It is a pity that this unassuming pocket-sized book has not been advertised as a ground-breaking approach to phrasal verbs because that’s what it is. I was especially struck by the acute observations and apt analogies made by the author. Translators working with Italian will find this book a treasure trove, while gaining valuable insights into how phrasal verbs work, the meaning and meaningfulness of particles and prepositions and the subtle connotations they convey.
Philip Grew should be commended for his smart and generous contribution to this field. Garzanti ought to receive a rap on the knuckles for not coming up with a more sophisticated edition that is more in keeping with the quality content of this handbook.