Tom Means is professor of Italian at Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York (CUNY). He is an expert in language teaching and world cinema. He has a Ph.D. from Rutgers and taught at New York University before joining CUNY. For Hippocrene Books, he authored the Instant Vocabulary Builder series for learning Italian, Spanish, French, Brazilian-Portuguese and Inglés (English for Spanish speakers).
""Easy-to-digest language learning system."" —New York Post ""Tom Means is probably the best Italian language teacher in the country. He has devised a whole new way of learning—based on how children learn to speak. I loved taking classes with him both privately and as a participant in his Rutgers PhD research study at the Columbus Club. This new book and video told within a story is once again, an innovative way to learn that only Means could come up with. Ingenious!"" —Linda Stasi, USA Today Bestselling Author, Amazon Editor’s Best Pick, The Descendant ""Tom Means is doing something different here. This isn’t just a book, it’s a real way to experience Italian. The characters pull you in, the story keeps you there, and before you know it, you’re actually learning without it feeling like work. That’s rare. We’re proud to stand behind something that brings the language and culture back to life in a real way.” — Mario Macaluso, Italian Language Project (501c3) “Tom Means’ enthusiasm for all things Italian is contagious, it’s impossible to not get excited about learning Italian while reading this book.” —Julia DiVergilio, Actress/Academic