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The political scientists Zoltan Barany and Ivan Volgyes bring together a distinguished group of contributors to examine the legacies of communism in Eastern Europe. The authors identify what is distinctive and lasting about the influence of the Communist period and the extent to which this Communist experience may have left unsolvable problems. The volume pays special attention to the impact of the Communist legacies on four areas: politics, society the economy, and the environment. The book is divided into two parts. Part one looks at these issue areas from a regional perspective. Part two focuses on these problems within each of the East European states. The authors argue that communism left few viable political structures for democracy. While it created a working class, communism did not prepare society for a modem age, nor did it replace rural society with any new community structure. Communism also provided little economic and commercial infrastructure, so that once internal markets collapsed, the nonexportability of products began to pose a serious problem. The contributors confirm the widespread assumption that uncontrolled industrial practices left behind massive environmental and pollution problems, but also point out that the region's political and socio-economic backwardness should also be considered when assessing its chances for future prosperity.