Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929), best known for "The Theory of the Leisure Class," was a baffling figure in American intellectual history, and this -important work, undertaken by Louis Patsouras, attempts both to unravel the riddles that surround his subject's reputation and to assess his varied and -important contributions.

Considering Veblen not just as an economist or a sociologist--as has been the case up to now--Patsouras examines Veblen's politics, in particular the early manifestations of American socialism and anarchism, as well as his support of labor unions. Veblen's views are then compared and contrasted with other well-known his-torical and contemporary thinkers.

Louis Patsouras is professor of history at Kent State University and author of "The Anarchism of Jean Grave "(Black Rose Books).

Since their first collaborative appearance in the mid-1840s, Marx and Engles have become central players in the western intellectual tradition. They have inspired two significant Communist revolutions of the 20th century-the Russian and Chinese. Marx in Context delineates the principal ideas of Marx and Engels as it pertains to such subjects as human exploitation, alienation, the sufferings of the 19 century working class in England and their human condition, imperialism, the women's question and religion. Marx's ideas are discussed in precise detail with other socialist and conservative thinkers, including classical English economist Adam Smith, Thomas Robert Malthus, David Ricardo; anarchists Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Michael Bakunin and Peter Kropotkin; also included are Max Weber, V.I. Lenin, Thorstein Veblen, Vilfredo Pareto, William Graham Sumner, Jean Paul Sartre, Simone Weil, Paul Tillich, Carl Barth, Walter Rauchenbusch, Gustavo Gutierriez, Harry Braverman and other significant thinkers who together help produce the necessary contrast that brings the ideas of Marx and Engels alive. Engles with other prominent thinkers, Marx in Contex seeks to reaffirm the purpose behind their vision.

Jean Grave (1854-1939) was a leading French anarchist whose theoretical works and activity place him alongside such luminaries as Godwin, Proudhon, Bakunin, and Kropotkin. Drawing on various archival and library sources, Louis Patsouras traces the controversies and convictions that shaped the life and career of this extraordinary radical thinker, set within the fascinating socioeconomic context of Grave's time.

"A classic piece of historical writing, easy to read and excellently researched."--William Fishman, University of London, UK

"A conscientious study of the history of French anarchism in general, and of Jean Grave, in particular."--"Le Mouvement Social"

Louis Patsouras is Professor of History at Kent State University, and author of "Simone Weil and the Socialist Tradition," "The Crucible of Socialism," and "Debating Marx."