5 comments about When in Rome or Rio or Riyadh: Cultural Q & A's for Successful Business Behavior Around the World.

1. I just started working in a large multi-national and have found this book invaluable in its advice about how to deal with people from other cultures. I particularly liked the Q&A format of much of the book when people wrote to Gwyneth Olofsson with questions about how to deal with tricky cross-cultural situations - the sort that can lead to "culture clash" if you're not careful. A big plus is that it's funny too!



2. There were places in this book where I laughed out loud, usually at the real-life examples of "culture clashes." The letters also made me think about how my own behavior at work could be misunderstood by foreigners. I learned a lot!



3. This book is a complete winner! All the the other intercultural books I`ve read have been BORING. This is a book for everybody working internationally...and it`s wise and amusing



4. Written by the owner of an international training and consulting company, When In Rome Or Rio Or Riyadh: Cultural Q & As For Successful Business Behavior Around The World is a comprehensive guide especially for international businesspeople, covering common cultural misunderstandings and gaffes that can plague one in nations ranging from Australia to Venezuela. From general information on how to make small talk safely and avoid common communication problems, to body language recommendations and warnings against inappropriate gestures in different nations (for example, a raised thumb is considered offensive in Australia and the Middle East), to countless case studies of problems and communication issues brought about by different cultural norms and expectations, When In Rome Or Rio Or Riyadh is not only a "must-have" resource for globetrotters but also an engrossing to lay readers curious about the sharp differences in how folks from different nations relate. Extremely accessible and down-to-earth, When In Rome Or Rio Or Riyadh explores the fascinating variety of cultural differences from an emphatically practical perspective.



5. Book arrived in excellent condition and quickly. The book is very informative and in a nice conversational, easy to grasp format.

5 comments about As the Romans Do: The Delights, Dramas, And Daily Diversions Of Life In The Eternal City.

1. Mr. Epstein obviously has bushels of cash, and plenty of connections with the glitterati. His descriptions of buying a place in Rome, going to dinner parties with his famous personal friends, and his perceptions of la bella figura, etc. are all rather patronizing. While I did enjoy a couple of the chapters, I found that Mr. Epstein's reality in the USA was obviously far different from mine, and so is his reality in Italy. Must be nice to have it all so easy.



2. I quickly got absorbed in the first half or so of this book. The author's delight in his adopted city is contagious, and apart from falling into the occasional cliche and tendency to name-drop, he's an engaging writer. But eventually it cloys. Please, let's hear something--anything--to indicate that Rome is not paradise, because no place is paradise. The absence of a single negative note gets to be monotonous and annoying--and suspect. (You get the feeling that his publisher gave him his marching orders, instructing him to offer kudos and nothing but. Or else that Epstein lives in a fantasy, averting his eyes from anything unpleasant.) By the second half of this book I couldn't shake off the sense that if it were the Roman habit to toss the household garbage out the front window, Epstein's response would be "How charming! What insouciance! Such a devil-may-care approach to life!" I hope in his next book, if there is one, he exhibits a little more candor.



3. I agree with Veerby's assessment - the first half is a fun, engaging read, but after that, you wonder if there is anything bad about Rome in the least. It's great with all the men being mama's boys and women making themselves up to go to the grocer and the traffic jams and everything. I was actually surprised when he mentioned how Rome is not perfect and has its flaws in the last chapter, but he failed to elaborate in the least, aside from mentioning that many immigrants have come whose customs are different than that of the Romans, insinuating that they also brought crime with them. i would much prefer a more even-handed read, and preferably from someone who is not as obviously well-off. It makes me think of New York City, where having a little money makes the city a MUCH nicer place to live, mainly from being able to afford a nice neighborhood to live in.



4. I agree with a lot of the other reviewers in that the author obviously finds himself delightful. His ego seeps through the pages to the point where I was rolling my eyes in exasperation at him. You can just imagine him jumping up and down screaming "Look at me! Look at me! Aren't I awesome, I live in Rome!" His ego comes across in his pointless name dropping (the story could have been told without naming his friends and he would have come off the better for it), and his sections about how desirable his wife and him can be to Romans who just love to flirt. (Please.)
   
   The book is entertaining and he obviously loves the city and it shows in his colorful, lively interpretation of it. However, as others have mentioned, he just skims the surface, never bothering to delve deeper. At one point he has a blurb mentioning that when they were away from Rome they had heard how expensive it had gotten. He further states that they sure found out just how expensive when they came back. BUT he never bothers to explain how expensive and what they experienced!!! (Hello? Don't lead us on and then not bother with an explanation.)
   
   His constant obsession throughout the book with la bella figura wore thin after the one millionth time he mentioned how amazing Roman women are. (Can we say stereotype?) I'm sure they are amazing, but I find it really hard to believe that every woman in Rome is always dressed to the nines. I would really like to read an honest portrayal of the women.
   
   His chapter on how seductive and flirtatious that city was really had my eyes rolling. Why does he need to describe a woman's chest bouncing away in her car? I know it was to demonstrate sexyiness of the city, but come on, does he need to describe this for pages? (I don't take issue with this b/c it offends my sensabilities...I just thought it was very silly.) He reminds me of guys who think if a girl merely glances at him than that must mean she likes him.
   
   Furthermore in the first part of the book he states how untrustworthy Roman workers are and how you should never leave them around your stuff. (And how first floor apartments can be very unsafe b/c they are always robbed.) But throughout the book he keeps mentioning how crime is very low in Rome, bla bla how Romans never commit crime. Uh...maybe his editor should have picked up on these inconsistencies.
   
   All in all I don't hate this book, but the author's obnoxiousness and his superficial look at Rome detracted from my enjoyment. I would recommend this book in ADDITION to another more in depth coverage of the city.



5. Having just returned from my first visit to Rome two months ago...I happened upon this book at my local library and devoured it in 2 days. It's helped me recapture my experience in a way that even my 1900+ photos can not.
   
   Epstein's engaging style and keen observations so beautifully describe the Roman experience that I was transcended as I read. I could hear, see and smell all the things with which I fell in love during my short stay.
   
   This would be an excellent book for someone planning to visit Rome for the first time-- as it gives a very realistic sense of what you will experience culturally while there. Epstein explores nuances you won't learn about from travel brochures or visitor's bureau websites.
   
   I have purchased this book and will most likely reread it when it arrives and will then share it with the friends with whom I visited Rome. Then, between now and my next visit to Rome, I can review its many passages which truly capture the heart of a great city.

No comments about Rome InsideOut (Insider Guide Insideout).

No comments about Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

No comments about Where Rome CityGuide (Where Cityguides).

5 comments about When in Rome.

1. From the first Ngaio Marsh book I read (_Death in a White Tie_)I was hooked. Now, reading my fourth Marsh novel, _When in Rome_, I can say that I like her even better than Agatha Christie. _When in Rome_ is about a group of tourists (incl. the famous Inspector Alleyn) whose guide suddenly disappears. Only Inspector Alleyn, who joined the tour because he suspects that the guide is a key member of a drug ring, is worried about his disappearance; most of the tour group couldn't care less. In fact, a few of them couldn't be happier that the seedy Mr. Mailer has conveniently vanished.



2. Having read all of Agatha Christies novels I never thought that I would find an author comparable to her. Yet, after reading most of the Ngaio Marsh books I believe it is time to start comparing Agatha Christie to Ngaio Marsh. A great example of this can be found in When in Rome. In this book, Chief Superintendent Roderick Alleyn gets himself involved in a guided tour in an old church site in Rome. When the rather disrepeptable tour guide vanishes and a murder in unearthed in the underground portion of the old church, Alleyn finds himself in the thick of it. Together with the Italian Police, Alleyn trys to sort out the possible suspects. Marsh is at her very best as she takes the reader on a magical mystery tour of Rome. As always, her character descriptions are flawless and the plot moves along in rapid fashion. This book is on a par with Grave Mistake and many of her others. A great read and a superb mystery. Ngaio Marsh is can well be considered one of the best Brittish authors of the century.



3. WHEN IN ROME presents us with a tantalizing tale of Mr. Sebastian Mailer, an up-scale tour guide whose idea of showing his guests the town ranges from artistic landmarks to drug laden dens of iniquity. Unfortunately, Mailer also laces his mixture with a spot of blackmail, so it is no great surprise to Chief Inspector Alleyn, on duty in Rome, when a body turns up where no body should be.
   
   Among the great authors of 20th Century mystery fiction, Ngaio Marsh was particularly noted for her ability to create unique characters and place them in memorable settings--and WHEN IN ROME offers her the opportunity to do precisely that. But in this instance Marsh overplays her hand. The novel is tainted by repeated condensending British jibes at Italy, some faintly hilarious ideas about drug use, and what can only be described as indirect but nonetheless obvious sneering fits of homophobia.
   
   In the end, this is novel that established Marsh fans will want to read--but it is also a novel that not even established Marsh fans will consider in the same league with such brilliant works as BLACK AS HE'S PAINTED, DEAD WATER, or OVERTURE TO DEATH, to name but a few. Readable, even amusing, but ultimately dismissable.
   
   GFT, Amazon Reviewer



4. This late (1970) Marsh book is worthwhile reading for Marsh fans. Unfortunately, it does not compare well to some of the more classic Alleyn books from earlier in her career. Marsh was at her best writing about earlier days. Her misunderstandings and often (unintentionally) comic view of youth culture during the late 1960s/early 1970s is one of the unfortunate hallmarks of this period in her writing.
   
   In When in Rome, Alleyn registers for a tour incognito to try to crack a drug and blackmailing ring run by a thoroughly unpleasant fellow. When the fellow in question turns up dead, he and his fellow tourists have a great deal of thinking to do about guilt and innocence.
   
   Truthfully, this is probably a three star book. I gave it four stars because of the extra Ngaio Marsh spark which can make even a tedious book worth the time to read. Recommended, as I said, for Marsh fans. Readers new to her work should choose one of the novels from the 1930s through 1950 as a first experience.



5. The deficiencies here are glaring. Two of the victims are villains and the third hisses a few words, spits at one of the villains, and is gone, never to reappear except as a dead body. We don't miss any of them and don't really care who killed them. The central characters are never remotely in danger of being suspected. The most interesting feature of the story is a fictional twelth-century basilica built atop a third-century church, which had itself been built atop a house dating from Mithraic times. In all, a book without tension, suspense, or interest (except in the basilica).

5 comments about Trattorias of Rome, Florence, and Venice.

1. The author seems to know what she is talking about in Rome which is the lagest part of the book. Her recommendations in Florence and Venice seem to be based mostly on hearsay.
   Consider this: The book is 274 pages long. The glossary of terms and bibliograpy account for 72 pages. The book does review trattorias but it also reviews expensive restaurants, pizzerias,
   gelaterias, wine bars , shops that sell wine and serve light lunches, and wine shops that offer tastings and canapes. There is a lot of detail im this book, but after reading it I decided it was of little practical use to me since I am an ordinary tourist looking for a good place to eat near the attractions I will be visiting on this my third trip to Rome (second to Florence and Venice). Many of the recommendations are clustered in neighborhoods that are somewhat removed. The book is not going on my trip with me... The purchase price was a waste of money.



2. Last year, my husband and I went to Italy on our honeymoon and half of the meals we ate were good using Frommer's and Eyewitness so when we went this year, September 2001 I was determined to make all the meals GREAT. With the help of this book I did. In Rome, we went to four restaurants, all were excellent, Trattoria Claudio al Pantheon (twice), Cul de Sac (a wine bar with light meals) around the corner from the Piazza Navona, a restaurant on the Campo dei Fiori Plaza, Nino's by the Spanish steps and an Enoteca by the Italian Parliment. In Florence, we went to Da Guido's and Trattoria Antellesi (sp.?) by the train station. This book was a MUCH more reliable source than any of our guide books and a fun read, Fant is rather opinionated, but so am I. If you are a foodie like me you won't pass this up, I just wish she'd do a book on more cities, Milan, parts of Tuscany etc.

   My only advice is to call the restaurants in Rome first, if you want to go for lunch. Even in Septmeber, we found that some Roman restaurants around the Pantheon listed in the book were closed for lunch. Fant does include a list of restaurants open on Sunday and Monday, which is very useful because lots of restaurants are closed on those days.

   Regardless, everywhere we went was excellent and Fant gives you tips on what to order, which were very helpful. ...

   Bon Appetit!




3. We tried a number of recommended places and all were great. The recommended dishes were also great. A must have if you love to eat!



4. Finding a good restaurant that is also a good value is
   perhaps more difficult in Venice than any other major Italian
   city. Over the years we have come to grief with Michelin and
   with Gambero Rosso more often in Venezia than anywhere else
   in Italy. It is thus with real delight that we can report a
   gastronomically flawless stay in La Serenissima, thanks to
   Maureen Fant's recent guide, which combines a wealth of practical
   dining advice with engaging gossip about one's hosts. If you
   feel you need a friend in Venice to dine there with confidence- look no further!



5. "...I've looked through the window" was the first sentence I read when looking though the Florence section. I'm sorry, but looking through the window doesn't exactly qualify one to write a review of their food. I've looked through the windows of loads of restaurants I haven't eaten in - can I publish a book too? All in all this book was a disappointment, at least for the Florence section. I see from other reviews that she is more familiar with Rome, so perhaps this book would be worth buying for that instead. I recommend Sandra Gustafson's "Cheap Eats in Italy" instead. The title is misleading (although you can eat cheaply if you follow her advice on what to order) and is full of wonderful recommendations from simple tripe stalls to fancy restaurants.

No comments about Hedonist's Guide To Rome 1st Edition (Hedonist's Guide to..., A).

No comments about Insight Guides Rome (Insight Guides. Rome).

4 comments about Roman Remains of Southern France: A Guide Book.

1. This book came highly recommended on various chat and message boards for fans of Southern France. I totally understand why. As the South of France and Riviera was a tremendously wealthy Roman area, it is literally full of some of the best ruins and museums devoted to the glory that was Rome to be found anywhere outside of Rome. However, while the Roman areas of Italy are extensively documnted, there is very little on sites in France. This book is the only and best guide to those remains.

   This book reviews unearthed Roman towns, such as Vaison La Romain which is 2nd in the world to Pompeii in terms of intact towns. It maps out both the town itself, and also the layouts of many of the larger mansions that are partially standing, along with various anecdotes about the ruins.

   This book reviews of course, the larger aqueducts, theaters, forums, and the like, with startling amounts of backround information on each, but this book finds many items of interest that are completely off the radar screen, such as chasms carved into rock that brought the water to towns, old Roman pipework, roadside monuments in the middle of nowhere, the best places at which to examine the old Roman roads, etc.

   I have used this book on two trips to the region, and find it amazing. Even at the larger, marked, and serviced monuments, this book can take you just a little farther up the hill, or put what you are examining in a certain perspective so as to get 'the rest of the story' as Paul Harvey says.

   This is an amazingly god book, for the intrepid traveler, the armchair archaelogist, and the itinerant tourist. Pick it UP!




2. This book came highly recommended on various chat and message boards for fans of Southern France. I totally understand why. As the South of France and Riviera was a tremendously wealthy Roman area, it is literally full of some of the best ruins and museums devoted to the glory that was Rome to be found anywhere outside of Rome. However, while the Roman areas of Italy are extensively documnted, there is very little on sites in France. This book is the only and best guide to those remains.

   This book reviews unearthed Roman towns, such as Vaison La Romain which is 2nd in the world to Pompeii in terms of intact towns. It maps out both the town itself, and also the layouts of many of the larger mansions that are partially standing, along with various anecdotes about the ruins.

   This book reviews of course, the larger aqueducts, theaters, forums, and the like, with startling amounts of backround information on each, but this book finds many items of interest that are completely off the radar screen, such as chasms carved into rock that brought the water to towns, old Roman pipework, roadside monuments in the middle of nowhere, the best places at which to examine the old Roman roads, etc.

   I have used this book on two trips to the region, and find it amazing. Even at the larger, marked, and serviced monuments, this book can take you just a little farther up the hill, or put what you are examining in a certain perspective so as to get 'the rest of the story' as Paul Harvey says.

   This is an amazingly god book, for the intrepid traveler, the armchair archaelogist, and the itinerant tourist. Pick it UP!




3. This book proved to be most useful when I was planning a recent trip to Provence. I took it with me and found it to be a wonderful companion guide. The author clearly has a deep knowledge of the subject. Along with his descriptions of the various sites I especially liked his digressions into subjects like Roman theater and spectacles. I think some of the discussions of small local museums could have been cut and the photographs should be of better quality. Also the maps could be adapted for the general reader. Something to think about if they publish another edition. That said, if you are interested in the ancient Roman remains of Southern France, this is the book to have.



4. If you are interested in Roman history, and plan to travel to southern France, this book might interest you, otherwise look no further.
   
   The subject matter is narrow in scope, and rarely is their a diversion in text. Southern France (note Lyon is not included) is saturated in Roman ruins, and untangling the more interesting from the less is a challenge this book helps to navigate.
   
   The maps can be hard to follow when visiting sites. The terminology is at times quite technical (ie. in describing elements of architecture). The emphasis is specifically on the existing ruins and less on the history of the sites reviewed.
   
   This book did help me organize my visit to southern France. I know of no other book on this subject. It took 6 weeks to receive it from an Amazon associated seller, presumably because it is such a rare book.