'A serious attempt to evaluate critically the progress up till now of land reform in the transition countries. Particularly valuable are the attention to rural poverty, the wide range of countries covered, the case studies of countries such as Moldova, Russia and Vietnam, and the detailed studies of particular issues (eg cotton production in Central Asia, and the relationship between private property rights and investment in Chinese agriculture). An important contribution to studies of transition, development, poverty alleviation, agricultural economics, and the countries concerned.' Michael Ellman (Amsterdam University, the Netherlands)