{"product_id":"ciao-america-an-italian-discovers-the-us-9780767912365","title":"Ciao, America!: An Italian Discovers the U.S.","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn the wry but affectionate tradition of Bill Bryson, \u003ci\u003eCiao, America  \u003c\/i\u003eis a delightful look at America through the eyes of a fiercely funny guest--one of Italy's favorite authors who spent a year in Washington, D.C.\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When Beppe Severgnini and his wife rented a creaky house in Georgetown they were determined to see if they could adapt to a full four seasons in a country obsessed with ice cubes, air-conditioning, recliner chairs, and, of all things, after-dinner cappuccinos. From their first encounters with cryptic rental listings to their back-to-Europe yard sale twelve months later, Beppe explores this foreign land with the self-described patience of a mildly inappropriate beachcomber, holding up a mirror to America's signature manners and mores. Succumbing to his surroundings day by day, he and his wife find themselves developing a taste for Klondike bars and Samuel Adams beer, and even that most peculiar of American institutions--the pancake house. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The realtor who waves a perfect bye-bye, the overzealous mattress salesman who bounces from bed to bed, and the plumber named Marx who deals in illegally powerful showerheads are just a few of the better-than-fiction characters the Severgninis encounter while foraging for clues to the \u003ci\u003ereal\u003c\/i\u003e America. A trip to the computer store proves just as revealing as D.C.'s Fourth of July celebration, as do boisterous waiters angling for tips and no-parking signs crammed with a dozen lines of fine print. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e By the end of his visit, Severgnini has come to grips with life in these United States--and written a charming, laugh-out-loud tribute.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Crown Publishing Group (NY)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/13\/2003\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780767912365\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 258\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.50lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.20w x 0.60d","brand":"Beppe Severgnini","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44776004812981,"sku":"9780767912365","price":15.3,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_0ee4a0e1-94af-43df-9a59-5179ebc5812a.jpg?v=1730821654","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/ciao-america-an-italian-discovers-the-us-9780767912365","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}