"Alan Epstein has had an ongoing love affair with Italy. It started long ago when he was younger, and has never waned. This transplanted San Franciscan, in his new volume As the Romans Do, describes his non-fictional odyssey - the history, the culture, how Rome has invaded his very soul with an intense and romantic fervor. Whether on his weekly jog through the centro storico, his discovery of some of the city's hidden treasures, his confrontations with the Roman way of doing business, how his family has adapted to this different lifestyle, you sense his infectious enthusiasm, his passion and joy of just being there." When I return to Roma, Epstein will be there with me. The only way to go. Frank Avruch Radio and Television Personality Boston, Massachusetts