Piero Rivolta-Barberi has written a remarkable book, entitled Just One Scent, The Rest is God. Ok, hold on now, and forget the God stuff and continue reading. It is not by any means a religious tract, but a unique, poetic reflection on life from a multi-talented Renaissance man whose passion for cars guided the construction of the many Isos we still enjoy today. In other words, Rivolta is one of us; heads above some of us, for in addition to being a very successful industrialist, manufacturer, boat builder, house builder, he is a thoughtful, passionate thinker. He is not afraid to take the time to wonder, as perhaps we all once did, of the nature of our being. A gentleman and a scholar, Rivolta shares an interest in philosophy with financier George Soros, who has made billions but wishes only that he could be Socrates instead of Midas.

I met Piero at last year's Le Belle Macchine d'Italia, where he was the guest of honor. We exchanged books; I gave him a copy of my Illustrated Abarth Buyer's Guide and he presented me with a copy of "Just one Scent". I got the better of the deal.

Varedo---Only one Varedo was ever built; designed by Ercole Spada, and a Ford engine in the rear.

The impetus for his book came as he pulled up his roots, moving from Milan to Florida. While relaxing at his mountain refuge in Vail, Colorado, an attractive woman delivered a Fedex package. In a moment of introspection brought about by this unwanted arrival of a contract, he set the bulky, meaningless package aside, and instead rummaged through the poetry he wrote as a youth, setting up an "emotional chain reaction" which in turn resulted in Just One Scent. Did his youthful attempts at poetry teach him anything? Were they relevant? Perhaps was there something he knew as a youth, which had escaped with the years. He was sure that today, everyone searches for concrete, definitive, instant answers; we need this to affirm both our business and our existence. But to contemplate the unknowable, such as spirit, love and beauty, as he once did, is not a relevant social activity. "...that kind of thing is out of fashion," he writes. "The accelerated world permits no empty time and space." He wondered if the "jet age delivery girl with the pretty face" would be "able to survive in a world full of guesses, void of proof, certainty, return."

Iso Grifo---Chevy powered, luxurious, reliable and rare; such were the cars built by the Rivoltas in the 1960s.

The book took form, but Florida beckoned. "Thus, on the heels of the emotional torrents, I found myself in a new land, where over the years I continued with my poetry." Facing a creative, new business environment in the U.S., he observed that many Europeans are satisfied with "..the inert repetition of ancient history and culture.." This, he feels, is no longer enough. We must also remember "our obligations to use the past to try and create something new." He understood the New World, but still recognized the one of the spirit; his poetry began to reflect what he felt and observed while engaging in a new business and pastime, boating.

Neither Rivolta nor Soros can hold a candle to Kant, but Rivolta offers a fresh perspective of a one's relationship with the world of business versus the spirit. His words also offer us an insight into the nature and soul of the modern Italian, those often passionate and romantic people who are responsible for creating the beautiful objects we treasure. And speaking of same, Winston Goodfellow's newly updated book Iso Rivolta, The Man, the Machines, is now on sale, to rave reviews. Just One Scent provides a perfect companion book to Winston's detailed, decidedly non-spiritual look at the cars of Rivolta. Both are available at www.rivolta.com.