Social Worker Curtis Banner has contempt for his clients and his job, but the world is changing around him.

The world continues to change around Curtis, but there are others whoÕve also been left behind. Unfortunately theyÕre very much in the persecuted minority.

In post-Soviet Russia’s transition to new political and economic systems, few issues are as important as labor. Although the “worker’s paradise” may have been largely imaginary, the loss of job security and benefits that has accompanied marketization could well become a catalyst for yet another political upheaval. In this timely book, Walter Connor explores how the Yeltsin government attempted to avoid this pitfall of system change. Connor examines Russia’s emergent labor politics in the critical first years of the post-Soviet period, focusing on the problems Yeltsin encountered in attempting to adopt a “corporatist” solution to the conflicts of interest that have arisen between labor, employers, and the state. With many employers still heavily dependent on the state, while others are already beyond state control, the corporatist effort has been sabotaged, Connor contends, by the lack of distinct interest groups found in more mature market economies. He concludes with an analysis of what these recent developments may portend for Russian politics and government in the future.

ESSENTIAL COMICS VALUES ALL IN COLOR! COMICS SHOP is the reliable reference for collectors, dealers, and everyone passionate about comic books! THIS FULL-COLOR, INDISPENSABLE GUIDE FEATURES: • Alphabetical organization by comic book title • More than 3,000 color photos • Hundreds of introductory essays • Analysis of multi-million dollar comics' sales • How covers and splash pages have evolved • An exclusive photo to grading guide to help you determine your comics' conditions accurately • Current values for more than 150,000 comics From the authoritative staff at Comics Buyer's Guide, the world's longest running magazine about comics, Comics Shop is the only guide on the market to give you extensive coverage of more than 150,000 comics from the Golden Age of the 1930s to current releases and all in color! In addition to the thousands of comic books from such publishers as Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image, this collector-friendly reference includes listings for comic books from independent publishers, underground publishers, and more!