'Michael Ellman's book is a true classic, erudite, exhaustive and meticulously researched. Written by one of the leading authorities in the field, it remains the ultimate source on the theory and experience of socialist economic planning. Both students and fellow scholars will be pleased to see it brought up to date, incorporating what has been learned since the collapse of the USSR.' Stefan Hedlund, Research Director at the Centre for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Uppsala University, Sweden