100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go Paperback – July 10, 2012

Most of the criticisms of this book appear to be that it's not your typical checklist-type guidebook. And it's true that it can't be your ONLY guide in Italy, especially if it's you first time. After all, the Colosseum isn't in the book and yet every woman (and person) should see it. But this book it about those special, unique, off the beaten path places.I am a man, but my wife brought this book on our three week trip to Italy and after a few days we made a it a mission to visit every place mentioned. From the gelato stands in all cities, paper shops in Venice, leather shops in Florence and restaurants in Rome, every place we ate or shopped was worth the visit.This is not a book a la Rick Steve's that will bombard you with every hotel/restaurant/historic site in each city. It's the places to visiti AFTER you've seen the big stuff. Do you need ANOTHER book to tell you to see Pantheon? No, but you need one to tell you to visit nearby Armando al Pantheon for lunch (trust me).Get your big Fodor's/Rock Steve's/Froemmer's guide and bring this book too. You won't be sorry.

I do appreciate the theme of looking at history and travel from a feminine viewpoint. And it's not pandering or fluffy, well, not TOO too. Worth having in your travel library.

I bought this book hoping it would help me find the gems of Italy. However, it's more of a narrative/essay book than a helpful planning guide. I think it would have been a better book if she listed more options for each of the chapters (she provides only 1 or 2 for most experiences), and included some budget-friendly options. I've been combing through the book all day trying to find some key experiences, but everything is way over my budget, and many only offer week-long options which increases the cost. I will have to save some of her suggestions for when I'm middle-aged and have more money and less time to splurge on Italian getaways (I am a student). It's a little disappointing in a way that it gets your hopes up for a particular experience, and then it costs 2000 euros to do it, and there's no alternative listed.Yet, this will definitely help hone in on delightful things to look out for while in Italy. This book combined with a proper planning guide, such as Rick Steves', would be good for creating a customized and varied trip. This book is not organized well for self-planning. I find myself constantly jumping from chapter to chapter to figure out what to do where, and will have to take extensive notes just to organize the info myself. Unless, of course, you want to pay a company to customize one for you, then she offers resources for that quite a bit.Also, be aware that some of the websites listed are not written correctly--Google the places she mentions and you will find the right website.Overall, if you want a book to dream about Italy, this is it. She has "recommended reading" at the end of almost every chapter. If you want a book to plan a trip to Italy right now, and want to do more than 2-3 things on a single trip, then make sure you get at least one supplemental guidebook.

The information and heart-warming side stories make for enjoyable and enlightening reading. I moved to Italy last year, and there's so much to see and do! I've written a how-to guide titled, Move to Italy! available here. While I address the process of making the move and settling in well, the author of "100 Places..." will help you to make your list of all of the best things to do and places to visit.

I got the original edition from the library and found it had lots of fun ideas for trips to Italy, my favorite place in the world, so I bought the new edition. I 'm not sure how it's been revised but I don't have the old one to compare - probably some updated websites, etc. At any rate, the author has a very amusing style and loads of recommendations for places to visit all over Italy that women travelers would enjoy, not simply for tourism but for crafts, language learning, cooking, etc., plus lists of resources, packing tips and essays.

I have been to Italy several times, and am blessed to have done so. This book covers areas and activities that I never thought of in the past. On my next trip, I will absolutely be investigating many places she has offered in this book. I learned more about Peggy Guggenheim than I ever did, and found her life most fascinating! Would recommend this book to all my female friends that dream of some day going to Italy.

The book is good for someone who have already been to Italy and would like to deepen their experiences. I am not sure the information is organized in the best possible way. But maybe it is a meter of preference. Still think it is worth reading.

This book has really interesting facts, but the author could have invested a little more in the illustrations. The pictures are so small that I had to look up the pictures online so I could have a better idea about her description. For example, on page 12 she describes a statue of Michelangelo, but the accompanying 1.5 x 1.5 inch picture barely gives you an idea of what she is talking about. All the picture are small and black-and-white.