PARIS A TO Z

If Michelin is too abstruse and Kate Simon too leisurely and whimsical, then perhaps you'll turn to Kane's streamlined guide. Perhaps. Though very little Parisian charm seeps through this elementary text which will be useful mainly to the impatient tourist whose prior knowledge of la belle Paris is superficial or nonexistent. There's the usual geography lesson which extends from the Invalides to the Arc de Triomphe with la Place Charles de Gaulle -- the last time we saw Paris it was still la Place de l'Etoile -- in between. An inventory of museums, churches, government buildings and parks and a few pointers on mastering the Metro and those execrable French pay phones. A listing of hotels and restaurants which range from the very pricey to the moderate. And some useful tips on shopping -- forget those tres cheres boutiques and do your bargain hunting in the department stores. Lacks a certain je ne sais quoi -- all the standard sight-seeing stops and nothing unexpected.