Helpful information to be aware of traveling to Italy--tipping, what to expect--forget about ice, learn to live without air conditioning, etc. If one is not forewarned about these matters and fails to lower his/her expectations, there's a good chance they will just complain all the time during a visit there. The book is very easy and quick to read and humorous. Having spent many of my early years in Europe, I can see many of these European quirks from two perspectives. Most Americans don't have a clue about the cultural differences of different lands and would greatly benefit from doing a little study, such as reading a book like this one. The bureaucracy and red-tape can be extremely exasperating, especially to an American. Many things are are anything but "customer focused" in Europe. Italy is a special case. The many city-states of the past still have very disparate natures. The rapid turn-over of Italian governments is noteworthy. The author covers these topics well in short chapters on each issue. Ironically, my Italian language teacher says that all the Italians she knows want to come to America. All the Americans she knows want to go to Italy. One important tip that was not covered is where to use the rest room. Many places charge a fee. We learned from friends to just stop at a coffee shop and buy an espresso which will generally set you back one Euro--no big deal, and entitles you to use their facilities. You would have to spend the Euro just to use the bathroom anyway, so why not slow down, relax, enjoy a coffee and watch people a bit.