A graduate of Columbia University, Dr. Kevin Michael Diran owned and operated International Freight Forwarding and Customhouse for 20 years. He lived in Latin America eight years, teaching international trade and serving as Dean at Mexico's Universidad Contemporanea. He works as a consultant and is president of Green Light Consulting.

COMMUNICATION BASICS
THE IMPORTANCE OF AFFINITY CIRCLES
MAKING THE INITIAL CONTACT
PASSPORTS
VISAS
NEGOTIATING THE LATIN AMERICAN AIRPORT
THE TRIP TO YOUR HOTEL
SELECTING A HOTEL LOCATION
COMMON BUSINESS ROADBLOCKS
BUSINESS DINING
HOME ENTERTAINMENT
THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
GIFT GIVING
ARGENTINA
BOLIVIA

EFFECTS OF ALTITUDE
RELATIONS WITH THE POLICE
DRIVING
HEALTH SERVICES AND INSURANCE
BILINGUAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
DEDICATED DRIVER
BANKER
LAWYER
BUREAUCRATIC INTERFACE OR AGENT
THE UNDERGROUND ECONOMY
MAKING A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION
USE OF TITLES
SOCIAL GREETINGS
THE LANGUAGE OF GREETINGS
BODY LANGUAGE AND GESTURES
CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS
CLASS DISTINCTIONS
BUSINESS CARDS
BUSINESS ATTIRE
SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT
TALKING BUSINESS
YOUR COMPETITION
BRAZIL
CHILE
COLOMBIA
COSTA RICA
ECUADOR
EL SALVADOR
GUATEMALA
HONDURAS
MEXICO
NICARAGUA
PANAMA
PARAGUAY
PERU
URUGUAY
VENEZUELA
Argentina
Chile
Ecuador
Mexico
Uruguay
Electronic Sources

Conducting business in Latin America requires a solid understanding of local social customs. Be forewarned that outsiders may consider some business traditions inefficient. For example, long lunch breaks and frequent discussions of family matters are common elements of a typical workday. Resisting such traditions is impractical from a professional point of view. International commerce consultant Kevin Michael Diran warns that businesspeople from outside Latin America will struggle there unless they adapt to the cultural climate. His book provides a guide to acceptable business behavior throughout the region and includes detailed descriptions of the customs and common courtesies in 17 countries. getAbstract recommends this primer to readers who are interested in commercial opportunities in Latin America and want to learn more about how companies prosper there.