Ciao, America!

In the wry but affectionate tradition of Bill Bryson,Ciao, America!is 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. 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. 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 therealAmerica. 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. 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. From the Hardcover edition.

<b>Beppe Severgnini</b> is a columnist for Italy’s <i>Corriere della Sera</i> and also writes for <i>The Economist</i>. A bestselling author in Italy, his books include <i>Inglesi</i>, a portrait of modern Britain. Severgnini lives with his wife in Crema, Italy.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>