Gives a composite view of American society as seen through the eyes of foreigners, from the rich, famous and powerful to the poor and obscure In this easy-to-read and earnestly middlebrow book, free-lance writer Simmons has collected reflections of numerous non-Americans concerning life in the good ol' U.S.A. To judge from some foreign observers, America is Utopia--but the blunt comments of Mexican campesinos , cynical Soviet journalists, and snooty Brits help bring things down to earth. Some of the anecdotes are amusing, particularly the reaction of Easter Islanders upon watching a video tape of a vigorous Leonard Bernstein conducting Brahms: "'Ho, ho, ho,' they roared. 'We have never seen so many people play just so one man can dance!"' For a more intellectually provocative discussion of the same topic, try Jean Baudrillard's America ( LJ 1/89). - Kent Worcester, Columbia Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.