THE GREEK NEWS

Designed to look like a full-color tabloid newspaper (though on glossy stock), with headlines, boxes, subheadings, columns, and illustrations, this book has a small news section, with stories on a few major events in Greek history, and a larger lifestyle section, with information on clothing, trade, health, and more. Also included are advertisements for local shops and real estate, a quiz on how to be a good Greek, as well as numerous maps. Powell and Steele have produced a volume that's fun to read but lacking in breadth or depth. The newspaper format becomes precious at times and often results in oversimplifications (e.g., to say that Socrates ``decided to kill himself'' is misleading). The gimmick will draw readers in; perhaps it will also inspire them to subsequently move on to more serious works. (Nonfiction. 9-14)