A Tooele businesswoman is hoping to give Americans a view into India through a new book.

Paula Williams wrote “An American Businesswoman’s Politically Incorrect Guide to Bangalore” hoping to clear up misconceptions about doing business on the subcontinent, particularly in the southern boomtown of Bangalore.

Williams began writing the book in March as a result of her experience as a tourist in Bangalore, as well as from working with business people from Bangalore. She got the idea for the book after several conversations with American women who expressed misgivings and hesitancy about international business travel.

“I had first visited Bangalore when my husband and I went to Pakistan for a wedding in February of this year,” Williams said. “We decided to visit Bangalore, which was 12 hours away from Pakistan, because we heard so many good things about it. Over 150 American companies, such as Yahoo, Caterpillar and Dell, have major offices in Bangalore.”

Williams interviewed a number of American and Bangalorian business people, both while in Bangalore and America, in order to write the book.

Some of the general guidelines advised in the book include knowing basic etiquette, making sure to wear pants or long skirts, being very respectful to the oldest person in the group, learning the Indian numbering system, discarding all judgments and political agendas, and maintaining personal safety.

The book also talks about Bangalore culture, passports and visas, how to maintain health and wellness, what to talk about and what not to talk about in conversation, getting to know women in Bangalore, and different gender and religious issues in the city.

“The book is basically a guide of everything you need to know for a business trip, and if one follows the one-page checklist, they should be okay,” Williams said. “There are different things you have to do and know if you’re traveling there as a woman. People should also watch out on the streets because traffic is crazy there.”

Although it has only been available online for two weeks, Williams said the book has already sold quite well.

“The primary demographic the book is targeted toward is women who are doing business in Bangalore, but we have had some men buy it as well,” she said. “More women are moving up the business ladder and traveling overseas, and they need a guide for them to be less hesitant and fearful of the unknown when planning a trip to a foreign country.”

Williams, a Salt Lake City-native, graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, and later from the University of Phoenix’s Salt Lake City center with a master’s degree in adult education. She worked for companies like Franklin Covey, Teleperformance, First Security Bank and Wells Fargo Bank during her professional career. While working for Wells Fargo and Teleperformance, Williams had worked in person, by teleconference and by phone with several people from Bangalore.

Williams and her family moved to Tooele from Salt Lake City 10 years ago, primarily for a more family-friendly atmosphere. For several years, she led a group known as “Shop Tooele,” which encouraged residents to shop locally. She currently works for Edustructures, a Salt Lake City-based company that provides software for school districts all over the United States.

Williams said she hopes to write another destination guide on either Mumbai or Dubai, both of which are major cities for business she visited earlier this year.

“I need to figure out what the market is for someone traveling to a certain city on business before I write a book on it,” Williams said. “I hope to write more because I love traveling, and I love when I meet people from foreign countries here.”

“An American Businesswoman’s Politically Incorrect Guide to Bangalore” went on sale online in November through its own Web site at www.bangaloreforbusinesswomen.com. It is available in both e-book and printed formats.

Doug Radunich: dougrad@tooeletranscript.com