RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT!: BOOK OF CHANCE Toronto, Ripley International, c1982. Distributed by Collins. 333pp, cloth, $14.95. ISBN 0-00-217015-9. Grades 4 and up. Reviewed by Ellen Robson. Volume 11 Number 2. 1983 March. The Book of Chance has been compiled with a view to entertain, amuse, and hopefully amaze you with astonishing examples of Chance at work in our lives." One of the writers of this compilation of unusual material is David Miller, a senior writer for the Sunday Toronto Star. The original idea for the popular syndicated newspaper feature came from Robert Ripley in 1918 and has spread to thirty-eight countries and seventeen languages. Many of the entries are extremely current, and all articles have been verified; the book covers material on entertainment, sports, business, nature, law, health, history and the occult, as well as lotteries, games, and other topics where chance is expected. A few Canadian entries are included in this world-wide survey. In many cases the entry is interesting but not necessarily a result of "chance." The legal system does not get much credit when the writers state that it is "the whim of fate that decides whether they will pull off the crime of the century or end up on the gallows or in the electric chair." The book is set up with two columns per page resembling a newspaper format. Over 700 black-and-white illustrations have been included, but some, such as a photo of the Royal Wedding in 1981, appear irrelevant to the subject. The last pages include an extensive index and additional entries as well as a list of photographic credits. Interest in this book will be aroused by the TV Special "Ripley's Believe It or Not." This material will be used in part for leisure reading and is not limited to any specific audience. Ellen Robson, Winston Churchill C. I., Scarborough, ON.