'Superman' Berlusconi can't be felled by kryptonite

London, March 17 : Silvio Berlusconi has again indulged himself with self-praise - his publishing company has now unveiled a book that lauds the Italian Premier as 'Superman'.

The book titled "Love always wins over envy and hatred" has been released by Berlusconi's firm Mondadori, ahead of the crucial regional elections at the end of March.

The cover photograph shows Berlusconi looking much younger than his 73 years, while the book includes some of the 50,000 messages Italians sent him after a mentally ill man hurled a souvenir statuette at his face in Milan last December, breaking his nose and knocking off his two teeth.

Talking about the PM, the book quotes a supporter as saying: "Even with kryptonite they couldn''t knock you down!"

"We are all with you, great Silvio. You are the engine of our country," the Telegraph quoted a woman identified as Eleonora, as saying.

A man said: "On seeing you covered in blood, my wife grabbed her hair and sobbed as she yelled ''My Madonna, save Silvio!''"