This book is a collection of fascinating articles on the Soviet economy by an eminent economist. Most were written as current commentaries and were meant to report and to interpret developments in the Soviet economy under Gorbachev more or less as they occurred. Hanson's reflections cover more than particular events or a particular Soviet debate. In general, the articles were written for readers who were not necessarily either economists or Sovietologists, and they offer important insight on the ongoing transition of the Soviet economy to a free market economy.