Aminda Leigh - La Bella Vita: Live and Love the Italian Way

Italians have often been described as true hedonists, and with good reason they devote themselves to savoring all the pleasures and beauty life can offer, from food to fashion, sensuality to style, language to nature. And they do so in breathtaking surroundings, enjoying life to the fullest, with a passion unique to Italians. They eat with passion, they socialize with passion, they speak with passion, and, of course, they love with passion! In Italy, it doesn't matter if you're poor or you're not well educated or you live on the wrong side of the tracks you still turn heads if you know how to flash a winning smile, cast a sultry glance, sway your hips in a sexy way, engage in witty repartee, dress with style or flair, and, above all, exude the sense that you are your own person and know your own worth.

But what is so special about the Italian way of living that makes it worth passing on? Well, adopting the Italian approach to life, enjoying the here and now and reveling in the pleasures to be found even in the most simple of pastimes, can potentially make you happier! And who doesn't want to be happier? Adopting the Italians' laid-back approach can encourage you to relax and devote more time to doing things you enjoy; emulating their eye for fashion means you can improve your style and increase your self-confidence; and cooking like an Italian means you will eat better and savor your food much more without having to spend a fortune.

Last, but not least, loving like an Italian can raise your erotic passion to new heights. Just take a look at the way the current Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, behaves flirting with young women and showering them with compliments. An eternal optimist, he's never deterred by the fact that he's in his seventies (or the fact that he has been married though his second wife filed for divorce proceedings as news stories about his alleged dalliances profilerated). Age knows no barriers in Italy: you can be a prime contender as a gentiluomo (gentlemen), galante (chivalrous) and passionale (passionate), until your dying day. Naturally, the same applies to women too.

When American actor George Clooney was asked by a journalist at the Venice Film Festival why he had moved to Italy (he lives for a large part of the year in a villa on the shores of Lake Como), he recounted the following story as an explanation: I was walking through the village at sunset one day and I saw a builder, still covered in plaster and wearing his overalls, carrying una bottiglia di vino (a bottle of wine) and a bunch of flowers. He was obviously going home to his woman and was taking her a small token of his affection. You would never see that in America!

Since Italians devote their time to making the most of each sense to make their lives richer and better, this guide is organized into chapters covering each of the five senses: vista (sight), udito (hearing), tatto (touch), olfatto (smell), and gusto (taste). However, even all five senses don't fully encompass the fundamental facets of Italian life and love, so you'll find an additional sixth sense, dubbed la bella vita (the beautiful life). Within each chapter are sections touching on separate themes in the Italian attitude to loving and living, giving you l'Italia in tutti sensi (Italy, in all senses).

Every chapter is loaded with pointers on how to excite, enhance, or stimulate each particular sense, thus creating the beautiful life typical of a passionate Italian. You'll also find tips on language, style, cooking, and flirting that you can practice at home, as well as the lowdown on what awaits you should you decide to take the plunge and experience Italian life first-hand.