&BAD:quot;After a long period of neglect, political scientists are again noticing identity politics. Hoover's book is beautifully written, brief by comprehensive, and appropriate for a wide range of undergraduate courses. Most impressive, Hoover links micro-level processes (human development and the construction of individual identities) with macro-politics (the formation and maintenance of organized systems of power), examining, among other topics, gender, multiculturalism, and the sources and consequences of democracy and authoritarianism.&BAD:quot;&BAD:mdash;Alec Stone SweetUniveristy of California, Irvine