The National Research Council reviews and updates the work of its Panel on the Study of Common Property Resource Management, completed 15 years ago, incorporating theoretical and empirical developments since then. The report begins by pointing out the flaws in the Tragedy of the Commons myth that ordinary people cannot take care of shared resources, so the rich must seize them. The study should interest people concerned with such commons as ecosystems, water supplies, and the atmosphere. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)