Vinnie Penn | Akateeminen Kirjakauppa

Ostensibly a romp through all things Italian, "Guido's Credos" offers a seriocomic subtext about stereotypes and the societal emphasis on political correctness. In his 39 credos -- one for each year he's lived -- author Vinnie Penn rants about everything from growing up in Italian neighborhoods to the church, school, and home decor, weaving in historical facts that supply rich background material. Each of the book's chapters, from "Getting the Boot" to "In the Name of the Father, Son, and the Stromboli Spirit," correlates to a chapter in any proper Italian-American upbringing, as well as the litany of stereotypes that must be endured. Other sections ponder topics such as the unairable episode of "COPS: Brooklyn, " going inside a pitch meeting for an Olive Garden commercial, how to overact at a wake or funeral, and how the original script for "Tony n' Tina's Wedding" was toned down so as not to frighten the audience.