This study examines France's determination to remain aloof and unaffected as the world economy threatens the French way of doing business. Describing the difficulty in initiating change in French organizations, the author tells of the obstacles he encountered in attempting to modernize the working practices of a Paris firm. His observations are based upon customs and habits peculiar to the French, yet they apply equally to all foreign cultures. Management methods, attitudes to the outside world, and the historic roots of the French mentality are viewed and explained anecdotally, based on the author's experience of living and working in France, and are accompanied by humorous illustrations.