The Italian Way
by Mario Costantino, Lawrence R. Gambella
Amazon Reader’s Review: “This slender volume reads fast. A comprehensive study of Italian culture is beyond the scope of this book. The authors have arranged 74 brief “points” about daily life in Italy, alphabetically by subject, so the reader doesn’t know what is coming next. If you look at the sample pages available here, you will get a sense of the leaps: we begin with an explanation of the Italian version of April Fool’s Day, followed by four paragraphs on table manners, and then we’re on to “attracting attention,” and so on. From the very way it’s organized, we are clearly in the realm of entertainment, although the information is accurate and certainly useful. There is a dusting of vocabulary, but it’s not a course in Italian for travellers. I found it a delightful and fascinating read.”