This marketing leading text focuses on comparisons between the three major types of economic systems in the world today - capitalism, socialism, and the economies of the LDC's and developing countries. Several variants of capitalism are represented by exploring the U.S., Germany, and Japan. Also discussed are the problems involved in the transformation of the former communist countries of Russia and Eastern Europe into capitalist countries (Poland, The Czech Republic and Hungary). Developing economy coverage includes comparisons between China and India, and coverage of the Latin American countries of Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, as well as comparisons between African nations.