A celebration of Dutch discontent: Stuff Dutch People Hate

Not that it is meant to be a negative book, you understand. It is more an affectionate look at the things that irritate the Dutch and why, with a healthy dose of humour thrown in.

Writer Colleen Geske has lived in the Netherlands for nearly 20 years. With kids in the Dutch school system, Dutch colleagues and a good grasp of the local lingo, she is perfectly placed to identify and explain the quirks that can drive newer arrivals to drink.

You will find out why the Dutch hate you referring to the Netherlands as Holland, why stable governments (six cabinet collapses in 20 years) are a rarity and why you will not get a prescription for antibiotics when you visit the doctor.

You will learn why the Dutch have developed a distaste for expats – particularly those who want a place to live and those who haven’t learn to speak Dutch “by the time they should”.

You will also learn that despite the famed soft drugs policy, the Dutch do not actually like weed themselves, why everyone gets to have a say during company meetings and why those fancy stroopwafels covered in chocolate and sprinkles are considered the lowest of the low.

Since Stuff Dutch People Like first hit Facebook in 2010, over 200,000 books have been sold, 500,000 people around the world follow the franchise on social media and the podcast is now in its fifth season — enough reasons to brag about it all.

But then, perhaps not. As Stuff Dutch People Hate is careful to point out, bragging is something the Dutch are not keen on at all.

Buy this book from the American Book Centre