A basic guide to the way of life in modern-day Italy, designed to help visitors enjoy the country and the company of the Italians.

Italy delights and stimulates with its magnificent cities and monuments, its stunningly beautiful landscapes, the glory of its art and architecture, the richness and variety of its food, the elegance of its design and fashion, and the vitality and charm of its people. Italian style and culture have been exported all over the world. What is it like at home? Almost ten years after the 2008 banking crisis, Italy struggles to maintain its standard of living, the stability of the currency, and its ability to provide jobs for its school leavers and university graduates, many of whom now leave to work elsewhere in Europe. In addition, the influx of refugees from southeast Europe and across the Mediterranean is putting pressure on both its security and its economy. How are traditional Italian society and politics changing to deal with these challenges, with its most famous political personality of the last ten years, the former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, still apparently waiting in the wings? The Italians are the most European-minded of nations, having emerged from a long history of regional fragmentation." Culture Smart! Italy" introduces you to their history and culture and offers an insider s guide to their daily lives, passions, and preoccupations. This is your chance to get to know them better."

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Author Hugh Shankland has 'known' Italy as a tourist, student and scholar for over thirty years: In discovering the 'heart' of Italy and what makes Italians tick, he is able to lead the reader to a level of understanding and provide an insight that will prove indispensable to the traveler, for business or pleasure. This is more than a book of 'do's and don'ts' when in Italy: it is equivalent to the insider's Priviledge Card.

Concise, to-the-point advice about the best ways to conduct business through Europe International Business Etiquette: Europe shares the do's and don'ts of interacting with individuals in every country throughout Europe. Each of the 25 country-specific chapters begins with a summary of statistics. What follows are countless tips about what to do and when to do it, whether you are interacting with your international client for the first time or the fourth time. Each chapter closes with "Whatever you Do...Don't" tips for avoiding the most commonly made faux pas for both business and leisure travelers. Topics Include: Business attire and business card etiquette. Business entertaining/dining and conversation. Gestures, public manners, and gift-giving. Meeting and seating etiquette. The importance of punctuality. Tips on proper gratuities and toasting etiquette. What to do when you are invited to a home. Women in business.