5 comments about Vanilla Beans & Brodo: Real Life in the Hills of Tuscany.

1. If you love all things Italian, you'll enjoy reading Isabella Dusi's
   "Vanilla Beans & Brodo". You will feel what it's like to live in a hill town in Tuscany. Isabella intersperses her everyday life in Motalcino with a little history of the area. It made me to want to visit the town again and to personally address all of the people in her book that she encounters in her everyday life. The book is a little slow going at first, but does get better as you get into the book.



2. I've read at least 30 books on Italy and many on life in Tuscany, and this one was CLEARLY the worst!! The writer takes forever to tell a story, and goes into so much detail I'm asleep before she ever gets to the point. I've been to Montalcino, and I still found myself laboring to get through this book. There are MANY better books to read: "Too Much Tuscan Sun", "The Reluctant Tuscan", "A Thousand Days in Tuscany", "A Day in Tuscany", "I, Mona Lisa", "Extra Virgin", "Italian Neighbors"....



3. My husband is Italian. I purchased this while actually traveling thru Tuscany and staying in Montalcino. I'm looking forward to reading her newest novel. While I agree with another reviewer that her style of writing is a bit of a slow read, it was so helpful and informative in understanding the Italian culture and way of life. I loved the little "snapshot" picture stories of their hill top way of life,the tradition involved around the actual preparation of the food, and the human interaction involved in the sharing of a meal. We as Americans are so "fast food" get it done oriented that we forget how enjoyable it is to actually spend time and enjoy each others company over a meal. I felt I really knew each character as she portrayed their story and I was very moved by the history of this city as portrayed by Ms. Dusi.



4. Hating for this one to end, I bought Bel Vino also. If you enjoyed Vanilla Beans & Brodo, you will love Bel Vino!!! Both are so "tastefully" done!!!



5. I found this book enchanting and fascinating, although the author stereotypes the Montalcinesi and the Italians throughout the book.
   
   I read this book since I'm going to Montalcino in May.
   This book is full of interesting stories about Montalcino and its people. Much better than most guide books. If someone is going to visit Montalcino or any other hilltop towns of Tuscany, this is a must read.

5 comments about Europe's Monastery and Convent Guesthouses.

1. We were very pleased with the format of this book. Not only is the book practical (it has the monastery contact information we were looking for), but it also approached the subject from a spiritual perspective - very important. The only disappointment, however, was that it didn't have any maps, which made it more difficult to find out where many of the places were located. But nonetheless, it's been very helpful for us, and we've also loaned the book out to friends who have also found it very helpful in making their travel plans. We give it four stars.



2. I bought Kevin Wright's book before a trip to Europe. The idea behind the book is a winner; unfortunately the execution leaves much to be desired. (Largish) monasteries that do exist are not mentioned, Wright would have at least one monastery be in a town in which it most certainly has not been for the last 500 years; accuracy is not always Wright's strong point.
   
   It's a huge shame that Wright didn't approach the right offices in Rome, as can easily be done done, and assemble a much more comprehensive and authoritative guide to Europe's monasteries and their guesthouses. Instead, he seems to have largely done his research on the web.
   
   It may well be cheaper to buy this book than to do tons of web searches, but before doing so, you ought to be apprised of this book's limitations.



3. I found this book to be very helpful in detailing the options available to travelers in Europe. I know I will utilize it for and upcoming trip to Italy.



4. If you have the time to travel Europe, you can use this book to check out some very interesting, and unusual housing.



5. I bought this book hoping it would be all it promised - the definitive guide to convents and monastery guesthouses in Europe. There are no maps and no indexes. The descriptions are very lazy, nearly a copy/paste. The lack of an area maps with the guesthouses marked makes this guidebook very diffcult to use.
   
   To the author: try to use this book to find places to stay in any given city - you'll quickly see, it's no help. You need an area map with the guesthouses plotted. In the description, tell us how far the location is from the largest, closest city.

1 comments about The Rough Guide to Rome 3 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

1. This book has loads of detailed information about the major sights, as well as suggestions for less mainstream things to see. I'm giving the book four stars instead of five only because some map addresses were mixed up in the Borgo neigborhood (near the vatican), but this really wasn't too hard to figure out once I asked for directions.

5 comments about Italian Neighbors.

1. This author lived it . . . and writes about it so well. I read this book after a trip to Italy. I wish I read it earlier. It makes my experiences traveling more relevant. I highly recommend it.



2. I think I've over-dosed on the "Briton living abroad" sub-genre of the memoir. The flow of the text seemed to get stuck so often when Parks would go out of his way to point out how different he found Italian culture. I found it quite tiresome after awhile.



3. I bought this book on the advice of my Italian language instructor and have enjoyed it. It seems to be an accurate description of what it's like to live in the northern area of Italy.
   My daughter recently moved to the area and from what I have experienced while there this year Mr. Parks writes accurately of the local culture and special ways of the people. And he writes to include the humorous daily events and quirks of the inhabitants of his little condo building.
   It's not a travel guide type of book but does provide an intersting look into the daily lives of the village and surrounding towns. I enjoyed the book and plan on sending it to my American daughter living above the village of Montecchio noted in the book.



4. This is a non-fiction memoir by Tim Parks who wrote the book after spending 10 years with his wife Rita living in Verona, Italy. Parks, places you in this Italian neighborhood where you learn of quirks and lives of the neighbors. You learn about why the government is an inefficient as it is. You learn about the 3 distinct class structures in Italy and why government employees are considered to be at the top of the food chain. You learn why Italy never seems to dig out of corruption and inefficiency. Yet, family members yearn to live in the same neighborhood for all of their lives and don't really look for their lives to change. This is all interwoven into an interesting story with Parks' usual writing magnificence. I labored at times over the author's environment descriptions but was pulled along waiting in anticipation for his character descriptions and interactions. Here's a nugget of what to expect:
   
   "...despite all the disillusionment, a very profound, heartfelt satisfaction with the way things are and a determination that they should remain so. I plump for it because it has the hallmark of that profound schizophrenia, which is also the charm, of all matters Italian: the Pope adored and ignored, the law admired and flouted, politicians despised and reelected. The gulf between officialdom's façade and private thought that façade is always supported. Nothing changes. Italy, one sometimes things, is as if frozen in the high noon of its postwar prosperity."
   
   This NY Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year lives up to its billing.



5. Overall I found this book an entertaining, smart, and engaging read. Parks has an excellent eye for detail, a great sense of low-key humor and wit, and his very readable style flows extremely well. Parks provides a vivid and intimate image of the tiny village of Montecchio (and its colorful inhabitants), where he lived with his wife.
   
   But at times I couldn't help but be slightly put off by a certain smugness, or sense of superiority that emanates from Parks' voice as he writes in great detail about the wild eccentricities of the townsfolk, and of the ineffective, maddening, catch-22-like contradictions in Italy's mind-bending bureaucratic and political labyrinth. However, I don't think he should change a single word; what makes this tone of smugness apparent is the reader doesn't get a good sense of exactly why Parks *likes* Italy (assuming he does) and why he wants to stay there. Sure, apart from saying he was driven out of London by sky-high rent, he does throw out a few crumbs about things he appreciates or actually likes about the place, but those seem outweighed by an overall tone of subtle condescension, and abundant descriptions of how everyone around him is a total freak. (And oddly, we never learn about how/where he got together with his Italian wife, and if that factors in to his living there). Writing about the insanity and seemingly incomprehensible differences is great (and having been to Italy, I can certainly relate to some of it), it's just that there's not enough love there to balance it, and that's what really makes him come off a bit patronizing. Without more of that "love", it's more of a cheap laugh at the expense of his neighbors.
   
   But overall, I'm getting longwinded here about a relatively small point. It's a recommended read not just for Italophiles or people considering a move to Italy, but for anyone in search of a readable, engaging, sociological study into a foreign town they've never been to.

2 comments about Good Beer Guide to Belgium.

1. This is THE definitive guide to Belgium beers, this book rates every Belgian beer, gives brewery tour info, beer tourism info, Belgian beer bar reviews, addresses, hours open, and provides essential insights into the history, culture, economics, and marketing of beer. If you are a Belgian beer fan, this book is a fantastic resource. If you are visiting Belgium, this book is an essential companion and constant reference. Can't say enough about this book!! Anyone visiting Belgium should bring this book with them.
   
   Buy this book! An awesome book for a gift or for yourself.



2. With the Good Beer Guide Tim Webb does a superhuman job chronicling the staggering array of breweries, beers, and bars in the Benelux region. I took a trip to Netherlands and Belgium expressly for the beer and for me the book was indispensible. It is organized and indexed very well.
   
   If you are reading this review you are likely at least somewhat interested in Belgian beer and if you are, then you probably can't afford not to use this guide. Not all beers or bars are created equal, even in Belgium. With a limited time and traveler's budget it would be impossible to have savored as many beers as I did without Webb's help.
   
   Because the Benelux countries are among the most pleasant in the world and easiest to get around and travel in, you will not even need a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide--the important stuff (the beer!) is in Tim Webb's book. You can easily find hotels, sightseeing info, and food when you are there, because the region is highly traveler-friendly. However, many of the local beer menus include thousands of offerings and so you can imagine how a guidebook like this might come in handy.
   
   The Good Beer Guide to Belgium will also help you decipher those book-long beer menus and select the right brew for you. With the guide in hand you also might find yourself in towns and villages you never would have visited otherwise, because you were drawn there for a Trappist monastary or a special little bit of brewing history. There are a smattering of other beer guides to the region but none even come close to this one!

1 comments about City Walks with Kids: Paris Adventures on Foot (City Walks With Kids).

1. It has great information! Fun to look for kids, very useful for adults, but remember it's not a book type material it's "cards" and I reframe that, because if you are subjected to custmons clereance in your country , you will have to pay "extras", because it's not considered a book.

5 comments about The City of Florence: Historical Vistas and Personal Sightings.

1. The City of Florence is a wonderful introduction to the riches of this fascinating city. Lewis tells the story of the development of Florence from its earliest days to the present, complete with engaging anecdotes that bring history to life. My favorite is an excerpt from the meeting of the committee charged with deciding where to place the statue of David. Woven into this is Lewis' own story of living off and on in Florence for the last 50 years: the neighborhoods, the business owners, the museums and the Vespa drivers. The traveler will find information on the best restaurants and cafes, the most interesting shops and the best ice cream. The literary traveler will find anecdotes about writers who have lived in or near Florence. A useful, delightfully presented wealth of information and entertainment; a must read if you're planning a trip to Florence.



2. On a recent trip to Florence, walking along Via Maggio, I suddenly stopped, turned to my wife, and gestured to the intricately decorated gray facade looming up before us. "It's the House of Bianca Cappello," I declared, awestruck. "I read about her in that Lewis book..." Indeed, the story of Bianca Cappello is one of the most memorable in this well-wrought book by R. W. B. Lewis. Compared to the typical "Florence: Cradle of the Renaissance" or whatever, this is a totally different take on the city. It's personal. It's intimate. And by not trying to be comprehensive, it dares to be fun. If you ever imagined yourself living in Florence, but it wasn't a practical possibility, Lewis has done it for you, and splendidly. Come on in and get to know the neighborhoods of Florence, meet the shopkeepers, stroll the back streets. Oh, certainly you'll need your Michelin, your Insight Guide, or your Baedeker when you visit the city, but be sure to read Lewis's charming book before you get on the plane.



3. R.W.B. Lewis was a professor of American Literature at Yale. He died at the age of 84, in 2002. Although Lewis lived in the United States, Florence was a city that he and his family visited for much of his life. Lewis spent some time in Italy growing up. During World War II he was in Italy with the OSS (the forerunner to the CIA). Lewis was on a boat which was sunk by the Germans and he managed to swim to land and evade capture until he reached the allied lines. Lewis was in Florence again after it was captured by the Allies. He returned over the years with his family.
   
   Lewis' The City of Florence is both a biography of Lewis' experience in Florence and the history of the city. Lewis' historical sketches cover the city from medieval times to modern times (Lewis describes one of the modern floods of the Arno, the river that runs through Florence).
   
   The City of Florence is not a travel guide. Lewis explored Florence in a random fashion, as anyone does when they live in a place. He discusses some of his favorite museums and places to walk, but it would be difficult to plan a trip based on this book. Instead what you get is some of Lewis' feeling for the Florence he loves.
   
   Lewis never does write about exactly why he loves the city. Perhaps he considers it obvious. For example, why Florence and not Siena. Lewis even likes Florence in August, when most Florentine residents flee the city if they can. He does not comment on Florence's notorious traffic and he comments only a little on the struggle to preserve Florence in the face of modern development.
   
   If you are planning on visiting Florence, The City of Florence is probably worth reading to get a feel for the city. Lewis' historical sketches of Florence are engaging and would also be a good preparation for a visit.



4. The author relates his love and appreciation of Florence, mixing his own personal experiences with historical background. It is not specifically a travelogue or guidebook, but more of a memoir, but it would serve as a useful companion on a trip to Florence or as informational reading beforehand. Not the best book out there, but a worthy addition to any Italophile's library.



5. 
   Before, after and during your visit to Florence, read this book, which is a marvelous book-long song of praise for the most famous city of the Italian renaissance. The late R W B Lewis lived there off and on for twenty years and he relates not only the stories behind the famous sites of Florence, but also the hidden history, background and some of the experience that make it such a charming place to visit. Even if you are not going to visit Florence, read this book and you will feel as if you had been there.
   
   One of the many things I like about this book is the way that Lewis--a former OSS officer in World War II and a celebrated Yale professor--changes from historic accounts, to architectural criticism, to every day life in Florence and environs. We get off the beaten path and out into the countryside, away from the tourists and into some of the best little shops and squares Florence has to offer. We learn the stories of the Medici and their rivals, and the impact that these clashing great families had upon the churches and monuments of the city. We can almost taste the wines, foods and other delights of the city as Lewis enjoyed them. All of this in very elegant prose.
   
   Best of all is Lewis timing and variety. Just as the reader begins to be a tad sated with the history, he switches to talk about local shops and their friendly proprietors, and then at the exact moment you are ready to move on, Lewis moves on to a very scholarly but still eminently readable discussion of this or that palazzo, piazza or church. For this liveliness alone the book is a joy. And it is clear that Lewis loved Florence--every page is infused with a place that never failed to fascinate him, and therefore fascinates us, too.
   
   Richard Warrington Baldwin Lewis was born on Nov. 1, 1917, in Chicago, Illinois, and was the son of Episcopal minister Leicester Crosby Lewis and Beatrix Baldwin Lewis. After preparing at Episcopal Academy and Phillips Exeter Academy, he earned his B.A. in 1939 at Harvard University and his M.A. in 1941 at the University of Chicago, where he also received a Ph.D. degree in 1954. During World War II, Lewis enlisted as a private in the U.S. Air Force and became a second lieutenant, serving in the Middle East, North Africa and Italy.
   
   He commanded a unit in Italy and received the Legion of Merit Award in 1944 for service behind enemy lines. After the war, he continued as a commanding officer of the Northern Italy War Crimes Investigation Team and was discharged from service in 1946 with the rank of major.
   Professor Lewis taught at Bennington College 1948-1950 and was dean of studies at the Salzburg Seminar in Austria 1950-1951. He was a visiting lecturer at Smith College 1951-1952 and a resident fellow at Princeton University 1952-1954, then joined the faculty at Rutgers University as a professor of English. He served there until his Yale appointment in 1959.
   
   At Yale, he served a number of times as director of graduate studies in American studies and also chaired the department. Appointed the Neil Gray Professor in 1977, Lewis' joint appointment in English and American studies at Yale reflected his abiding interest both in American literature and in American cultural life. He was also the author of a celebrated biography of Edith Wharton.
   
   If you find this review helpful see my other reviews on travel, art and history books.

1 comments about Tallinn, 2nd: The Bradt City Guide (Bradt Mini Guide).

1. It was out first trip to Tallinn so we needed to know everything. This little book provided the answers. We maximized our time in the city by reading about the recommended sights to see, how to get there, the costs, if any. Learning about the history of the city gave us an added appreciation of what we were viewing. We learned information about the language, the money exchange, the culture, the restaurants, the hotels, the accessibility of other cities and how to get there. Thanks to this information, we decided to take the Sea Cat to Helsinki for a day - tremendous! If you're going to Tallin, you need this book as your guide.

1 comments about Who Was Marco Polo? (Who Was...?).

1. I agree with reviewers who commented on other books in this series-- these are an excellent introduction to biographies and chapter books. My husband and I have read almost all of these "Who was..." books to our now 11 and 9 year old over the past year. I find them easy to read aloud and appropriately illustrated. They lead our family to deeper discussion of the person or history and politics of the time. Marco Polo is my nine-year-olds favorite bio. I found the Einstein bio to be very interesting, my husband like Darwin, my three-year-old liked Edison, and my nine-year-old son's favorite was Annie Oakley.

No comments about Russia: A Journey to the Heart of a Land and its People.