Ciao, America!: An Italian Discovers the U.S. Kindle Edition

Americans love to hear what other people think of us and I’m no exception. Beppe writes like someone continually amused and bemused by Washington, DC and all the peculiar habits of people who live there. He’s one of those people who can be entertaining while writing about nothing. He simultaneously thinks a La-Z-Boy is an abomination and a wonderfully comfortable invention. His critiques are insightful but never mean-spirited. A fu look at American life.

A stranger in a strange land? I think not. I get the distinct impression that Mr. Severgnini--and I do want to get his name spelled correctly since he says we Americans can't spell-- really had a good time the year that he spent in Georgetown. I know I certainly had a good time reading this often very funny book. He pokes fun at Americans and all our foibles with great wit and little or no mean spiritedness.There are few aspects of America that Mr. S.-- I'm not taking any chances on misspelling his name-- misses. He covers malls, freeway drivers, obesity, casual attire, overly friendly waiters, political correctness, our obsession with shopping, being in control, being organized, numbers and air conditioning, to name a few.One of my favorite paragraphs from this book is Mr. S's take on America's bad taste or what he calls "large-scale wanton tackiness." "The hero figures of this America are Mae West, Liberace, Muhammad Ali, Joan Collins, and Ivana Trump. Larger than life personalities who at first sight, and often at second or third, are beyond comprehension. How can they like that stuff? The sacred places of this America are Las Vegas, Atlantic City, every bar in the state of Texas, and every swimming pool in California, as well as 90 percent of official ceremonies and any sports event you care to mention." This is a statement difficult to dispute.I'm not completely convinced that this writer could get an objective view of the U. S. from hanging out with Washington types. I wouldn't say that people inside the Beltway, as the media would have us call them, are good examples of what Americans are like. I wonder if he would have sung a different tune if he had spent a year, for instance, in Nashville, Kansas City or Miami or some other large U. S. city besides Washington. At any rate, this book is a great read. I recommend reading it during these Dog Days of summer in a very cold air conditioned room!

You have to be able to laugh at your American self to love this book. I'm sure that's one of the reasons why I enjoyed it so much.We don't see ourselves the way others see us, so Beppe's perspective is VERY refreshing and thought-provoking. Americans have some kooky idiosyncracies and proclivities, but then again... so do Italians, and every other ethnic group out there. His book gets me to thinking about all the years I lived in NYC. I wonder now how all the foreigners in that melting pot perceived us, and marvel at the adjustments they had to make to "get with the program" in America.Thank you, Beppe... for a very enjoyable read. I'm now reading his "La Bella Figura," and I'll get back to you with more when I've finished that one.I say, "Go for it, and have a good chuckle or two, or three, or four, or more."

Thought the book was going to be better than it was. The author only stayed in an affluent area of DC and has pretty much summed up Americans by that one experience.In my opinion, save your time and skip this one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's filled with funny anecdotes about daily life in urban America and it's interesting to hear it from an Italian perspective. It's best appreciated by Americans who've traveled internationally and can appreciate the nuances of culture. You also miss a bit if you haven't experienced life in Italy. Having been to Italy several times over the years, I could appreciate the Italian awe of how much more efficient American bureaucracy and buying phone services can be. I was on the floor over his description of feeling like a "matador faced with a milk cow"! For Americans in Italy, it's the opposite experience of course - complete naivete at first about how "the system" works in Italy which one quickly realizes is simply that the "system" doesn't work at all and that it's assumed you will find blatant ways to work around the system to get what you need. Unfortunately since his book was written, Americans are not nearly as polite as they used to be, everyone's in rush, we've lost patience with our airlines, our government and so on. And sadly, in the 15 years since his book was written, 35% of Americans are now overweight or obese. He should come back and write a short sequel. A good light-hearted read and highly recommended.

An interesting perspective on the United States seen from the eyes of an Italian. Although entertaining, it just skims the surface. The author did not spend enough time in the U.S. to really absorb the regional differences. However, it is still worth a read. Makes a good airplane book since it can be read in about three hours.

The thoughts of the author about the United States can be very useful for foreign people as well as for United States citizens who want to take a look to their own culture from another point of view. It is an interesting and funny way to approach to the United States culture, language and costumes, specially if you are planning to live in this country. It was useful for me and I enjoyed it a lot.

Ciao America! is Beppe Severgnini's follow-up book to Ciao Italia!He should have quit while he was ahead. Ciao America is supposed to be a witty account of Severgnini's year spent in America. However, it's not funny, nor is it witty. The book is composed mostly of the author's day to day experiences of living in America and his wry observations of those experiences. The problem is that the book is as mundane as the author's year in America. It's not funny, it''s not witty, it's not interesting and it's not worth reading.

Il libro è destinato sicuramente ai viaggiatori ma anche alle persone che viaggiano solo con la fantasia. Si tratta di una lucida e brillante analisi delle caratteristiche più evidenti degli americani agli occhi di uno straniero e in particolare di un italiano. Mi è piaciuto molto il modo garbato di criticare e il modo generoso di apprezzare pro e contro di questo continente così amato e temuto allo stesso tempo per la sua enormità. Severgnini riesce a dare un'immagine veritiera senza essere troppo adulatore o severo critico, propone dei confronti su situazioni reali e contingenti ed espone anche la sua propria esperienza rivelandosi ai lettori. Ci fa scoprire un'America diversa fatta di inconvenienti, imbarazzi, scortesia oltre che di fascino, meraviglie e grandezza. E' un libro che fa sorridere per tutta la lettura e lascia il desiderio di continuare a leggere anche dopo la fine.