In this companion volume to "L'Italia verso il Duemila," Ugo Skubikowski provides a glimpse into authentic Italian life through the presentation of twelve interviews with Italians. Intended as a text for students in second-year university and beyond, "Vite italiane" brings together discussions with Italians from different regions and backgrounds, who speak candidly about a wide range of experiences. Among those we encounter are a recent university graduate, a widow raising a young daughter as a single mother, a high school teacher who has traded her leftist political activism for a new, more moderate approach, and a successful, ambitious restauranteur. These and other interviews provide a fascinating and varied picture of life in Italy as experienced and described by Italians themselves.