A Zone of Engagement
In the world of contemporary social theory, a new book by Anderson is a major event. The publication of two books, even of collected essays, is a completely unprecedented development. Fans of one of Britain's most illustrious historians will find plenty of good reading in these long-anticipated volumes. Culled primarily from the pages of the London-based New Left Review , Anderson's essays range over such topics as the rise of the English state, the character of democracy in ancient Greece, and intellectual life under Mrs. Thatcher. The pieces in English Questions are centered around the question of why English society and culture exhibits such a profoundly conservative tendency. A Zone of Engagement , by way of contrast, assesses the work of such seminal figures as Isaiah Berlin, Antonio Gramsci, and Max Weber. These erudite books are essential for larger or academic libraries.- Kent Worcester, Social Science Research Council, New YorkCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.