Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Italian History and Culture

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I've just glanced at this book thanks to Amazon's feature "look inside" and as an Italian, I feel like dropping some lines about what I've read.
I have had the chance to read only few pages but I've encountered some inaccuracies that make me think the author has done a good research about Italy.
First... There is a "di interessa" all over the book probably intended to highlight interesting points inside the chapters. The correct form is "di interesse". "Di interessa" is a pure mistake.
Second thing... The author says that a typical Italian saying is "Una faccia una razza", namely "one face one race" but this is isn't a typical Italian saying at all. It is Greek and wants to state that Italians and Greeks share the same background.
I didn't want to read further but what I've read is enough to me to say that this isn't the suitable book for those people who want to know more about my country. I assume that as I've found two serious mistakes in two pages, I might find many more in the rest of the book.

I have to admit, I did. I have two on Italy & they were both a complete waste of time & money. The idea is appealing--history & culture told in a fun, easy-to-digest way--but the authors do not have enough experience or knowledge to pull it off. If you're even slightly interested in Italy-don't bother. The book is filled with inaccuracies, typos, and half truths.

I purchased this book to gain more information about Italian culture and history in general and to plan a trip to Italy as well. The "Idiots" guide is properly titled since its information in trite and common and I found the book to be pretty useless. Many other books on the subject are much better.

to think this book has anything to say--it's a bunch of info cobbled together from the usual guide books..I should've chucked it when I saw the italian grammar error in the table of contents!!! A complete waste of money...

on this mess...It's all downhill after the Italian spelling errors in the index--the author appears to have no real understanding of the language or the country, the book is filled with partial or wrong information. (...)!!!

There are many other books so much better than this one to choose from. Search Amazon for Italian heritage or Italian culture. Pick a book not written for an idiot. This one is way too trivial in its content and you gain almost nothing from reading it.

I purchased this book to gain more information about Italian culture and history in general and to plan a trip to Italy as well. The "Idiots" guide is properly titled since its information in trite and common and I found the book to be pretty useless. Many other books on the subject are much better.

I just returned from a fabulous trip to Italy, and I found this book to be an invaluable aid. It truly helped me get a richer and more insightful appreciation of Italian culture and history. Congrats to the authors for a superlative job. Their work was instructive, detailed and entertaining.

I bought this book before going to Italy. I got exactly what I needed to get much more out of the trip. Euvino's excellent writing, her humor combined with detailed knowledge picked with great care filled my brain with exactly the pieces I needed to understand Italians and Italy better. She really makes it fun without sacrificing clarity, perspective or accuracy.

Ms.Euvino's latest literary triumph is a must-read for anyone who is studying Italian history and culture. This book will be particularly helpful for those students in high school or college who need a down and dirty introduction and overview of the subject matter AND dont have much time to devote to the process. Those of you who may be planning a trip to Italy, or just visiting there in spirit, will also find Ms. Euvino's easy style and enjoyable text tremendously helpful as you prepare for your Italian adventure. Bravo Ms. Euvino....... you've written a book that invites all of us to wrap our arms around Italy and share in your extensive knowledge of everything Italian.