Book excerpt: Gathering among the best European specialists of welfare statecomparisons, this book organises comprehensive and up to dateinformation on European welfare state reforms in an analyticalframework which allows a new approach to social policy changes. Demonstrates that, contrary to the common view, 'Bismarckian'welfare states have changed significantly Contains long term but also very accurate data and perspectivebeginning from the 1980s and up to the most recent reforms Speaks to two literatures: the one on welfare state, socialpolicies and welfare state reforms; the other to the politicalscience literature on changes, path dependency and incrementalchanges Organises comprehensive and up to date information on Europeanwelfare state reforms in an analytical framework Includes contributions from the best specialists of the field,including members of the European academic community of socialpolicy comparativists