesting cultural differences." Fred de Leau, Dutchman in the Netherlands.