'...a very superior textbook, avoiding most of the pitfalls of the genre...the wheat-to-chaff ratio is gratifyingly high, in a field with more chaff than most...it must have been a difficult book to write; by any consumer test it rates a range of stars and a 'best buy' recommendation.' - Ivor Crewe, Times Higher Education Supplement '...a lively, readable introductory textbook.' - Talking Politics