By Scott Ronalds

I admit it. I occasionally read Vanity Fair. This month’s edition is worth picking up. Not because Lindsay Lohan is on the cover, but because there’s an interesting piece by Michael Lewis on Greece.

For those who aren’t familiar with Lewis, he’s the author of Liar's Poker, The Big Short and other bestselling books on investing and, oddly enough, sports – including Moneyball and The Blind Side.

In his latest article, he reviews a recent trip to Greece, where he traveled to learn firsthand how the small Mediterranean country sent shockwaves throughout the global economy when they came clean on their debt problems.

Lewis uncovers some scary facts and stats:

• The retirement age for Greeks who work jobs that are classified as arduous (which includes hairdressers, radio announcers and waiters) is as early as 55 for men and 50 for women;
  
• The scale of tax cheating is incredible, with an estimated two-thirds of Greek doctors reporting income under 12,000 euros a year (the amount that is tax exempt); and
  
• The easiest way to launder cash is to buy real estate, as Greece has no working national land registry.

His missive also includes a visit to a remote monastery to learn how a group of monks amassed a real estate fortune estimated at over $1 billion and are the subject of a parliamentary investigation for alleged damages to the government’s coffers.

The article, titled Beware of Greeks Bearing Bonds, is also available on Vanity Fair’s website – a good option for those who don’t want Lindsay on their coffee table.