The pronunciation guide is fucked. I would suppose that a total beginner in Italian would have an easier time following the Italian script better than the Anglicized transliterations provided. Those who speak Spanish, or can read Spanish, or who understand the fundamentals of most Romance language pronunciation ought to skip over the transliterations out-right ("bwonjoarnoa" =/= buongiorno) or best yet, don't pick up this book (or its 1983 edition.)

Also, and maybe this is just my particular edition (1983) but it caters to American tourists with no regard whatsoever to Italian life and culture. The section on ordering breakfast contains only Anglo items that are even past-dated by most Anglo standards. How to order ham & eggs with toast in Italian... a.k.a., how to stand out like a total fucking foreigner in 60 easy steps!

I got this book out of curiousity from the library. As with most Berlitz language guides, fuck it, and fuck it completely. ( )