1 comments about Frommer's Seville Day by Day (Frommer's Day By Day Series).

1. This book is absolutely fantastic! It's small and concise while still being detailed enough for a short trip to Seville. It offers several suggestons for how to spend 1, 2 or 3 days in Seville. The guide walk is perfect for our upcoming cruise. I hesitated to buy a book like this for just one city, but it really does provide SO much more information than a general Spain book would. However, it does so without being too big (or too small) and includes a great fold-out map. I highly recommend any book in this series.

No comments about Walking the Alpine Parks of France & Northwest Italy.

No comments about Artwise Rome Museum Map - Laminated Museum Map of Rome, Italy - Streetwise Maps (Artwise).

5 comments about Florence: A Delicate Case (Writer and the City).

1. I have mixed feelings about this book. I found the chapter on homosexuality in Florence interesting, but a tiny phrase let it down. In the lesser space accorded the lesbian population, Mrs George Keppel is described as the mother of "yet another" lesbian. As if by there being four or five renowned lesbian inhabitants amongst the far more numerous gay males, they were forming a disproportionately large segment of the population! I found that quite odd.

   I also found it difficult to reconcile Leavitt's bitchiness about the lack of contact the earlier generations of ex-pats had with the locals (to the point of "like many" not knowing any Italian) with the lack of presence of any contemporary Florentines in his narrative, given that he is a part-time resident himself.

   I loved the chapter about the "mud angels", brief as it was, and would have enjoyed more about the relationship between locals and expats alike with the art of this wonderful city.

   Having said all that, I did enjoy the book overall and it is a welcome addition to the background literature of Italy which I read voraciously.




2. A slim volume on one of the world's great foreign destinations, so one would expect something elegant, insightful, witty perhaps, something evocative of the place.

   Unfortunately, I don't there is a paragraph in his book that evokes anything about what it is like to visit or live in Florence. It's certainly not worth reading as literature and it doesn't take you there from your arm chair.

   This book is just a boring rendition of sort-of famous people who lived or live in Florence, coupled with David Leavitt's intention of showing you all the famous or important people he knows. He evidently thinks people will one day be writing about his life there.

   This isn't about Florence -- it's about the author's evident obsession with effete men of letters and his desire to be one.




3. Possibly the most boring, pointless book I've ever read (and I do read a lot) - - no flow, not interesting, and the book does a dis-service to a fascinating town, despite the un-fascinating "celebrity" stories that Mr. Leavitt goes on and on and on about ...



4. boh. The italian word to express "meh, i don't know..." This book grabbed me from the first pages, as another reviewer noted, that Florence is a city where people go to commit suicide. However, I never really grasped the point of the book as a whole. Some chapters were concise and well done, full of intriguing facts.....other chapters literally put me to sleep. Of course the 'Grand Tour' and ex-pat population in Florence is a weighty piece of its history. However, I found myself not really caring about insignificant love rivalries involving unimportant 'historical' figures. At the end of the day, I really don't even know hoe to describe this book.....it's not a travelogue, not a guide book, not a memoir, nor is it an historical compilation. boh. I guess I will just give my opinion that I found it boring and incohesive. We go from suicide, to sexually promiscuous (...in a word: easy) female American students, to random anecdotes about sandwich shops, highbrow BS about Britons I couldn't care less about, etc etc...



5. The Writer and the City books are supposed to be idiosyncratic, and I greatly liked Edmund White's quirky but useful volume on Paris. However, with his "Florence, A Delicate Case," David Leavitt firmly crosses the line between idiosyncrasy and self-indulgence. His third chapter--40 pages of a book of only 176 pages, including notes--is devoted to mentioning seemingly every homosexual writer who has ever visited the city in the last 200 years. This exercise COULD have been fascinating--maybe, in a separate book--but Leavitt appears so anxious to squeeze the names and titles into this pocket-sized volume that we are given very little accompanying narrative which would bring this very interesting group to life.
   With a city that is a mass of artistic treasure, Leavitt, who has lived there--lucky fellow--for years, would have done the reader a much greater service had he applied some better organization to this book. I wanted to like it (Leavitt has a good sense of syntax and vocabulary, and he is clearly a fund of knowledge), but ended up feeling cheated of better structural choices and the advantages of his educated vision.

5 comments about Culture Shock! Italy (Culture Shock! Guides).

1. I spent last summer studying in Italy and thought it would be a good idea to purchase this book, and I would also read other books in this series if I was going to go to another country. I found it interesting, although much of the information can also be found in the beginning sections of guidebooks. Basic history and cultural information is included. The book does a nice job explaining the art of dining and drinking in Italy, which most tourists don't realize is quite different than in the United States. It also talks about how Italians act and view life. All of the information is interesting, I wouldn't say that it is a must for anyone traveling to Italy, a good guidebook should tell you the same information. If you are a little nervous about going to Italy and would like to try to be "in the know" about the Italian way of life, check the book out of the library and save your money for a gelato.



2. After reading the "Culture Shock" books for Germany, Sweden, and France for trips, I was extremely disappointed with this book. It is basically a history book and gave me no real idea how to relate to Italians. Therefore, my experience in Italy was less than good. I highly recommend the France book---it is right on target and I had a great time navigating the culture.



3. I purchased this book to learn more about doing business in Italy, and I found there was not enough detail. I did learn how vastly different each region is in Italy - - and the author tries to show the differences in each region. Perhaps this is why I felt that it didn't do a deep dive into the regions I was most interested in.



4. I have read and used the other Culture Shock books and found them very useful.

   This one though was almost a complete waste of time. It was full of cliches e.g. Italians love nothing more than spending time with their family and friends. It lacked detail and useful hints about how to interact with Italians.

   Perhaps it suffered in comparison with "The Dark Heart of Italy" a far superior effort.




5. I found this book to be very useful during my first and second trips to Italy. This book is designed for those that are new to Italian travel. If you have been to Italy a few times before, this book will not add much to your knowledge of the people and the place. However, if you are embarking on your first trip to Italy this book does offer insight into the underlying ideas behind the Italian culture.
   
   The section on body language and hand gestures is particularly useful to those that are new to Italy. Also the section on driving will be enlightening for those that have not gotten behind the wheel in Italy before.
   
   The authors also discuss some of the interesting notions of when businesses open and close that American's find odd at first. Mealtime is also something that is very different from what we are accustomed to in America. Knowing ahead of time that meals are lengthy extended opportunities to socialize helped this American to not be frustrated during my first 3-hour meal.
   
   Bottom line, if you will be making your first pleasure trip to Italy, this book does offer some insight into what is considered typical in the Italian culture. If you are looking for a book that will guide you in serious business travel, this is probably not the best place to start.

No comments about Fodor's See It Rome, 3rd Edition (Fodor's See It).

No comments about Sardinia, 4th (Country & Regional Guides - Cadogan).

No comments about Blue Guide Venice, Eighth Edition (Blue Guides).

5 comments about The Sun & Moon over Assisi: A Personal Encounter With Francis & Clare.

1. When I pick up a book on spirituality, that is nearly 600 pages long, I find myself flipping back and forth, counting the number of pages I still have to read (yawn). Having admitted that, I will add that "religion" is probably my first choice when searching for new books. Conversely with this book, I found myself counting the pages to see how many pages were left, because I didn't want it to end. Straub takes us along on his spiritual pilgrimage. In his "Thoughts Scribbled While walking," we can almost chart his spiritual growth (like an ascending line on graph paper). This book will inspire you to follow his lead by pursuing a deeper relationship with God. I was skeptical upon reading his background as a TV/soap writer, but I found it (along with his honesty and humility),to lend credibility to his personal transformation . I have never read a book that inspired me to write the author to tell him how much his writing touched me. This is one author I would like to thank.

   This is a book to be savored. As a resident of Southern California, I found his personal observations on the cultural values of Americans right on target. It's too bad this book may never make the N.Y. Times Best Sellers' List, it could change the world.




2. I love this book and, in fact, I'm buying copies to give to friends. The story of the ongoing conversion of the author is an example of the journey of any seeker of God: great awakenings, stumbles, doubts, reassurances, understanding.
   The first portion of the book is compelling and hard to put aside. The other chapters, however, are so rich with material from additional sources that I found them best to meditate on, think of as you live your life, and then dip into once again. This is perfect as a devotional for the liturgical seasons of advent and lent.



3. This is an incredible book of one man's journey from Catholicism to atheism back home to Catholicism. Although I was not Catholic myself, I enjoyed the ride immensely. He has so much to offer Christians of all kinds. There is much to meditate on and he beautifully and accurately describes the places where Francis and Clare lived/ministered. I have bought copies for friends and will continue to do so. I will read this book again and again. It is a wonderful study and well worth the time. It took me quite a while to read it because I was savouring each chapter. Highly recommend!!!



4. Much can be said about the quality of this book. Straub weaves together his spiritual journey and the stories of Francis, Clare, and the city of Assisi to produce a very readable, engaging, and inspiring work. Although somewhat long, there is much wisdom within its pages. Having read The Sun and Moon over Assisi, I am motivated to follow Francis' example in living out Christ's gospel.



5. I randomly got hold of this book from our church library & checked it out
   for 3 weeks. After I got started reading it, I could not stop! This book is the next best thing to reading the Passion of Christ. I am now in the
   middle of reading it the second time. I love the book so much I ordered my
   own copy to keep & to share with friends. I would like to thank the author
   for this awesome accomplishment. More power to you, Mr Gerard Thomas Straub! May your tribe increase!!

No comments about Michelin Green Guide Tuscany (Michelin Green Guides).