One of the most fascinating problems in the study of modern-
ization in general is, indeed, the analysis of the conditions under
which any modern institutional setting, initially successful in
creating a new complex and adaptable organization, may be able
to overcome such rigidities and assure some measure of ability to
deal continuously with new problems. This question is of special
importance in the study of the agricultural sector, as this sector is
doomed in any process of modernization to become less impor-
tant.

The material in this book provides many fascinating illustra-
tions and analyses of all these problems. The cases presented here
are of special value, because several distinct phases in the develop-
ment of each of the settlements are analyzed. The first phase
was the initial establishment through the ideological impetus of
the different Zionist groups. The second stage was the crystalli-
zation of the institutional settings of the settlements and of the
movements in the period of the British mandate. Last--and
perhaps most important in considering the problems outlined
here--comes the phase of absorption of new immigrants from
traditional settings, who came with the establishment of the State
of Israel and who were absorbed and "modernized" with differ-
ent degrees of success within the framework of these various
settlements.

In each of these phases it was the interplay between the
motivation and background of the settlers, the concrete institu-
tional settings of the villages and movements, and the broader
societal setting which created the different patterns--and prob-
lems--of development and modernization. Needless to say, the
specific constellation of these various components is unique to
Israel, as is the case in any single situation. But the special merit of
the book lies first in the fact that it shows us how such specific
analysis can be understood in terms of such broader analytic
categories and how these categories can be applied to concrete
situations. Second, it shows us that such application and compar-
ison can and should be made both among societies and within

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