Spirit, Wind and Water
The Untold Story of the Jacuzzi Family
ISBN 9781566491457 (hardcover)
Published in June 2007
MSRP $28.95
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"Originating in Friuli, in the far Northeast of Italy (where the dialect contains a "J" -- hence the name), the huge Jacuzzi clan began immigrating to the United States shortly before World War I. One brother, a brilliant inventor named "Rachele," devised the "Toothpick," a super-efficient propeller, which revolutionized the airplane industry. He and his kin then went on launch a series of inventions -- including water pumps, crop-defrosters, and eventually the hydrotherapy devices which bear their name. The whirlpool bath, however, is only one of the countless innovations which changed the way Americans lead their lives. Remo Jacuzzi interviewed almost all of his relatives (including many now departed) and researched every aspect of his family history to compile this inspiring story, almost completely unknown until now, aided by over 175 photographs. The immense contributions of America's immigrants are again underscored in this book."
- Charles DeFanti
- Charles DeFanti
"The Italo-American story has been narrated countless times but seldom as carefully or with as much charm as this one. Remo Jacuzzi writes about his remarkable family with refreshing candor and incredible attention to detail. He gives each one of these vital, resourceful men and women a strong and poignant voice of their own, as he recounts, with heartfelt affection and respect, their triumphs as well as their tragedies. He has woven the events of this industrious family's history into an intricate and colorful tapestry of the immigrant experience. It is a book well worth reading."
- Norma Logan
- Norma Logan
As I read Spirit, Wind & Water, I felt as if I was sitting around the kitchen table with members of the Jacuzzi family, listening to them tell their stories without embellishment and analysis. And what a story! Starting with the grandparents' and parents' life in Italy, to the family's gradual immigration to California, this story covers the inventions and entrepreneurship of the Jacuzzi brothers and their families: the risks, the tragedies, the growth and international successes, the loves, the disappointments, the lifestyles, the family disagreements, and finally, the sale of their namesake company. Remo Jacuzzi concludes with his own family's story and the growth of his own hydrotherapy spa company, Jason (JAcuzziSON) International.
Mr. Jacuzzi has an interesting writing style. His engineering background is apparent by his ability to put over a century's worth of many, many people and events together coherently. By doing this, he achieves the goal of any engineer: he dissects how his family works. Yet he adds quick personal family insights that color in the details, suddenly creating a vivid scene. At one point, Mr. Jacuzzi describes his Ma's garden with a grocery list of flowers that were grown in it. But then he throws in "a statue of the Virgin Mary overlooked Ma's rose garden" and suddenly, I knew exactly what the garden looked like.
- Carol Booth
Mr. Jacuzzi has an interesting writing style. His engineering background is apparent by his ability to put over a century's worth of many, many people and events together coherently. By doing this, he achieves the goal of any engineer: he dissects how his family works. Yet he adds quick personal family insights that color in the details, suddenly creating a vivid scene. At one point, Mr. Jacuzzi describes his Ma's garden with a grocery list of flowers that were grown in it. But then he throws in "a statue of the Virgin Mary overlooked Ma's rose garden" and suddenly, I knew exactly what the garden looked like.
- Carol Booth