Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents: I. Overview of comparative economics: How do we compare economies? -- The Theory and practice of market capitalism -- The Theory and practice of market capitalism -- The Theory and history of marxism and socialism -- Islamic economics and the economics of other religions -- II. Varieties of advanced market capitalism: The United States of America: the market capitalist leader -- Japan: A planned market economy with traditional elements -- Whither indicative planning? the case of France -- Sweden: crisis and reform of the social market welfare state -- The Unification of Germany and the unification of Europe -- III. Variants of transition among former socialist economies: The Former Soviet Union: the myth and reality of the command economy and Russia's economic transition -- Alternative paths of transition in the former Soviet union -- Poland: the peril and promise of shock therapy -- Hungary: gradualism and the first successful completed transition? -- Worker-managed market socialism: the collapse of Yugoslavia and the success of Slovenia -- China's socialist market economy: the sleeping giant wakes -- IV. Alternative paths among developing economies: India: the Elephant walks -- Iran: the struggle for a new traditional Islamic economy -- Revolution and reform in the Mexican economy -- North and South Korea: the lingering shadow of the cold war -- Evolving trends of the transforming world economy --