Another great volume in the Time-Life Great Cities series; far from being a children's book, this series features serious writers writing creatively, this one being by Aubrey Menen, who also authored the volume on London. As can be expected, this is a lyrical sort of prose-poem (almost) on a much-loved city, but not about its main tourist attractions (if you want panoramic views of St.Mark's, you will have to look elsewhere); the author seeks out nooks and crannies, glimpses of the lives and labors of the locals in back streets and hidden compounds; the photographer dwells on the interplay of light and water with patterns and colours, with many of the iconic buildings portrayed in their reflections more than in the flesh. A somewhat different, but valuable, introduction to what he calls "the most beautiful city in the world". ( )