Book excerpt: With the intent of capturing the essence of the Italian personality, de.MO has commissioned Elliott Erwitt, the wittiest of renowned photographers, to create Flip o Rama: Italia, a unique collection of flip books. From a girl eating ice cream, to Massimo Ferragamo with his kids, to Valentino in his studio in Rome, Erwitt's photos reveal a collection of delightful characters. This series of 18 mini flip books, each consisting of 28 photographs of a single animation, is housed in a beautiful cloth box. Flip o Rama is a wonderful treat for anyone who wants to discover Italy's colorful charm. Elliott Erwitt was born on July 26, 1928, in Paris and spent his childhood in Milan. In 1948, Erwitt moved to New York, where he met Edward Steichen, Robert Capa and Roy Stryker. Erwitt was invited to join Magnum Photos in 1953 by Robert Capa. A member of the prestigious agency ever since, Erwitt has served several terms as its president. One of the leading figures in the competitive field of magazine photography, Erwitt's journalistic essays, illustrations and advertisements have been featured in publications around the world for more than 30 years. Erwitt has had one-man exhibitions in numerous museums and galleries around the world, including New York's Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian Institution and Paris' Museum of Modern Art. Based in New York City, Elliott Erwitt travels obsessively. He likes children and dogs. Flip o Rama has received the Art Directors Club of New York Silver Medal, the AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers Selected Book, the Photo District News Best Book Selection, the Independent Publisher Book Awards Outstanding Book of the Year and Most Unique Design.