This was on the bargain pile at the Mennonite Heritage Museum. I had looked at it many times, but only saw photos of furniture that I had never seen in any one's house, so I dismissed it as maybe about Ontario or Pennsylvania Mennonite. But it is really a social history about customs in Russia, Prussia, etc., a very good bargain for sure. A Mennophile essential.
This was the perfect book to read in France. Extremely well-written essays on various aspects of France's history, culture, and economy, focussing on what makes France different from the US or Canada.
Each chapter builds on the thesis of why the French people accept extreme standardization and centralization of government in every aspect of life.
This is a unique portrait of the nature of the Italian people, written by a powerful writer. He is both amusing and deep, opening every fibre of muscle and blood vessel to reveal all that is necessary to understand Italy. It is a masterful thesis, still in print after 46 years. It was written in 1964 and is interesting seeing Italy through the eyes of that year compared with 2010.
The development of every emotion and motivation of business, family, crime, corruption is described in stark detail with numerous detailed examples from current times and history.
I learned much not only about the Italian people (males mostly) but also the history of Italy. For example, the popes would always enrich their relatives, in particular nephews, to carry on the family estates intact. The reasons for this helped me later understand some of the great paintings and frescos in the Vatican Museums, as well as the little farm I stayed in in Locorotondo which had been first established by a priest as a church in 1728, and then built up to leave to a nephew.
In his chapter on understanding Mussolini and his hold on Italy, I found out that he was originally a Communist, and then started the Fasci II which folded together the extreme left and extreme right. This is never mentioned in other books.
Barzini's use of the English language is jolting and I had to stop to admire and analyze it in almost every sentence.
A must read for anyone intensely interested in Italy and history.
Really interesting little book, well written.
I tried to finish Ataturk, pre-Turkey reading, but just couldn't focus so I instead read a few light, but very enjoyable books. April 3 is the end of Week 13. So far, beating my goal of a book a week. And I am not counting recipe books, and such. Great insight into Turkish psyche, why military coups, why so resistant to foreign interference.
