Review: La briscola in cinque

La briscola in cinque by Marco Malvaldi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nice, short, fun book, with enough twists and turns to keep it interesting, although the main point was the Tuscan conversation, especially with the old guys in the bar. Recommended for all those who miss Tuscany. I will be checking out the others in this series.

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Review: Il cielo cade

Il cielo cade by Lorenza Mazzetti
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Come faccio a lasciare un commento ad una storia del genere, che poi risulta sia la storia vera dell'autrice? Non mi rimane altro che cercare i suoi altri libri.

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Review: Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture

Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by Ross King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fascinating read. At times a bit too technical for me, but it makes sense, seeing as how Brunelleschi was a genius engineer and architect of his time. I had to remind myself several times that this was before the renaissance, and they were really working with rudimentary tools, some of which hadn't changed in almost 2,000 years.

Apparently, in 1421, Brunelleschi received the world's first ever patent for an invention. And some of the inventions he created for hoisting supplies up to the dome were incredible.

And the hoax Brunelleschi played on a man he didn't like (P. 80) was excellent.


4.5 stars

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Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de' Medici by Miles J. Unger

Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de' Medici by Miles J. Unger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm surprised this is the first time I've come across a biography of this man that I've been hearing of my whole life. A very interesting man, who obviously loved art and poetry, was thrust into the political intrigue of renaissance Florence, and succeeded with flying colors, always regretting the fact that he couldn't spend more time on his art. The book does a great job of detailing his life, as well as Renaissance Florence, with appearances by Ficino, Verrocchio, Davinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Savonarola, Macchiavelli, etc. etc.

Also, apparently Piero de Medici once asked Michelangelo to sculpt him a snowman. Michelangelo refused.



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