The Courier, American International Club of Geneva,
September 2004
Turning the tables on Geneva's favorite "Know-it-all" - Lisa Cirieco
By Elena Grimaud Ineichen
Within minutes of sitting down with Lisa Cirieco, editor and publisher of the indispensable guidebook, Know-it-all parents, you want to reach over and pinch her.
The Boston-born, Geneva-raised graphic designer, not only produces the popular local classic, she also sells her own range of all-in-one cookie mixes called ‘Cheery Echo [Coookies]’ (Cir-i-eco, get it?), raises three active boys under nine, and has decorated her comfy, country-style home in a truly original way with antique kitchen utensils. And she makes the frothiest cappuccinos in town.
If Lisa weren’t such a down-to-earth, amiable individual as well as inspiringly entrepreneurial, it could be downright depressing for the likes of (some of) you and me. Thankfully, she is reassuringly human. In fact she laughingly admits her bestselling guidebook springs from her being “very nosey. That’s why it’s called Know-it-all parents,” she tells me, because luckily for us, she’s one herself.
The first edition, published in 2000, totalled 160 pages and sold out in three months. In this and subsequent editions, readers readily appreciated the detailed listings on outlets and services spanning “birth to university,” including: daycare and babysitting services, outings and trips, parks and play areas, holiday camps, teenager activities, birthdays, child-friendly restaurants and hairdressers, private schools, language courses and much more.
Chapters on general topics such as getting around (transportation), parking, one-stop shopping, pets, chocolate, and activities for parents (i.e., adults), amply justify the 2005-2006 edition’s new sub-title, Whether you are a parent or not!
Arriving on bookshelves this month, this 4th edition features 500 pages of information and now covers in equal depth as Geneva, the Canton of Vaud to Montreux and neighboring France to Thonon-les-Bains. Five new maps are included to which 95 per cent of the book’s 4,500 entries have been cross-referenced. A new housing chapter elaborates on neighbourhoods, renting, relocation agents, building and buying a house, and decorating.
Because you can’t judge a book just by its contents, a laminated, dirt-resistant cover makes for ease of use together with a strong, easy-to-flex spine integrating a handy sewn-in bookmark.
Inside and out, Know-it-all parents is a work of love. “I only publish a book I can be proud of and that people find useful,” Lisa says. “The book doesn’t really have to do with (just) being a parent, it has to do with making your life easier.”
The 2005-2006 edition is available for CHF 35 at Payot, FNAC, Globus, Off the Shelf and other bookstores. For a full listing or to order on-line, surf to: www.knowitall.ch E-mail questions, comments and welcomed contributions to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. AIWC insider tip: look for Lisa’s scrumptious Cheery Echo cookie mixes at our Grand Autumn Bazaar this October!
