A comprehensive ready-reckoner to the customs and etiquette of Italy. In discovering the 'heart' of Italy -- a country the author has known for over thirty years -- and what makes Italians tick, Hugh Shankland is able to lead the reader to a level of understanding and provide an insight that will prove indispensable to any traveler, for business or pleasure. This is more than a 'do's' and 'don'ts' guide to Italy: it is equivalent to owning the insider's 'Privilege Card'. Contents: Attitude to Foreigners (including sharing food, a celebration of life and loving to be loved); The Country, People & Climate (including Italy's many identities, power and politics, the north and south cultures); The Family, Men & Women (including dealing with Italian men, and taking care of 'number one'); Dress & Style (including 'la bella figura'); Social Occasions & Situations (including kissing and shaking hands, formal and informal language and etiquette); Communicating (including the art of conversation, 'sounding Italian', useful grammatical guidelines and understand gestures); Food & Drink; Facts About Italy; Index