Gr 5-8--Both titles briefly cover history, government, economy, and geography; however, their strength is in their coverage of contemporary culture. Particularly useful is the information on religion, the arts, food, leisure activities, and social roles. The books have great visual appeal with excellent full-color photographs on every page. Ecuador is especially successful in explaining social and economic hierarchies within the country. The cultures of the indigenous populations, blacks, mestizos, Hispanics, and other immigrants are discussed. The author describes how members within each group relate to one another and how these diverse cultures create the ``hierarchical pyramid'' that is Ecuadorian society. Portugal effectively presents details of everyday life, but suffers from a lack of organization when covering history and government.
