This comprehensive and authoritative book assesses in theoretical and empirical terms some of the most widely debated issues in the study of Cuban political economy over the past two decades. Contributors discuss the Cuban economy's rate of growth, structural changes that have accompanied economic development, the extent of Cuba's economic and political dependence on the Soviet Union, the reliability of Cuban statistics, the performance of Cuba's system of central planning, and the progress Cuba has made in promoting equality for women. Without extolling or condemning the Castro government, these essays provide a timely analysis of the methods, theoretical approaches, and conclusions of the literature in Cuban studies since the 1960s and offer a new understanding of the Cuban reality.