'The present volume . . . should be warmly welcomed as an important addition to the limited literature on rural and agricultural transition. . . . the book provides authoritative country case studies and comprehensive lists of references. It can and should be used as an important source of relevant information on the behavior of the rural sector during transition in the nine countries of east central Europe. It faithfully captures and presents the main changes and trends faced by the rural population at large, without restricting the discussion exclusively to agriculture and farming. . . . The range of topics is such that the volume will be useful to scholars of a broad profile, including economists, sociologists, and political scientists. The level of presentation makes the book suitable both for advanced researchers and for graduate students. Researchers with empirical leanings will find much useful raw data in the country studies. Theoreticians will find descriptions of general trends and processes that may provide useful insights to begin developing a theory of rural transition. In summary, this work is an important addition to the empirical literature on agricultural and rural transition.'