As society becomes more international in nature, knowing a few words in other languages has become more useful. Perhaps you travel frequently abroad, or your business requires you to travel overseas. Perhaps you have friends and neighbors who speak other languages, or you want to find out more about your heritage by learning a little bit of the language your ancestors spoke. Whatever your reason for wanting to learn some Italian, Italian For Dummies is the right book for you. Written in partnership with Berlitz -- experts in helping people learn foreign languages -- this book gives you the skills you need for basic communication in Italian, and it will get you well on your way to becoming fluent. Just think what you're family and friends will think when you order off the menu at your favorite Italian restaurant! Italian For Dummies covers not only ordering at an Italian restaurant, but also these topics: * Basic spelling, grammar, and numbers * Meeting and greeting, and making small talk * Shopping, shopping, and even more shopping * Going out on the town * Business situations * Traveling, checking into a hotel, and planning a trip * Handling emergencies * Top Ten lists with advice on how to pick up Italian quickly, things you should never say in Italian, and favorite Italian expressions The best thing about this book is that you can learn at your own pace; for example, if you're planning a trip to Italy next year, sit down once or twice a week with this book and go through the chapters that you'll think you need for your trip. That's a lot easier than dragging yourself to a class twice a week -- not to mention a lot more fun, too!