Rotten States? Corruption, Post-Communism, and Neoliberalism. By Leslie Holmes. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006. 440p. $84.95 cloth, $23.95 paper.

As a veteran of corruption studies in the postcommunist world, Leslie Holmes addresses three fundamental issues confronting students of corruption: the definition and categorization of corruption, the impact corruption has on democracies, and causal factors that account for its rise within postcommunist states. The comparative study focuses on Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Russia. China, the author argues, has developed a system akin to postcommunism and is treated in the analysis as far as data permit. The author also refers to other postcommunist cases, when appropriate, and many of the observations and inferences would apply to all democratic countries.