Vastly more than a regional study, the contributors to this work seek to provide a comprehensive and probative assessment through a 360-degree examination of a strategically vital area. Going beyond historical analysis, both regional and country-specific, this book evaluates overarching issues within a larger analytical context, from the political to the cultural, in a dynamic analysis that melds theory and considerations of practical developments in order to better understand causality and provide an opportunity to search for patterns and divine lessons. It is also a story of a remarkable transformation, now three decades old, that has been ripe with opportunities but also replete with caveats. Judging success, assessing legacies, and identifying the motor forces for change are enormously difficult but also necessary tasks. It is also essential to appreciate that most of these states committed themselves to democratization and marketization, and that involves a perennial struggle where a chance for progress and the risk of repression compete continuously and where the balance between the two can easily shift. Consequently, it is crucial to identify the early warning signs of trouble, and be aware that impressive successes have not eliminated present and future dangers of regression.