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The book review titled "Italian foreign policy during Matteo Renzi’s government: a domestically focused outsider and the world" by Fabrizio Coticchia and Jason W. Davidson examines Matteo Renzi's tenure as prime minister of Italy from 2014 to 2016, focusing on his foreign policy decisions. Renzi, a charismatic leader, prioritized domestic issues over foreign affairs, often adopting confrontational stances with European partners. His inexperience in diplomacy led to challenges in building coalitions and achieving significant outcomes. The authors highlight Renzi's unique approach to foreign policy, making this analysis relevant beyond Italian politics to students of foreign affairs. [Extracted from the article]

The book "Painting in the 1980s: Reimagining the medium" by Rosemary Cohane Erpf provides an accessible exploration of the painting movements that defined the 1980s in the United States and Europe, with a focus on Germany and Italy. The author argues against the use of overarching classifications and labels for these artists, emphasizing the diverse stylistic approaches of individual artists. The book is divided into six parts, examining the lead-up to the resurgence of painting in the 1980s, the New York art scene, the reemergence of abstraction, German artists grappling with their country's history, the Italian Transavanguardia, and artists whose work defies categorization. The author acknowledges the enigmatic quality of paintings from this period and the influence of artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gerhard Richter, Marlene Dumas, and Julian Schnabel. The book also briefly touches on the motivations behind the resurgence of interest in painting, including the waning impact of Minimalism and the expansion of the art market. The author raises questions about what defines a good painting and the elusive nature of artistic quality. The book explores the challenge of finding clear narratives within the artworks of the 1980s and suggests that the search for meaning may be misguided. The author also considers the role of painting as a specialized kind of decoration and its ability to evoke emotions or create a backdrop for conversations. The book concludes by reflecting on the absence of a unique [Extracted from the article]