Mickey Mouse and the Marshall Plan, Barbie and burgers, pop art and popcorn, Madonna and Obama: The USA have shaped our lives and continue to do so. For this, they are admired or hated, often both at the same time. When we Germans actually find ourselves in the United States, it is difficult for the country and its people to match the familiar place in our imagination. But soon, amid the seemingly familiar, the disturbingly foreign flashes up: a casual movie outing suddenly becomes a "date," strangers greet you with overflowing warmth, compliments turn out to be criticism, and "liberals" are more social than free democrats. It is only when you are close to despair that you begin to understand this country, where dynamism is the greatest constant. Ute Mehnert, who lives in the USA, has written an informative yet entertaining guide to this land.