Reviews of previous editions: 'This book is very rich in information and analysis...can be recommended to health policy makers and researchers.' - Pim de Graaf, International Journal of Integrated Care 'An excellent introductory text for a complex and changing subject which effectively shows how the forces of convergence in health and medical care policies are balanced against the national sources of continuing differences in how health care is delivered, financed, regulated, and evaluated.' - Ted Marmor, Professor of Public Policy& Management, Yale School of Management and Professor of Political Science, Yale University, USA '[An] admirable book...thorough, yet readable...provides a comprehensive map on which specific health policies in individual countries can be located.' - Stephen Thornton, Health Service Journal 'This is an accessible and informative book...which should be read by anyone interested or involved in health policy development, delivery and analysis and those engaged in any type of comparative analysis.' - Sara Burke, Journal of Social Policy '[An] excellent introductory textbook on advanced country comparative health systems and policy...It is a genuinely comparative text, not simply, like many, a country-by-country collection of case studies...The authors deal very well with the important issues...[and] utilise a remarkable number of countries to exemplify their points.' - Edwin Griggs, Political Studies Review 'The book is well written and has some excellent features including demographic data...and a long and useful index, glossary, guide to further reading and websites and index. Policy makers as well as academics will all find something of interest in this book.' - Professor Anthea Tinker, Social Research Association News