Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0571205925/qid=1096542207/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-3018772-7410250

I bought this book after recommendations on the net.

I've just spent a holiday in Tuscany and wanted to read about Italy while I was there.

I'm not entirely sure if it was a good idea to read this at the time!

The book is a fascinating read, and clearly shows the author's love-hate relationship with Italy.

It clearly lays out the strangely polarised nature of Italian politics. It helped me to understand why there seems to be so much extreme-looking graffiti and posters in Italy, which otherwise seems a very conservative place.

It also described how "furbo" is an important concept for Italians. This means "cunning" - and means that you don't follow rules (like queueing or paying taxes) imposed by the state, but follow others (such as loyalty to friends and family).

This information made me feel rather wary about being the victim of "furbo" and unsure of whether to act like an English or an Italian when visiting.

Overall I felt the book lifted a lid of sides of Italian culture only glimpsed dimly when you're there as a tourist.