This is a courageous book. It shows how something as elusive as ‘national character’ can be subjected to empirical analysis, using a universal theory of communication to define Cultural Keywords of one specific culture. Using close logical argument, it skips nimbly through a minefield, avoiding the dangers of generalization and stereotype. This book sets a high standard of scientific rigor for any future conversation on the topic. Personally, I have been learning Italian for nearly fifty years and I loved this investigation by a native Italian speaker who writes in English to help me understand things I had intuited but never grasped so clearly before.

John Kinder, University of Western Australia

This book is a bold and original attempt to see Italian culture in the mirror of Italian cultural key words and associated “cultural scripts.” I know of no other “language and culture” book which would be similarly rich in fresh observations and insights grounded in a careful analysis of word meanings. This highly readable and enjoyable book is a priceless resource for Italian language learners and an eye-opener for Italians themselves. It also provides an invaluable model for exploring cultural semantics of other languages and for teaching culture through language.

Anna Wierzbicka, Australian National University