A Cultural Immersion: New Book ‘Modern Greece’ Unveiled

BY ALEXANDER FATOUROS

One of the world’s most fascinating destinations—Greece—is an exemplary subject for ABC-CLIO’s “Understanding Modern Nations” series. In the new book “Modern Greece,” editor Elaine Thomopoulos, PhD, and a team of notable contributors tap into rich networks to unlock the essence of contemporary life in Greece. Alongside a vibrant modern art scene and cutting-edge cuisine, ancient traditions continue to flourish. On-site fieldwork, stellar photography, and sound journalism make this 401 page book a must read.

Spanning cosmopolitan attractions, legendary histories, and cultural treasures, this latest volume embraces the authentic character of Greece—the birthplace of Western philosophy and democracy. An extraordinary array of options is at your fingertips thanks to thematic encyclopedic entries and one-of-a-kind curated content.

“Modern Greece” analyzes complex issues now facing Greece with a down-to-earth approach. It explores topics such as government and economics in an easy-toread format without jargon and brings a lighthearted approach to chapters such as etiquette (what gestures to avoid so as not to offend), leisure (how Greeks celebrate holidays), and language (what “opa” means). No other book on Greece is organized like this thematic encyclopedia, which has nearly 150 entries on topics ranging from Archimedes to refugees, and a “Day in the Life” section, thus giving the reader a vivid snapshot of life in Greece,” said Thomopoulos.

She continued, adding, “The fifteen chapters, as well as a timeline, photographs, tables, sidebars, glossary, and index, enable the reader to gain a comprehensive understanding of contemporary Greece. The chapters include geography; history; government and politics; economy; religion and thought; social classes and ethnicity; gender, marriage, and sexuality; education; language; etiquette; literature and drama; art and architecture; music and dance; food; leisure and sports; media and popular culture.” Nicknamed the “new Berlin,” Athens is becoming an important player in the global art market. Not to be missed is the Common Expressions section (pages 208-211), which feature commonly used words and quirky phrases Greeks use to express themselves. Knowledge gems delight and surprise at every turn. Happenings in the railway, seaport, and airport sectors are revealed in the privatization of transportation entry. Did you know the Chinese company China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) obtained a 51 percent share of the Piraeus Port? China views the Greek port near Athens as a vital distribution hub of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In 2019, the Greek-owned ships ranked number one in the world as to the value of its fleet, worth 105.2 billion dollars, besting Japan.

Thomopoulos amassed distinguished correspondents with a passion for storytelling to develop a book that that not only blends art and culture harmoniously, but also embraces the natural beauty of this world-class destination. “It was thrilling

to work with the 19 distinguished scholars who wrote entries for this book, scholars from throughout the United States and Greece. Without their expertise and research, the book would not have been possible. One of the contributors was Alexander Fatouros. He wrote several chapters and provided stunning photos that he had taken while traveling in Greece. I also am indebted to those, many of them from Berrien County, who helped me with editing or providing photographs,” said Thomopoulos. The contributors include: Beatriz BadikianGartler; Angelyn Balodimas-Bartolomei; Alexander Billinis; Nikos Christofis, PhD; Harriette CondesZervakis; Kosta Dalageorgas, MA (Univ. of Chicago); Alexander Fatouros, MA (Univ. of Chicago) MS (Columbia Univ.); Georgia Giannakopoulou, PhD; Katherine Kalaidis, PhD (Univ. of London); Marianthe Karanikas, PhD; Aphrodite Matsakis, PhD; Daphne Nicolitsas, MPhil (Univ. of Oxford) PhD (Univ. of Manchester); Nick Poulakis, PhD, Anna Poupou, PhD, John Psiharis; Evaggelos Vallianatos, PhD; Angeliki Varela; and Theodore G. Zervas, PhD. Elaine Thomopoulos lives in Bridgman, Michigan. This periptero (kiosk), just off Syntagma Square She wrote the local history books “Images of America: in Athens, brims with souvenirs, candy, soft drinks, St. Joseph and Benton Harbor,” “Resorts of Berrien newspapers, magazines, postcards, tobacco, County,” and “Legendary Locals: St. Joseph and water, and phone cards. These iconic commerce Benton Harbor,” which were all published by Arcadia centers can be found throughout Greece, in remote villages as well as seaside resorts, where they add sandbox toys and beach towels to their dizzying Publishing. Thomopoulos is also the author of “The History of Greece” (Greenwood Press), and the curator array of merchandise. The revered periptero, an of the exhibit “Greeks of Berrien County,” which can essential part of the Greek way of life, has been be seen at the Annunciation and St. Paraskevi Greek around for more than a hundred years. Photo by Orthodox Church in New Buffalo, Michigan. Alexander Fatouros. “High school and college students, teachers, scholars, those who will be doing business in Greece, as well as the general public, especially those who are planning a trip to Greece will profit from reading this book. It is a must-read for anyone of Greek heritage, since it will inform them about the history of Greece, as well as what is happening in presentday Greece,” expounded Thomopoulos. To get a first-hand

This Greek ferry carries passengers and their cars or trucks back and forth from the mainland to the Ionian island of Zakynthos. Situated in look at “Modern Greece,” a cultural immersion the Eastern Mediterranean, Greece is a maritime guaranteed to soothe and center whose ships range from huge tankers that invigorate the senses, drop transport goods across the oceans, to smaller roll- by: https://www.abc-clio.on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessels like this one. Photo by Elaine Thomopoulos. com/products/a5372c/ Modern Greece, the latest volume in the Understanding Modern Nations series published by ABC-CLIO.