Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Welcome Books (September 29, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1599620723
ISBN-13: 978-1599620725
Click on the Cover to Purchase!
Douglas Gayeton’s SLOW: Life in a Tuscan Town is a magical and utterly unique portrayal of rural Italian life, and a tribute to the region’s kaleidoscope of charming local characters whose livelihoods and culture center around the everyday pleasures of growing, preparing, and eating food.
Imaginative and interactive portraits are layered with Gayeton’s handwritten notes, anecdotes, recipes, quotes, and historical facts and that cleverly bring context and color to the subject of each sepia-toned image and draw us deeper into this romantic, rewarding, and progressively rare way of life. You will fall in love with the intimate images of an entire town whose lives are profoundly bound to the rhythms of nature and inherently exemplify the popular principles that define Slow Food, a multi-national movement dedicated to preserving local food traditions and honoring local farmers and producers.
The unique interplay of pictures and words conveys a thrilling sense of narrative that transcends the page and transports you halfway around the globe. It is a riveting story told in a riveting way: each image is actually comprised of multiple photographs taken over the course of time (from ten minutes to several hours – a photographic approach critics have dubbed “flat film”). The result is nothing less than a new and startling way of seeing photographs.
SLOW: LIFE IN A TUSCAN TOWN is the winner of the Independent Publisher Book Awards for Best Coffee Table Book (Silver)
Click here to take a peek inside Slow: Life In A Tuscan Town 
“At first glance, this photographic gallery of daily life in Pistoia may be mistaken for a journey back in time. The sepia-toned photographs of rural people tending a vineyard or a chicken or a hand of cards, of local butchers and cheese makers, tell the story of artist and filmmaker Gayeton’s journey forward into a community still connected to its land. It is a place where olives are still picked by hand, a peasant wisdom sometimes wins out over modern technology, and the production of food and culinary tradition is integral to the character of its people.
Gayeton expresses and celebrates the intimacy of that relationship with his stunning photographs that are artfully annotated in playful script, making each photograph a story of its own.” ~ Intermezzo Magazine
Our family currently is sharing our home with Erika, a student from Rome, Italy. I couldn’t wait to share this book with her to get her take on it, even though she’s from what I would call the central coastal area. It was nice that she could also do a little translating for me too. She whole-heartily confirms that a lot of their conversations back in Italy revolve around gossiping (young and old alike) I guess, small town America is not so different from small town Italy 
, American politics (she also thinks they should be able to vote right along with us because so many of our political decisions influence Italians), and as expected for a Country known for their foods, most of the conversations center around food. She has a Grandfather who currently lives in Bari (Southern Italy) and he could also add volumes to the “old ways” which in all reality deep down haven’t changed much over the past century. Part of the old highways are still the original built by the Romans, and she can’t believe the size of our SUV vehicles we drive, for example anything larger than a Chevrolet Malibu would never be able to maneuver around downtown Rome. It is a special treat to have her with us and to learn about her culture as she does ours. I really hope to be able to meet her family one day.
In Slow, you will take a fascinating journey through the heart of Tuscany. The personal handwritten anecdotes combined with the timely and elegant photos Gayeton has created a charming story that celebrates the principles of the Slow Food movement and the people whose lives are devoted to growing, preparing and eating food. A beautiful and treasured addition to your coffee table! It will definitely touch you.
About the Author.. 
DOUGLAS GAYETON is a filmmaker, photographer, and writer. His images are held in a number of influential museum and private collections around the world, and have been featured in numerous print and online media, such as Time Magazine. Since the early 90s he has created award-winning work at the boundaries of traditional and converging media for MTV, Sony, National Geographic, and PBS. Recent projects include LOST IN ITALY, a 26 episode interstitial TV series Gayeton created, directed, and shot for Fine Living, and MOLOTOV ALVA AND HIS SEARCH FOR THE CREATOR: A SECOND LIFE ODYSSEY for HBO, the first documentary shot inside a virtual world.
Gayeton lectures frequently on art, technology, and sustainability. He is also co-owner, with his wife, Laura Howard, of Laloos Goat Milk Ice Cream in Petaluma, CA. If you have a minute, Going ‘Slow’ in Sonoma is also an interesting article to read.
Lost In Italy: This Old Palazzo from Douglas Gayeton on Vimeo.
A Special Thanks goes out to Carol over at 
for the opportunity to Review such an Awesome creation centered around celebrating food!
Logo/Images Courtesy of © 2010 Welcome Books, © 2009 Gazander Corp, Vimeo.com, Lonelyplanet.com
Stop procrastinating and get your household in order with this 
If needed you can also order additional Recipe Sheets 
This is a perfect gift idea for Mother’s Day! I am going to have my Mom write some of our family recipes in my Recipe Keeper, and make it a true family keepsake!
