Middle class radicalism in Santa Monica /

``Radicalism'' is commonly identified with movements of institutional challenge whose major sources of inspiration and support tend to be disadvantaged groups. Here is an engaging, well-documented chronicle and discerning interpretation of a case of ``radical'' innovation whose main base of support was the ``middle class.'' Against the background of the restive 1960s and 1970s, this movement surfaced on the California scene in the early 1980s and managed to establish itself as an influential force in Santa Monica. Organized around the concept of participatory democracy, the movement undertook restoration of humanistic and communitarian values that had been undergoing erosion within the broader society. It succeeded in bringing about a number of significant changes in the community, including what is probably the most ``radical'' rent control law in the country. Kann analyzes the rise and recent decline of this movement in a scholarly fashion and discusses critically the potential significance of such local movements for the national polity. There are 26 pages of references and an excellent index. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries, community college level up.-J.F. Zygmunt, University of Connecticut