Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #114959 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 365 pages

Amazon.com
The title of Living, Studying and Working in Italy says it all: this book is intended for would-be expatriates with an eye for Italy. The authors have both had extensive experience living and working in the Bel Paese--Neighbor was in Florence for four years while Larner still lives in Rome, where she is a journalist for Business Week. Together they have pooled their experiences and collective knowledge of living abroad to address the practical side of living, working, or studying in Italy.

The first thing you might notice about this book is that it lacks references to Italy's great art, popular tourist sites, and best hotels. But remember, this is no ordinary guidebook--leave the tourist stuff to others and let Neighbor and Larner take you on a tour of everyday life as an expatriate in Italy. Here you'll find information about taking language courses and teaching English, volunteering for archeological digs, and starting a business. There are plenty of practical tips about visas, banking, residency requirements, and--alas!--taxes. There are lists of language schools, volunteer opportunities, and internship programs as well as information about freelance, part-time, and full-time employment opportunities. In short, this guidebook extraordinaire might just be an expatriate's best friend in Italy.

From Library Journal
Anyone planning an extended stay in Italy will be grateful for this book. Neighbor, who managed the U.S. bureau of the leading Italian weekly, L'Espresso, for over two years, and Larner, who works as a reporter for Business Week in Rome, offer the distilled experience of a combined ten years of living in Italy. In scrupulous detail, they show the reader how to handle the vexations of bureaucracy, find accommodations, handle taxes, and so forth. The section on studying provides information pertinent to American students at Italian universities, American study abroad programs, and language schools. Some of the areas covered in the section on working are teaching, starting a business, internships and volunteer opportunities, as well as the nitty-gritty of obtaining social security numbers and Italian work visas. Lists of useful addresses and Internet sites are included, and the appendix serves as a handy reference tool. Recommended for public and academic libraries.?Ravi Shenoy, Hinsdale P.L., Naperville, Ill.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Armed with this thorough and informative guide, Americans can negotiate the challenges of settling in Italy without sacrificing their delight in its surprises and eccentricity."--Nancy Novogrod, Editor in Chief, Travel & Leisure

Customer Reviews

Only Brushes the Surface
I moved to Italy to live, study and work, taking with me this book as the ultimate resource for an American looking to make a life there. Unfortunately, I did not find it to be the exhaustive guide I had hoped.
Not only did it brush the surface on important questions any American moving abroad would have (such as those addressing legal requirements, getting proper paperwork and visas to stay, finding work, etc.), I found it to actually contradict itself in the discussion of some important subjects.

I am afraid that whole-heartedly trusting this book to help you navigate through some of the legal implications of moving to Italy may result in much frustration. I also found the helpful lists (compilations of schools and universities, English-speaking organizations, etc.) to be less-than-comprehensive. These lists mainly focus on the big cities and American-draws (Rome, Florence and Milan).

This book is fine as a starter guide to help you to begin to plan, but it is not "everything you need to know."

The Guru
This book arrived today, and I have read most of it already-- absolutely wonderful! It addresses answers to 98% of my questions, as well as issues I hadn't even thought about. There are also useful addresses and resources, as well as basic, but necessary tips, including how to convert measurements (for butter, sugar and clothing!), saints' days, and everyday etiquette (don't walk around your hosts' house barefoot!). How can someone who doesn't speak much Italian find a job? Which visa is actually right for you and what's the process? How do you prepare for your Italian job interview/write your resume? What's the garbage tax? What if you need emergency medical care? How do you get covered by Italy's public health care system? What is the proper way to go shopping in Italy? I've spent several months living/studying/traveling in Europe before, and I wish I had access to this book earlier. Full of tips, tricks, and tools to make you a successful individual in Italy (and beyond). Go eat some pasta and read up!

Italy made easy
To those who are either considering moving to Italy or just going for vacation, this is the book for you. It provides not only the basic information, but also answers questions that you would not normally consider or even think of. It also provides valuable information about embassies/consulates, education, and every day life. Even as a seasoned traveler, I found this book very useful, as I plan my relocation to Italy. It is an asset to any traveler's library.