Hand-Picked Men

A former employee of the United States Information Agency, Green here offers a study of the bureau, its background, present status and future. The historical survey, from Franklin and Jefferson, is brief but absorbing. The examination of the contemporary USIA, its various components and their day-to-day operations, on the other hand, is arid and overly detailed, presenting material that will be of little interest to general readers. The text picks up a bit in a section titled ``USIA Abroad,'' in which Green explores the impact of American fiction overseas. The author also includes observations on current USIA director Charles Wick, whom he praises for a job well done. (Nov.)