Since Slovenia’ entry into the EU there have been a number of books published evaluating the political and the economic results and the issues raised in the transition process. These analyses come from widely different perspectives, both political and economic, and with highly differentiated foci ranging from the transformation of political institutions and cultural values, to the impact of transition on managerial practice and economic competitiveness. Two of these books are restricted to political, philosophical and value issues; two to essentially microeconomic institutional and organizational issues.

In reading and comparing these volumes, I am reminded of the proverbial parable of the five blind men and the elephant. Each man in turn approaches the elephant, feels around the animal and describes what he found. The first runs into the animal’s trunk and describes the elephant as like a huge snake. The second walks to the other end of the animal and grabs its tail and describes the elephant as like a rope. The third runs into its leg and describes the animal as like the trunk of a tree. The fourth runs into the elephant’s body and describes it as a huge, rough, elevated pipe while the final blind man runs into its tusk and describes it as a long curved smooth metal bar, sharpened at one end.