Howard Wiarda is without question one of the leading experts in the field of comparative politics. With this book he presents the issues and debates that are at the core of comparative politics. In his usual straightforward and occasionally provocative manner, Wiarda challenges the reader to think through many of the questions about governing in today's world. From the problems with democratization in the less developed world to some of the new directions of study such as environmentalism and gay rights, Wiarda is always at the cutting edge. This is an essential text that students of comparative politics should have on their reading list.

Michael J. Kryzanek, Bridgewater State College

Howard Wiarda does a masterful job in presenting the panoply of approaches and hot issues in comparative politics. His focus-and rightly so-is on how we do comparative politics. For students, Comparative Politics: Approaches and Issues provides an array of questions to ask as they read about, and directly experience, countries around the world.

Joel S. Migdal, University of Washington