Poland, as a result of its location and geography, has been an area of conflict throughout its long and turbulent history. It has had periods of greatness, independence and prosperity alternated with phases of foreign domination and disaster during which its boundaries and people have been divided by conquering nations. Despite this, culture flourished within the country and Poland was one of the most active countries during the Renaissance with some religious and social laws many countries today still do not have. The Sejm voted the monarchs of Poland into power beginning in 1572, which became an important step for political progress in Europe. On May 3, 1791, Poland adopted Europe's first democratic constitution -- the world's second after the American Constitution. "We are pleased and grateful for your effort put into writing this book. We hope it will help to provide information on Poland to many Anglophones. The part on Economy in Poland is accurate assuming the reader is looking for general information or she/he is running a preliminary research on the economy of our country." Marcin Walewski Deputy Commercial Attache Embassy of Poland "...I am interested in virtually all things Polish, and look forward to enjoying the entire book upon publication. To know that I had some hand in assisting you with your tome, will be something for me to be proud of for years to come." Chevalier Rik Sulima-Suligowski Fox Guildmaster, The Polish Nobility Commonwealth Guild 1st US Hussaria I found the book chock-full of information and written in a style that was easy to read and understand. The chapter on Poland's Industrial Diversity was an inspired way to illustrate the diversity of Poland's economy while avoiding the use of figures and statistics that can be difficult to understand. Meanwhile the sections on Culture and appendix on Notable Poles provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives, customs and achievements of the Polish people. Sandra Molyneaux