Why read Taking Stock of Shock?

Book cover of Taking Stock of Shock: Social Consequences of the 1989 Revolutions

Book description

Kristen Ghodsee and Mitchell A. Orenstein blend empirical data with lived experiences to produce a robust picture of who won and who lost in post-communist transition, contextualizing the rise of populism in Eastern Europe.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, more than 400 million people suddenly found…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Taking Stock of Shock as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Maria Snegovaya

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Like the above, the book analyses the social consequences of the transition across the post-communist region. It tracks how painful and shocking some of its aspects were to the corresponding countries. It helps us understand why the reform overachievers, the countries that did best in reforming their economies (like Hungary and Poland), subsequently suffered some of the most pronounced political backlashes against these reforms.

The book is well-written and fun to read despite the serious topic.

From Maria's list on changes in society caused by capitalism.