Summary of Bill Bryson's I'm a Stranger Here Myself

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 Moving back to America after 20 years in England was a bit of a culture shock. I had to relearn many things, like what a squeeze play is in baseball, and who played Captain Kangaroo on TV.

#2 Moving to America after 20 years in England was a bit of a culture shock. I had to relearn many things, like what a squeeze play is in baseball, and who played Captain Kangaroo on TV.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Sep 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9798350000306

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Returning to your native land after a long absence is a surprisingly unsettling experience. You find yourself both in your element and out of it. You know all sorts of American trivia, but when you go shopping, you are completely lost.

#2

I had always thought of America as home, but I was soon reminded that it was not. I was very happy in Britain, but I never stopped thinking of America as home, in the fundamental sense of the term.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

The American post office has a Customer Appreciation Day once a year. I had never heard of this, but I was impressed with it. The employees had hung up banners, put out a long table with a nice checkered cloth, and laid on a generous spread of doughnuts, pastries, and hot coffee.

#2

The British postal service is superior to the American one in many ways, but I still miss coming home from the pub and watching Open University on TV.

Insights from Chapter 3

#1

The same product is sold in different ways in Britain and America. In Britain, a commercial for a cold relief capsule promises no more than that it might make you feel a little better. In America, a person taking this miracle compound will feel better than he has for years and will have the time of his life at a bowling alley.

#2

The American obsession with health is strange. They spend huge amounts of money on medicines, then go to the drugstore and buy them by the armload. They even advertise prescription drugs.

Insights from Chapter 4

#1

I have a problem with taking in all the food options that are presented to me. I always end up picking the wrong one, and the waitress always knows it.

#2

The foods we eat are not very adventurous at all. They were the foods