Heroic Struggle!-- Bitter Defeat

Book excerpt: Early reviews have hailed this book as "one of the best attempts so far" to analyze the errors in theory and practice, along with imperialist pressures, that dismantled the first socialist union of states. Azad employs a consistent scientific methodology as a framework for his discussion, one that is helpful to the average reader. Over many years of economic research, the author viewed the unsolved problems of the socialist societies much as one sees flaws in the space shuttle program, or the latest plane -- these represent the present limits of humanity's achievements in their respective fields. There is much to learn from the facts and processes discussed in this book, and in turn, these will prompt additional questions and further study.