The English edition has the subtitle True stories of crime and courage – Writing of both, crime and courage, make these stories compelling reading. Not only talking about the crimes of the Mafia, the Camorra, the ‘Ndrangheta, their organizations, their rituals, the ways they work and compel politicians, businesses and ordinary people either to acquiesce or work with them but writing also of acts of courage: the priest, Don Giacomo who, against all threats by the Mafiosi whose brother’s house was seized and handed by the council to him, builds his community of disabled persons; Don Giacomo defies him and with his community of ‘differently abled’ people reclaims society: “It is not enough to come and simply do things right. You must come and change them […] with the talents you have.”
Then the story of love between Mina and Piero who suffers from muscular dystrophy and will die asphyxiated. Mina: “In the meantime we can carry on. Those who are afraid of the future don’t live in the present.” Piero’s fight for a ‘dignified death’: not shorten his life by causing his own death but by declining artificial life support, accepting death; not wanting to resolve a personal issue but the right to die within the law for everybody. This ends with the Catholic Church denying him a Christian burial as Mina wanted while giving funerals to Mafiosi and dictators like Franco and Pinochet.
Then the ‘Mudslinging Machine’ operated not just by Mafiosi but by attitudes of ordinary people: “Why don’t you fight your battles somewhere else? Why bother me?” – and Falcone’s response to: Why are you still alive?: “Must one be killed in order to be credible in this country?” That was exactly what happened to him: he was slandered while alive, then praised after been blown up.

Stories about the methods: how votes are bought and sold, how the mafia manages elections not only by intimidation but also through simple deals; the fascinating the self-portrait of a former Boss.

These stories address everybody not just Italians. Read them (VI-16) ( )

Ik had dit boekje een paar geleden meegebracht uit Italië, maar pas onlangs kwam ik ertoe het ook te lezen. Het blijft ook in het post-Berlusconitijdperk een vlammend pamflet dat de vinger legt op enkele zere plekken die Italië blijven ontsieren. Saviano legt de mechanismen uit waarop de mafia, ’nadrangheta en comorra in Zuid-Italië een bijna onzichtbare maar onmiskenbare macht blijven uitoefenen en zelfs zijn binnengedrongen in het economisch weefsel van Noord-Italië. Hij vindt het absoluut nodig om dat allemaal niet schouderophalend weg te wuiven maar je er op zijn minst over te informeren en erover te praten: “Vertellen hoe de zaken verlopen wil zeggen dat je ze niet zomaar ondergaat.” Een boeiende getuigenis van Italië’s meest geëngageerde journalist. ( )

bello e istruttivo.... scritto proprio per essere capito in tv ..... argomenti d'attualità che aprono la mente..... ( )