39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
You can do better (and I should have known better), February 22, 2007
This review is from: Suzy Gershman's Born to Shop Italy: The Ultimate Guide for Travelers Who Love to Shop (Paperback)
Since I'm planning another trip to Italy this year, I got the current edition on a whim. I had bought an old version several years ago on a discount rack when I first started traveling to Europe and I found a fair bit of the information helpful, but this one is a disappointment in several ways. As others have pointed out, much of the information is quite obviously inaccurate or out of date. Furthermore, this is not much good as a shopping guide unless you have money to burn since it is heavily skewed toward the high-end designer market. The author throws in a few snippets from her younger associates about more affordable places to shop but that's not enough. Admittedly, Italy hasn't been a bargain hunter's paradise for many years, even before the currency conversion that has almost ruined shopping in Europe for us Americans, but there really are many affordable options for the average traveler. Just take a look on Virtual Tourist or some fo the other travel forums & you'll find a wealth of advice. From that & my own searches, I've found a pile of good shopping information. Now if I can do that on my own, surely Gershman and her team could have done a better job of research, especially if they have the nerve to charge money for it.
However, my real problem is with Gershman's attitude, which has clearly worsened between the date of my old edition and the present one. The woman is a snob, plain and simple. If you don't catch this from her over-emphasis on designer goods, you'll figure it out from all of her complaining about Italy being overrun with tourists (obviously forgetting that she is one herself)and the Italian merchants taking advantage of this by offering more & more junk. When I read her review of Francesco Rogani, a handbag shop in Rome, I truly wondered if I had been to the same place: she claims that there is a discrepancy between the selling price & the actual retail, the latter of which she claims is too much for sub-standard goods, but what is even more puzzling is her complaint that the clerks have a "less than customer-oriented" attitude. I have been there several times & have never been told of this mysterious difference between prices. Also, I have always found them to be courteous and polite; in fact, on my last visit, they found out it was my birthday & offered to get me a reservation at a special restaurant that I never would have found on my own (it was wonderful and they treated me to the appetizer, dessert, and a glass of liqueur). Now if that isn't "customer-oriented" service, I don't know what is.
Anyone who's traveled abroad even a few times will tell you the same thing: if you act like a typical snotty, demanding tourist, you won't be treated well. The Golden Rule is especially important these days for us Americans, and I assure you that if you are polite, well-mannered and friendly to the Italians or anyone else, you'll have a wonderful time shopping. Talk to the concierge at the hotel and the waiters & shop owners if you want to find out the real bargains - they may not be big-name designer baubles screaming their status, but they will be special, something that a real Italian would own, and more than likely something that you wouldn't find back home.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don't bother!, July 27, 2005
Don't bother buying this book. First, none of the Born To Shop books get updated much between editions, so lots of information is out of date. Second, Suzy Gershman is totally out of touch with reality. I took a shopping tour to Italy with a company called Shop Around Tours and obviously a lot of us had this book. The tour leader warned us not to pay too much attention to it and she was right. BUT we went to Mantero, which is one of the places mentioned in the book, and it was great. Otherwise, the people that went off on their own following Suzy's wild goose chases were very disappointed. So the shopping in Italy was great, but this book was a waste of money.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Very disappointing, March 31, 2004
By A Customer
I agree with many of the other comments here. There are glaring errors all throughout this book, as well as the other Born To Shop books. If you have an older edition, there's no need to buy the new one, as there has been almost nothing updated. The Born To Shop books are a fun read, but do your own homework before following any of the suggestions. Sometimes I think Suzy Gershman really needs to get a clue!
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