1 comments about Jiffy Travel Pack in Italian.

1. I listened to the tape 3 times on the plane on the way over to Venice (the tape also has a little pamphlet to read along in the cassette case). When I got off the plane I was able to ask all the questions necessary to get around. People understood me and were very kind. I took the train to Sicily where I was in a car for 20 hours with 5 women, only 1 of whom spoke a little English. With gestures, the book and what I remembered from the tape, I had a great time. Towards the end of my stay I listened to the tape again and it helped me even more. When I needed to take care of something important, the necessary information was in the reference book. It will not help you get into too much detail with the natives, but it will help you handle the essentials and get around beautifully.

3 comments about Mattanza: The Ancient Sicilian Ritual of Bluefin Tuna Fishing.

1. This book is very well written; it's almost poetic with the lyrical descriptions and vivid images that Theresa Maggio creates with her words. The author also eloquently captures for her readers the conflicting emotions she experienced as a modern American woman viewing unfamiliar cultural practices and dealing with an ancient Sicilian way of life. This against the backdrop of loving the people (and one man in particular) and exploring her heritage as a grandchild of Sicilians. She writes with a sadness and shares a sense of loss with the people as old traditions fade away; the ancient way of fishing for instance - MATTANZA - the bluefin tuna fishing ritual that is dying out as modern fishing methods intrude.

   In the best traditions of good travelogues the book paints a sensitive and romantic portrait of traditional cultures; we are invited to feel a poignancy about the inevitable losses that changes through modernization brings. The author in describing her man says "he was a good man in a dying trade, a fisherman to the core of his soul. His boat, his nets, and the sea were his life."

   Writing style and attention to culture - the hallmarks of a good travelogue being present - what then is the problem with the book? The truth is that the cultural practice itself is not one that we develop much sympathy for. MATTANZA, although certainly not a glorification of death, and steeped as it is in religious symbolism, nevertheless is shown up as a bloody ritual, and more unfortunately for the book, a rather senseless one.

   Maggio describes the scene around the trap. "The net was drawn taught, and they skittered in front of us, half out of the water...The fish were as big as men...I remember the din, the thunder of falling water, and their frantic thrashing. They darted to the corners of the net, but there was no way out...when the thrashing calmed they were battered, bleeding and floating on their sides, but they were still alive...this killing went on for an hour, the blue square turned red. When the last fish was taken the currents cleared the square of the blood and milky water that clouded it." Not exactly a practice that has much to recommend it. Even if you wished to take a principled stand and say 'I can't pass judgement on other peoples cultural practices,' the book sets itself up for just this sort of criticism where, after the Mattanza, Maggio says "the tourists...were towed back to port." Now we see the reality. This ancient traditional cultural practice, steeped in religious symbolism, is not so precious afterall. It has allowed itself to be bastardized into a blood-sport tourist attraction in order to make a few dollars. This admission, and the failure of Maggio to contrast the traditional practices with even more exploitative, modern commercial fishing activities, leaves the spotlight firmly on MATTANZA; and unfortunately for the book wheras the writing style shines, the cultural practice it describes does not.




2. Maggio's words sent me to a time and place that my thoughts could not imagine without a guide to show the way. The startling contrast between the ritual of the tuna slaughter and life in my cozy home nestled by a roaring fire are apparent from the opening pages. A true adventure that reads like a fictitious novel of love for the life and life for the love of a bloody massacre few have witnessed. Sushi? Is it a non-fiction? Is it an advertisement for the gourmet market? Is it a traditon that will endure? Without Maggio's persistant journeys to the site of the tonnora and the substance of a writer without limits, this work would not have traveled to my hands and through my mind.
   Inspirational story-telling by an artist that paints through words and colors with the culture and rich tradition of a brutal ritual.
   Thank You Ms. Maggio for giving my dreams substance and a sicilian fantasy.
   jackie farrow



3. this was a great read. this woman can really write well.
   I loved her descriptions of these fisherman. Made me wish
   I wasn't married. I'd go over there and get me one!
   great descriptions!

5 comments about The Year I Didn't Go to School.

1. The other reviewer is correct in that there are many mistakes in the Italian and a few in the English. But you have to understand what is going on in the story.
   The family in this story is an American family that goes to Italy for a year to perform. I get the feeling from the book that they are NOT Italian and are just trying to fumble their way through the language as best as they can. You have to remember that this is not an Italian language instructional guide. It's an autobiographical telling of a year of Ms. Potter's childhood. With that in mind, the other mistakes make sense too. I read the story again and found that the mistake the former reviewer mentions is contained in a section where young Giselle is writing in her journal. It is the writing of a child, hence the grammatical mistakes.
   And the reviewer is also correct about there not being many captivating images of Italy, but I don't think Italy is supposed to be the star of the book. Ms. Potter wants us to learn from the lessons she learned as she traveled through that beautiful country. The most important lesson, I feel, is being able to support your family and find the joy in life even when things aren't going so well.
   No, this isn't the book you should use if you are trying to teach Italian to your child, but if you just want a cute little book for your child to enjoy, this one will do just fine. My 2 daughters loved it - especially the thought of having a year off of school!



2. My oldest daughter (4) and I LOVED this book! The illustrations are powerful and the story is so fun it makes me want to buy a van and travel around putting on plays with my husband and two daughters!!



3. This is a great book for any child. It has great pictures that are fun to look at and enjoy reading. I bought this for my neice and she loves the pictures.



4. I love this book. I had seen some of the artworks in a gallery last year and am so glad to have found the book they belong to. It's a fun read and a fantastick family adventure. This would make a great introduction to the possibilities of theater and engaging in performance for any child with a yearning to act, sing, paint, or dance.



5. I gave this book as a present to a little friend of mine, after seeing an exhibit of the illustrations and falling in love with them myself.
   
   Her parents have to ration reading the book! She loves it so much that, left to herself, she'd read it over and over in the same sitting.
   
   I'm now going to buy it for another little friend of mine.

3 comments about Fodor's Florence's 25 Best, 6th Edition (25 Best).

1. I will be studying abroad in Florence in the upcoming fall semester and have been looking for books to take with me to Italy. I decided I wanted a smaller book on Florence to take with me when I'm out in the city, and I decided on this book. I am a fan of the Eyewitness Books because of the pictures and information they have, and I got the Florence version of that but it was still bigger than what I was looking for to carry on an everyday basis. I have gotten the Eyewitness Top Ten guides in the past and have been happy with those, but this book has one advantage that the Top 10 guides do not have; a waterproof map of the city in a small pouch in the back of the book. The information it provides is really useful, and as the title suggests lists the top 25 of what to see, where to go, and what to do. It also divides Florence into different sections, so you can easily access the best sights and things to do in your area. There is also another section in the back that lists good overall information about things to know when traveling to the city. Overall, I think this is the best choice for a book on a specific city to carry around when walking through a city; I am planning on picking up the Rome and Venice ones for when I travel to those cities as well.



2. Recently, my husband and I visited Florence and during our stay in this capital of the Tuscany Region of Italy we used this guide. Fodor's products generally are very good and this guide was no exception. Full of color pictures, descriptions of the highlights, and tips regarding visiting the sites (and to which sites you need to book early for)as well as when the sites are open and if they are handicapped accessible are all there. It was obvious from looking at this "Top 25" book that even with a five day stay that we would not see it all, so a guide like this was essential. If you are a visual person and need the pictures, like I do, this guide gives you a real sense of what the sites are like so that you can choose those sites wisely and according to your tastes.
   
   What I have found in using any guide, is ignore what everyone tells you is a "must see" as "must sees" can vary widely depending on taste. I personally love art, so for me visiting Accademia to see Michelangelo's "David" was a "must see", as was the Uffizi, which houses Boticelli's "Birth of Venus" and many pieces of Renaissance art. The book also outlines many of the churches, including the parish church of the Medici Family, which also has works commissioned by them, including the pulpit by Donatello and Staircase by Michelangelo. There is a section also of the Duomo as well as one of our favorite stops to Santa Croce and the beautiful tomb of Michelangelo. Also entombed there is Galileo & Machiavelli. Many of the Piazzas are also listed in the book, including my favorite, Piazza della Signoria, with it's beautiful sculptures, including Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Women.
   
   There is a section on hotels as well as restaurants but we basically already had decided on a hotel and restaurants are fun to choose as you walk the city in the evening strolling down little alleyways following that fabulous smell. If you like to plan ahead on the food though, it is here.
   
   The "need to know" section was very useful, including when to go, average temperatures, what festivals are happening, useful websites to help you plan your trip, internet cafes sites, information about electricity voltage, how much it costs to use the restroom facilities (not ample-use a cafe restroom) and a short section on useful phrases.
   
   At the end of the book, cleverly hidden in a plastic pouch is your own pull out map of the city.
   
   The book is small enough to fit into an ample purse if you need it.
   
   This was our first trip to Florence and we found this guide to be one of the best for our trip to this area of Italy.
   
   I would most definitely look at more of Fodor's Top 25 Series books when the need arises again. They are well put together, with all the essentials you need.
   
   One thing that I did find out my own that I did not see in the book was a tour company that took you to the Tuscan Countryside for the day. The company was called Artviva. Though not a frugal day, it was one of the highlights of our trip and we visited Siena, San Gimignano and visited a wine estate and had lunch in the vineyard. Would have loved to seen this added (you can however read about these areas in the book). If you have a chance to go to this area, that is definitely a worthwhile trip as well-and you can do an internet search for more specifics on more tours that they offer.
   
   All and all a great book and highly recommended!



3. 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 That Fine Italian Hand.

1. Also if I am Italian, I don't think that we must undervalue Italian's faults; but this book is a list of stereotypes (altought brilliantly narrated) that don't help to know Italy and the Italians.



2. Paul Hoffman's "That Fine Italian Hand" is perhaps the most mean-spirited, humorless and unrewarding book that I have read in years. I can't imagine why he ever bothered to write a book about a people and a nation that he appears to despise so thoroughly. (Let alone why he chose to live there for so many years.) Save your money and keep it out of the hands of this bitter, bitter man.



3. Most of the reviews have to do with not liking what he has to say about Italians -- they can't really question the accuracy of the information, which is fondamentally sound. Italians or those of Italian descent may not find it a flattering portrait, but it is worth reading just the same. The author has done his homework and most of the data still holds after 10 years...



4. Any American with a genuine interest in Italy and its people should read all the tales of Hofmann on the subject. Begin anywhere, but do not neglect That Fine Italian Hand.

   An expatriot Austrian since the eve of WWII, Hofmann describes l'Italia with the intimacy of 50-odd years living there - combined with the objectivity of one who admits he will never BE an Italian. Far from being over critical, Hofmann is almost heartbreakingly aware of both the many glories of "Italianness" and the equally numerous shortcomings. He finds both to be essentially inseparable and probably indispensable to the very survival of the place and its people.

   Paul Hofmann's work never fails to educate - even while it entertains. History, culture and anthropology in an easy-to-digest ragout.




5. I found this book to be absolutely dreadful. I kept wanting to throw it against the wall, but waiting for it to turn around. It never did. It is a rant about everything "wrong" with Italy. In the very last few pages, he acknowledges that Italians say they would never want to live anywhere else. But does he explore why? No. I even had my sister read it--married to an Italian, and had lived there for years. She had the same reaction. It's not like what he narrates is entirely wrong (though some is); it's just not anywhere near a complete picture. It's as if you started to look at your beautiful beloved to find all the flaws--they're there, but do not constitute the overwhelming experience. The title and introduction seem pasted on. And the anti-South stuff--just awful. This book is going straight to the recycle bin--not donated to the library.

No comments about Wonders of the World 2009 Calendar: A Photographic Journey to the Most Wondrous Places on Earth.

3 comments about Microcosms (Panther).

1. This is a rather unusual book. Its genre is that of an essay collection, mixed with guide book, biographies and philosophy. The author tells us about his home town Trieste in north-eastern Italy and the surrounding regions: The inland and coast of Friuli (the region between Venice and Trieste), Piemonte in north-western Italy, the Istria peninsula in Slovenia/Croatia and Southern Tirol in northern Italy. All in all, border region where Italian, Slavic and German cultures meet and mix. The author describes places, landscapes, towns and villages in an intense, reflective and beautiful way, presents persons with interesting, moving, comic, poetic and tragic fates, teaches us some history (certainly not dry), tells some anecdotes, studies some literature and philosophises about landscapes, persons, culture and life itself. The tone changes between dark, poetic and humorous. The main theme of the book is how people live their lives in a microcosm where ways of thinking, language, traditions, and arts are influenced by many cultures and peoples, some gone and some still around. It pays homage to cultural diversity and warns against homogenizing and ethnic cleansing, as in the Yugoslavian Civil War, which the author describes as "the most silly of all wars", and which went on while this book was written. Personally I think the book was very interesting, rich, farsighted and with a very important theme. Sometimes I felt that there were too much philosophy, but it is rather simple and an important part of the book. It is a very European book, dealing with Europe's great heritage of both disastrous border disputes and rich cultural exchange across the borders. For Americans living within borders drawn officially drawn on the map with a ruler this book could be useful when it comes to understand the rich and tragic aspects of Europe's diverse ethnic heritage. But I recommend it to everybody who wants to enjoy a cultural journey to an exciting corner of Europe.



2. This is a wonderful, in-depth exploration of a corner of Europe that most people don't know exists. Over the centuries, Trieste and the surrounding region have been a cultural crossroads; as the border between Italy, Slovenia, and Austria shifted, the city was transformed from a rather sleepy backwater to a major port, and back again. This amalgam of cultural influences has made the region unique, and, as a native son, Magris offers an insider's perspective. But this isn't your average travel book; in a series of (mostly) short essays, he vividly portrays aspects of regional life ranging from the whimsical (the bear that never appears) to the gently ironic (Cafe San Marco) to the grim (memories of wars). In the final essay, where he envisions dying while walking in the city park, he revisits themes from most of the other essays and concludes with a memorable image of "life goes on." I found the book both enjoyable and enlightening as a glimpse into the Triestine mind-set, and I know I'll reread it.



3. A companion to "Danube," "Microcosms" extends Claudio Magris's visionary geography in excursions to places around Trieste: the Adriatic lagoons east of Venice, the Nevoso forest in Slovenia between Trieste and Fiume, the Collina countryside near Turin, the Croatian Apsyrtides archipelago in the Gulf of Quarnero south of Istria and the valley of Pusteria of the Tyrol. Magris enunciates his distinctive vision of geography in a memorable metaphor: "Place are bobbins where time is wound up upon itself. To write is to unravel these bobbins, to undo, like Penelope, the fabric of history. So it is perhaps not a complete waste of time to try to write something down." For Magris, a place is a complex foundation of existence that is an intricate genealogy of nature, time, history and fate.
   
   Each of the places of "Microcosms" has a striking meaning. For example, the Apsyrtides signify immortality or "the pure present moment that is enough in itself and does not tire itself out in the rush towards goals to be reached" or "happiness with no object" from which in "exile" in time "the individual who has lost the absolute seeks to replace it with remedies dreamed out of his own private squalor."The Nevoso embodies a remote mystery--of aeons of time and evanescence--from which we humans are inseparable and it leaves us in harmony with "the primordial inchoate, that pulls back into its womb all things and forms." One morning when the clearing of Pomocnjaki in the Nevoso is a "perfect cathedral of light," a roe suddenly appears and then disappears--"entering and fading in the impenetrable clarity"--magically freeing Magris from fear of death.
   
   Places in "Microcosms" are "wound" with feats of mind and spirit of wonderful lives finding meaning beyond fate. Magris extends lifted admiration and affection for those--like the great poet Biagio Marin who lived in Grado in the lagoons, Don Girotto the archpriest of Revigliasco and the academic and novelist Stefano Jacomuzzi of Cambiona in the Collina--whose lives and writings invoke "the big picture of the infinite, against which all human experience is set," foster the humility of "the smallness of oneself" and of "letting go," promote the conquest of the "vanity" of "taking oneself too seriously" and of "the obsession with impotence" of the "deliriums" of time and indicate a freedom from "fear" of "the vacuous pomp of the world" and above all of death.
   
   In a voice of the distilled wisdom of the ages, Magris tells us: "We die because we forget we are immortal." Without the humility of immortality, we succumb to vanity and death or "the darkness in which 'metaphors die'": "Perhaps this is original sin, the inability to live and love, to live time, each instant to the full, without craving to burn it up, to use it quickly. Original sin introduces death, which takes possession of life, making life seem unbearable in every hour it proffers in its passing, forcing the destruction of life's time, trying to make it pass quickly, like an illness; killing time, a polite form of suicide." A geographer such as the world has has not known, Magris irradiates the earth and residence on earth. "Microcosms" is a celebration of where and when and for whom time and death became immortality. In an existence in which "everything gets misplaced and lost" and "in the fear and the trembling with which life has to be faced" when one "does not know where to find the sense in the things [one] cannot grasp," such men, like "a shepherd to his flock" protecting his "sheep in the midst of wolves," are priceless overseers of wisdom owing to whom "one felt less alone in the shock and the turbulence of things."
   
   We turn the pages of this incomparable book page after great page blessed in the majesty of wisdom and compassion of Claudio Magris and the wonder of post-generic creativity of his book and with the uplifting realization that what we are really holding in our hands is a value of existence in whose fold we are "less alone in the shock and the turbulence of things."

2 comments about Bicycle Touring in Tuscany.

1. This book is a good starting point for who need the full treatment on how to bike tour in Europe - specifically Tuscany. It has a clever rating system using the movie system parallel, but seemed a bit generous since most of those easy G/PG rides became closer to the R/X ratings as the climbs continued up and up. The route profile and highlight table are great route planning guides.
   An improvement would be to include better maps than the photocopied TCI 2002 version used. The map was a key feature to understanding the route, but generally lacked adequate clarity or detail. The Chianti wine consortium provides a cheap, detailed version of the wine producing areas which is great to use while in the Chianti region. Good maps are critical.
   The book also needs a little color and more pictures. Even though it would require some rearrangement, putting the route profile on the same page as the route and providing closer relationship would help. Also, a section on how to read Italian route signs with a tie in to the map would be nice. The descriptions seemed a little dated - there are Bike & Bed signs on some of the hotels indicating that some sort of biker friendly lodging system in Italy exists.
   I only used two of the routes described in the book. It was moderately helpful.



2. Just got back from a week long ride (#5) outlined in this book and was very happy with it (copied relevant pages only and took that with us vs. lugging the whole thing along, and color didn't matter as we were seeing it in real life). Really appreciated lots of little helpful hints, tips and directions - we knew if we'd gone too far or missed a turn etc, very detailed descriptions. We took our own map which is the best way to go. Lots of great hints on places to see - while we followed much of the route, we went off on some variations also - mainly to head to campgrounds (that are quite rare in the region!). Found ourselves reading into the hill rating/descriptions a bit much - we were gauging our expectations on what book said - and sometimes there was a difference in opinion here (some of his "bad" hills were fine to us, and vice versa) - just keep riding and enjoy!
   Definitely worth the purchase - as long as you are prepared to cycle tour (ie. know what to expect) then biking in Tuscany is a fantastic vacation!

3 comments about Frommer's Amalfi Coast with Naples, Capri & Pompeii (Frommer's Complete).

1. I prefer more "fun" reading than the lifeless drumming in Frommer Travel books. I would like to see more travel books on the Amalfi area, but as choices are very slim, this may be the best available, at least to date.



2. We have already been to Italy but with this great book we are going to see another aspect of it. Not the kind of trip most tourists do, but the way this great traveler invites us to.



3. The Frommer's Amalfi Coast with Naples, Capri and Pompeii was fun to read and provided us with some useful information prior to our travels. In addition to our time spent in Naples, Capri and Pompeii, we also spent 5 days in Rome which we had purchased a Rick Steven's book on Rome. Rick Steven's is far superior to Frommer's in providing useful and practical information that is the most accurate. In addition, most of the necessary information for our Naples trip was in the Rome book-in the day trip section. I would therefore only recommend buying the Frommer's book as supplementary material to a Rick Steven's travel book if desired.

No comments about Michelin Map No. 561 Northwest Italy Lombardia, Piemonte, Valle d'Aosta, Liguria scale 1:400,000.