Last year before I went to South America I did minimal research. Basically I just checked to see what the weather would be like, got some vaccinations, and read the travel bulletins provided by the State Department. I wasn’t prepared enough.
Culture Shock! Chile: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! Guides) by Susan Roraff is the style I book I should have read before I went on my trip. After reading this book, I know more about Chile than Brazil. And I was in Brazil for almost two weeks. This is not a travel book. It is a culture book. Read it before you decide to go. Once you decide to go, then get a travel book.
I plan to read some more books in the Culture Shock series.