Book excerpt: This edited collection, first published in 1988, was the first title to bring international perspectives into the field of rural planning. Using a comparative approach and a broad range of case studies, including Britain, Scandinavia, the U.S.S.R. and New Zealand, the authors review the major problems faced within rural areas, and policy responses to these problems. Each study deals with the political and institutional frameworks involved in the management of rural areas and the means by which policies have been implemented. With an introduction from Paul Cloke that places rural policies and plans within the context of the state, this reissue will be of great value to any students with an interest in the planning and organisation of rural communities across the world.