In The Rise and Demise of World Communism, George Breslauer explores the nature of communist regimes-what they shared in common, how they differed from each other, and how they differentially evolved over time. He offers the most accessible and readable account of the evolution of communism in sixteen states. Half the size of more detailed and encyclopedic books on the rise and fall of communism, it engages the reader with short chapters and a ready understanding of the historical flow from Karl Marx to the present day.