ALAIN ELKANN is an author, intellectual, and journalist who was born in New York and grew up in Italy. Of international fame, he is the author of more than forty books many of which have been translated into numerous languages, including French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Turkish, Japanese, and English. His many awards include the following: Premio Cesare Pavese, Premio Internazionale Tarquinia- Cardelli, Premio Capalbo, Premio Letterario Mondello-Citt� di Palermo, and the Premio Acqui Terme.