Althusser was a light of the continental philosophy of the twentieth century, the teacher of Derrida and Foucault, an astute commentator on culture and social theory, a leading intellectual in the French Communist Party and a deeply influential literary critic. Such a varied and full earlier life should have led to even more distinguished later life, but Althusser suffered a period of mental instability culminating in his murder of his wife and institutionalization. This fourth volume in the series collecting his political and philosophical writings could therefore be too poignant to be of much effect, but instead Althusser's work in determinism, contingency, and other theoretical problems, including his extended studies of Marx and his correspondence was amongst his best. This collection also includes the disturbing and evocative "The Underground Current of the Materialism of the Encounter," a complex and major work, and "Marx in his Limits." Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)