Wraight (Royal Institute of Philosophy, UK) presents a student guide to Rousseau's 1762 book, The Social Contract, one of the most important and influential works of political philosophy ever written. Designed in particular for undergraduate-level students approaching Rousseau's work for the first time, the text includes discussion of the philosophical and historical context, key themes, guidance on reading the text, historical responses to the text, and more modern treatments of the work. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)