Italian Without Words

I've been giving this book as a gift to my Italian friends for years, and it's always a hit.

I work with a lot of Italian people, and all of them except ONE thought this was hysterical. I also love how you can get your point across without speaking! The pictures were funny too. Also, the actual way to say the words are written phonetically so you can actually SPEAK the Italian phrase while you make the gestures. It's a good grab bag or joke gift, and not really politically incorrect.

This is a light-hearted subject, but an important one, too. I first became interested in Italian hand gestures after I read that a key soccer game was once lost because the coach explained (complete with hand gestures) what he wanted an incoming player to do. Once the player was in the game, the opposing coach (who saw but did not hear the plan) was able to stop it. What's not to love?This is the best of several books on the subject, and it can be treated as pure entertainment or something to study before a trip to the 'bel paese' -- it works well in both contexts. The gestures are clearly explained, and the subject matter skillfully stays clear of the ridicule or overly comic elements that plague some similar efforts.My take: there's hardly a more interesting way to prepare for a trip to Italy than to open a bottle of dolcetto and practice these gestures with your travel partner.A side note: Italians get a big friendly laugh from forigners who accurately use their hand gestures!

This is a book that you definately need to see (really, see) to appreciate it. It's got all kinds of useful and not-so-useful phrases, such as "I'll break your knees!," "I'll blind you!," and "You're beautiful!" It shows you the proper gesture, a phrase to go along with it, and even how to correctly pronounce it. Get this book, even if you have no need to learn any Italian phrases. It's hilarious, and definately worth the money.

Having several Italian friends in Italy and Switzerland, this book was a riot for them. With Italian and English captions for each photo, even Italians can get a kick out of this book. If you have any Italian background or friends, this is a must.