Based on comparative surveys, the author presents a study of social transformation in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989. Focusing on Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia and Slovakia, the author provides information relating to social structure, mobility, inequality, lifestyle and economic stratification. Applying the Erikson-Goldthorpe classification of class positions, Domanski effectively presents fully comparable data to enable political comparisons to be made with other countries, especially those with firmly established free market economies. As such, "On the Verge of Convergence" seeks to provide a clearer understanding of the on-going process of social transformation within developing capitalist societies.

"Henryk Domanski is not worried about stating the elementary truth that east central European countries 'have no choice but to copy the institutional framework of the capitalist world`. He deserves our appreciation for this frankness." - Slavic Review

"... not only contributes to the understanding of various issues specific to the transformation in post-communist countries, but also enables the making of more general conclusions about the `laws` of social mobility, and it therefore deserves appreciation... Its findings are relevant not only for ECE, but for the studies of social stratification in general." - European Sociological Review

"... contributes positively to our understanding of the process of transformation in Central Eastern Europe... a valuable contribution to stratification studies." - Slavonic and East European Review