5 comments about Speak Italian: The Fine Art of the Gesture.

1. This beautiful paperback is just over a hundred pages, but it packs a punch with the gorgeous black and white photo illustrations. Each is accompanied by text in both Italian and English explaining the technical aspects and the nuances of each gesture. This timeless guide was first published in 1958, and the 2005 re-release is a must-have for anyone studying Italian language and culture. (No vulgar gestures included.)



2. If this book was any lamer, it would need crutches. Keep your fingers crossed (get it) that you do not recognize 90% of these "fine art" gestures as the same ones you see in the artless US of A. I give this book one star which is still an over rating since there is no half star.
   
   If you are still considering this book, point the index finger
   out and the thumb up and put it at your temple -- pull the trigger (page 64).



3. Being Italian and giving this as a gift to family
   was a hit at Christmas. Everone had a good laugh
   and a memory to share! Bravo!



4. Take a black and white photo of an Italian gesture and provide a facing page in Italian and English which explains that hand gesture and you may just have the rudiments of learning 'street Italian' - and some of the sign language essential to speaking it. Some surprising subtleties exist here - as in the sign for 'agreement' - as well as some obvious new gestures - such as that for 'ok', an import. The result's funny and informative all in one package.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



5. I bought this book because I thought I'd learn something new . The pictures are nice enough, & it being in both Italian & English (although not always precisely translated) is neat.
   But most of the gestures are universal, not unique to Italy (the international signal for "check please" or "to read") which was a little dissapointing. The more Italian gestures are not well explained in terms of context, but are entertaining enough.
   If I were to do it over again, I might buy the book but only for under $9

No comments about Fodor's Exploring Rome, 7th Edition (Exploring Guides).

2 comments about Insight Fleximap Rome.

1. When visiting Rome you will find that the city is a maze of narrow winding streets surrounded by high buildings. It is impossible to see more than one or two blocks in most places. Furthermore the names of the streets are not on signs but carved into stones on the sides of buildings, and not at regular intervals. Turn one or two corners and you will find yourself completly lost.
   Furthermore many of the prime spots are in places that are best accessed on foot. The streets are too narrow for tour busses or cabs. If you plan on seeing Rome you will eventually find youself on foot, and you had better be prepared with a good map.
   This map is well laid out with the streets printed in an easily readable fashion, despite the twists and turns of the streets themselves. It also has the major landmarks and the churches that are open to the public in seperate colors so they are easily found.
   Finally after a week of carrying the map in my back pocket, and several unexpected rain showers, it was still as good as when I first purchased it, do to the lamination. In all this is a durible, well laid out map that is essential to the Roman visitor. Trust me, every street corner had at least one tourist checking their map to figure where they had been, where they were, and how would they get to their destination.



2. Rome is a very good city to walk around in. Most of the sights are within walking distance of each other and you can't walk more than a few blocks without coming across some ancient ruin or historic church. A map like this is a necessity because, as another reviewer noted, Rome is an easy city to get lost in. The streets often wind and curve, and it is easy to lose your bearings.
   
   The Insight Map of Rome provides a very detailed map of a large area of the city within which you will find virtually all of the city's tourist sites. It also includes a map of the Rome subway system which is very easy to use: It is hard to get confused about it as there are just two subway lines.
   
   I used this map on my recent visit to Rome and found it indispensable.

1 comments about Fodor's Rome's 25 Best, 7th Edition (25 Best).

1. My husband and I used the the Fodor's 25 Best for Rome, Venice, and Florence on a recent trip to Italy, and we found them extremely valuable. The compact size makes them light and easy to stick in a purse or pocket, and yet they have all of the information that a traveler needs, from tips on beating the crowds to recommendations for excellent restaurants. Also contains a pull-out map. Features like a two-day itinerary and suggestions for certain types of of activities are very helpful.

5 comments about Tuscan Echoes: A Season in Italy.

1. Tuscan Echoes: A Season In Italy by Mark Gordon Smith brings together a blend of memoir and philosophy in the author's varied, sometimes eccentric, yet always engaging ruminations upon Italy. Memories of Italian childhood are combined with a modern-day revisit and a dedicated quest to perceive and understand what is the essence of Italian life and culture. An articulate and attention engaging addition to any library biography collection, Tuscan Echoes is a superb and original extended meditation on nationality and identity.



2. "What is it, travelers have asked for ages, about Italy? For those whose ancestors came from these valleys, from this country, the answer probably lies in their lineage. For the rest of us, the answer simply lies in the timeless view of verdant abundance below room twenty four. "
   P 72. Tuscan Echoes, A Season in Italy

   In Tuscan Echoes, A Season in Italy, Mark G. Smith has managed an amazing feat. He has written an exceptional travel book without any pictures.

   Author Mark G. Smith writes with such intimacy and intensely personal imagery that the reader can only imagine he/she is traveling side by side with the author. This comprehensive, dramatic and spiritual journey through some of Italy's most spectacular landscapes and historical landmarks is presented in masterful literary style.

   Tuscan Echoes, A Season in Italy is the perfect length at 170 pages, for a quick intellectual get away. As the pages turn, you as the reader will be transported to Florence, Venice, Assisi, Umbria and Tuscany. Images of the landscape so vivid you will imagine you can smell the dark richness of the espresso and feel the heartbeat of the cobblestones in the piazza through the soles of your feet. You will be immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of the Italian culture. Quaint cafes will tantalize your senses. Friendly, out going people will welcome you and majestic churches will provide soulful inspiration. By the last page you will feel as if you truly hear the Tuscan Echoes.

   Author Mark G. Smith's personal experience with Italy has been life long. He lived near Florence as a child and as an adult, spent more than thirty years traveling this fascinating country .His passion for the Tuscan region is evident in his intimate descriptions, which evoke a deep longing in the readers to experience Italy for themselves. This memoir represents one season. If your average day is just plain hectic, then this book will allow you to escape for a few hours to the land of serenity, beauty and passion. Give yourself a truly enjoyable journey of discovery. This book would also make an excellent gift for your favorite armchair traveler or as a take along guide for the serious traveler.

   Reviewer: Shirley Roe, Allbooks Reviews




3. What makes Tuscany so dazzling to so many? Its art, terrain, art, history, art, cuisine, art, people? Yep, all of the above. But you'll learn next to nothing about any of them by reading this book. It's little more than the author's love letter - he does love Tuscany - written with a grammar school vocabulary and expository style. I finished reading it solely because it turned out to be the only book I had on a long flight.
   
   You want literary tributes to Tuscany, read the real thing: Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Lord Byron, E. M. Forster, Henry James, Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mark Twain, and Edith Wharton.



4. I found that most of the book was about the churches, gardens, and museums of Florence. The book moved slowly and I would not recommend reading this book. You could find this knowledge in any guide book.



5. As a writer, I was greatly impressed with Mark Gordon Smith's ability to transport readers to this fascinating country with simple, evocative descriptions. As a lover of everything Tuscan, I felt I was walking alongside Smith on his journey. And as the son of Italian immigrants (also from Tuscany), I felt my ties renewed and strengthened by this beautiful love song.

1 comments about Italy: Antique and Modern Genius (Exploring Countries of the Wor).

1. This makes a very nice coffee table book. Great pictures with a little blurb about each one.

No comments about Florence: A City with a View.

5 comments about CIAO BAMBINO!: A Child's Tour of Italy.

1. What a refreshing idea in children's books! Parents of small children now have a resource to prepare their child for travel, which will help the little vacationer better connect with and understand where they are headed. The beautifull watercolor illustrations add to this highly engaging story as the child learns about the Italian language recognizing, colors, numbers and common speach. Included at the end of the book is a glossary of all the new words for both child and parent reference. If you are headed out on a family vacation, or have friends taking off, this little book is a great traveller. I still read it to my three year old at bedtime. Hopefully there will be more books from Danna Troncatty Leahy in the future.



2. We were so disappointed with this book that we returned it. For the price, it's a very thin book - only 30 pages. For preparing a child for a trip to Italy, the illustrations were especially disppointing. Only a few offered images of what might be seen in Italy. Most of the others were generic illustrations that could have been set anywhere, such as a child and his stuffed bear eating a pizza, the circle of a flashlight beam on the pavement.



3. I am an American of Italian descent and proud of my heritage. I purchased Ciao Bambino! to read to my grandchildren, Gianna and Dante. It's an excellent introduction to simple Italian words. Nicki"
   Date: 7/21/2005 Rated by Buyer: nicki_filipponi



4. What a wonderful introduction for young children to the Italian culture and language -- not to mention the notion of international travel in general! My daughter (4 yrs old at the time of purchase) loved it - particularly the opportunity to learn the Italian words. For a fairly short book (which I think is a good thing for young children) there are actually quite a few Italian vocabulary words presented in a fun, engaging way. The illustrations are charming and sweet.



5. I don't know if I was more disappointed or angered at this little insignificant but dangerous book. The contents has very little to do with what children, who travel to Italy, will ever encounter. What I find it does is continue the negative strereotyping of the Italians. Really! No one stomps on grapes and a child who will visit a farm in Italy will hardly see such outdated stereotypical occurrences. Can food be the only thing one would like of Italy? Of course, since the book failed to explain what other things of wonder a child might see. I bought this for my grandchildren, as sadly there are very few book on Italy with some italian words. I returned the book because I would NEVER introduce Italy to my grandchildren this way. A very expensive book that perpatuates outdated images. Poor job.

No comments about Authentic Emilia Romagna (Authentic Italy).

5 comments about A Valley in Italy.

1. I loved this book and it was one of those few books that I actually slowed down at the end because I didn't want to get to the last page. I love her eccentric life and didn't find it distracting at all! It moved beautifully!



2. This is probably the most pretentious, irritating book I have ever encountered. The author's "style" is coy and over the top, and her portrayal of Italians is condescending and patronizing. It was hard to believe anything but the bare bones of this story.
   Could not force myself to finish. Life is too short to read bad books.



3. After having read the author's book, "The Hacienda," I was curious to see where life had lead her, and in this book, she has a new family and they have chosen Italy as their home. Most of the book is concerned with the trials of fixing up a run-down villa, while they manage to live with bats and birds swooping over their heads and weather blowing in through the vacant windows. The author and her husband are obviously eccentrics, and have some peculiar habits, such as referring to her teenaged daughter as "the child," driving a two-seater sportscar when they have a family of four (this involves contortions) and wearing outlandish clothes. There are also a lot of tiresome gardening descriptions, which do make one wonder how the garden eventually must have turned out in later years, but add nothing to the story. The real reason to read this book is that St. Aubin de Teran loves the local people and finds a way to be one of them, living life alongside of them and experiencing their sorrows and joys and annual celebrations as a native. No tourist experience can come close, and most people do not have this ability to "go native" with so much fondness for the local characters and their way of life.



4. What a self-indulgent author. This is possibly the worst book that I have ever read. She is the epitomy of narcissm.



5. As a lover of all things Italian, I have read many books and found this one to be so annoying that I could barely finish it. The book is less about Italy and becoming enculturated in the author's new home town and more about how preciously eccentric St. Aubin's family is.
   If you have little patience for pomposity and narcissism, skip this book.
   If you want an example of really poor parenting skills, you might like it.