Routledge Revolutions: A Worldwide Introduction to Political and Social Change (Studies in Comparative Social Science)

Revolution and state breakdown are the focus of this important new book that analyzes the most prominent theories of revolution and points to future directions. Covers famous revolutions from history (France, China, Russia) and those in the developing world in addressing such key questions as "why are revolutions so rare?" Revolutions also looks at the state breakdowns in Eastern Europe after 1989, the typical outcomes of revolutions, and the possible future of revolutions. An appendix presents biographical and autobiographical sketches of several of the most prominent students of revolutions. Contents: Understanding Revolutions. The Great Historical Revolutions. Revolutions in the Third World. The Causes of Revolutions: I. The Causes of Revolutions: II. The State Breakdowns in Eastern Europe. The Outcomes of Revolutions. The Future of Revolutions. Review “Sanderson does a credible job of detailing the major aspects of the topic of revolution. … well worth reading. Recommended.” ―CHOICE "Those looking for a guide to revolutions will find everything they need here: from the history of great events, to theories of revolutionary change, to current and future prospects for revolution and terrorism, Sanderson's book is the most complete guide available to students of revolution today." ―Jack A. Goldstone, George Mason University "Stephen Sanderson has written a smart and clear introduction to revolutions-and to recent scholarship on them. This new edition includes an equally sharp and pellucid chapter on terrorism. Readers new to these topics will find this an especially helpful book." ―Jeffrey Goodwin, New York University "Stephen Sanderson's book has already garnered much praise and won a wide readership. This new edition, with a valuable new chapter on terrorism, can only add to that acclain and influence." ―Krishan Kumar, University of Virginia Praise for the Previous Edition: “Informative and thought-provoking … encompasses all the major revolutions of our time. … A useful introduction for students.” ―Misagh Parsa in Contemporary Sociology “A very readable introduction to the literature and accessible to undergraduate students. The book also introduces students to some important book-length studies and students of social and political revolutions.” ―Canadian Journal of Sociology “Erudite yet accessible … this broad introduction to the topic will be useful for students new to the area.” ―CHOICE Previous Adopters of the Text Say: "It is useful, theoretically erudite and accessible to freshmen. The biographies of leading sociologists of revolution provide a rare insight into who the men and women are behind our theories and why they invented them." ―Georgi Derlugian, Northwestern University "This book is an excellent gateway for students to begin thinking critically about the conceptual underpinnings, history, and causes of revolution. I have used it with success for years." ―David L. Richards, University of Memphis, Co-Director, The CIRI Human Rights Data Project "I enjoyed this book's connection between several theoretical frameworks to analyze revolutions and the case studies presented in the text." ―Jose Soltero, DePaul University About the Author Stephen K. Sanderson is Professor of Sociology at the University of California-Riverside. He is the author of numerous articles and many books, including Evolutionism and Its Critics (Paradigm 2007).