Yo Capeesh!: A Guide to Understanding Italian Americans [Paperback]

Jim Caridi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 2002

Yo Capeesh!!!! is a humorous, nostalgic, educational and sentimental guide to Italian Americana. It was written in a way that would appeal to many of the 25 million Italian Americans and those familiar with them. It is especially useful for those individuals smitten with the Italian American media. Using humor as its main focus, portions of the book are educational and can be used by all as a reference. It not only addresses Italian American heroes, songs and traditions but also phonetically and occasionally pictorially defines typical clichés, mannerisms, speech and food used in movies, TV and the stereotypical Italian American home. For those who are infatuated with the Mob, a chapter entitled How the boys say it explains many of the expressions and origins of organized crime vernacular. This chapter was included because of the somewhat crazed interest for this media genre and is sensitive to the majority of Italian Americans it does not represent. Briefly, Yo Capeesh!!!! is a whimsical, entertaining guide that has widespread appeal not only for Italian Americans but also for those who are interested in the allure and mystique of this unique and pervasive sub-culture.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jim Caridi, M.D., is currently an Associate Professor of Interventional Radiology at the University of Florida. A third generation Italian American raised in New York, he credits much of his personal and professional success to multiple injections of heritage combined with a strong dose of humor.

Product Details

• Paperback: 122 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (April 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595221688
• ISBN-13: 978-0595221684
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,144,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #74 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Italian

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars boo hiss, September 1, 2003

By 

D. Eichholz "bsnmsn" (Indiana USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Yo Capeesh!: A Guide to Understanding Italian Americans (Paperback)

A waste of good money. It's been done before and alot better.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I am actually paying Amazon the postage to take it back!!, November 10, 2004

By 

Proud Italian (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yo Capeesh!: A Guide to Understanding Italian Americans (Paperback)

I don't know what type of Italian/American family other people grew up in, but I grew up in a loving family with wonderful warm traditions, holidays filled with love, humor and great food, songs sung in Italian, stories of the old country and a door that was always open with the coffee on the stove...I found none of that nostalgia here. What I did find was the stereotypical pictures, sayings and gestures that unfortunately television portrays Italian/Americans to be. If you are looking for a book that not only will translate swears from Italian, but will show you pictures of the gestures as well, or teaches you the correct Italian response to someone farting, this one is for you.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, November 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Yo Capeesh!: A Guide to Understanding Italian Americans (Paperback)

Tho I thought this book would entertaining I found it to be quite the contrary. If I were Italian I would highly insulted!