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Rating: 
Summary: Very confusing -- didnt even cover the basics!
Review: *this review concerns the edition that did not discuss libertarianism.. that would be a welcome addition*
I give this two stars because there WERE parts of the book that were factual, interesting, and important. However, I found the entire book as a whole to be sloppy, confusing, and poorly written. For example, throughout the entire book, I was waiting to see a simple definition of socialism, or for a distinct difference between socialism and communism. However, not only does the author never do this, but he confuses the reader more and more by talking for dozens of pages on MARX in the SOCIALIST chapter, when Marx wrote the COMMUNIST manifesto!?! Does he explain the links or relationships between the two? Never. I was surprisingly disappointed in this book, as I would be very interested in a thorough, succinct, clear analysis of these philosophies.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Based on 11 editions and 4/5 stars I was expecting much more. The chapter on socialism was extremely weak without even an attempt at a formal definition. The capitalism chapter described statism/mixed economy, as it exists in the U.S., and called it capitalism. I cut my losses on this book after the first two sections. This is an eighth-grade level survey of political theories.
Rating: 
Summary: great reference book
Review: I use this book to help prepare lecture notes for the AP Govt classes I teach. It is quite readable and simply organized. Any instructor of govt or any serious student of govt should have this book.
Rating: 
Summary: I liked it, but think that previous editions were better
Review: My personal reading extends beyond computer and technical books, I enjoy reading books about almost every subject. When I found this book I was pleasantly surprised to find the reading both informative and enjoyable.The book is only 210 pages and is any seem small but it is packed with a wealth of information. The authors take a look at several of today's most common isms and give the reader a well-written and well-documented research expose. Starting off with socialism the authors go into the history of socialism, what made it work and where is failed. They then move to capitalism in which they present the theory behind it. They show the evolution of capitalism into the 20th century and the effects on today's society. Moving to fascism, you again get the history of the origins, the doctrine that governed it a how it works today. Then you have a chapter on communism, from the beginnings with Marx and Lenin to the USSR and what happened to cause the failure. You also take a look at why Chinese communism is still in existence today and what the difference is between The Soviets and the Chinese. Finally you cover libertarianism and how is differs from the conservatism and why people sometimes confuse the two. The principles are discussed in detail and how the libertarian philosophy is growing and gaining momentum. Overall an excellent reading and well done research.
Rating: 
Summary: A handbook of 20th century political ideas
Review: This very concise book explains four major political structures that have shaped nations in the twentieth century. It is useful as an introduction to the theories of socialism, capitalism, fascism, and communism, but most people already have some idea of what these things are about. The greater benefit in reading this book may be in learning how these ideologies have been put into practice in different countries. In each section, the authors discuss the history and theory of the ideology, how it has been implemented, and then some other issues that relate to the topic. I was most curious about communism, and was glad to find that almost half the book is devoted to it. This book is for those who want a quick and informative overview on the varieties of political thinking that have been influential and continue to be influential in our world. In attempting to understand other nations, it is necessary to have some understanding of the politics that have shaped them. The edition I read was the tenth.
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