Just got back from the July 2nd, 2000 Palio. It was a fabulous event. Transports you back in time.

This is a great book. Gets into a lot of details about the Palio event. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find in the states. Can be found in bookstores in Siena.

Also, suggested publications... "Introducing the Palio" (ISBN 88-7666-457-2) and "A Guide to the Palio" (ISBN 88-86417-13-6). These two books are very succinct and have great color plates although they may also be difficult to find in the states. They appear to be local publications.

La Terra is the most enjoyable cultural anthropology that I have ever encountered. Although Siena is widely acclaimed by tourists, few people understand that it has been a successful city for more than 800 years, with virtually no crime or poverty, a fine university, extraordinary civic design, and public health and education systems that operate at high levels. Few cities in the world with a population comparable to Siena (about 70,000), can lay claim to such accomplishments. La Terra in Piazza shows how much of this civic success can be traced to the ritual of the Palio, which engages the year-around attention of the entire citizenry. Although the University of California Press edition is now out of print, the book rights were acquired by the Italians, who have now published versions in German and Italian, along with the original English. This book is available in any Sienese bookstore, and Amazon would be providing a good service if it could acquire copies for U.S. distribution.

The Sienese often say that nobody who was born outside the city walls can understand the Palio, and they're right: the Palio is more than a twice-a-year spectacle, and the role of the contrade is far more pervasive than anyone who has not grown up with them might guess. This book explains the workings of the Palio, and goes on to pull aside the curtains surounding the spectacle, revealing the traditions that have govern it. If you plan to see the Palio, read the book. Things are so much more fun when you can understand what's going on

I have read and used the other Culture Shock books and found them very useful.

This one though was almost a complete waste of time. It was full of cliches e.g. Italians love nothing more than spending time with their family and friends. It lacked detail and useful hints about how to interact with Italians.

Perhaps it suffered in comparison with "The Dark Heart of Italy" a far superior effort.

After reading the "Culture Shock" books for Germany, Sweden, and France for trips, I was extremely disappointed with this book. It is basically a history book and gave me no real idea how to relate to Italians. Therefore, my experience in Italy was less than good. I highly recommend the France book---it is right on target and I had a great time navigating the culture.

I purchased this book to learn more about doing business in Italy, and I found there was not enough detail. I did learn how vastly different each region is in Italy - - and the author tries to show the differences in each region. Perhaps this is why I felt that it didn't do a deep dive into the regions I was most interested in.