Books: Is Democracy Possible?

THE MACHIAVELLIANS—James Burnham —John Day ($2.50).

THE HERO IN HISTORY—Sidney Hook —John Day ($2.50).

Soviet Russia today is a far cry from Communism—that is, Communism according to Karl Marx. Joseph Stalin's iron personal dictatorship (with its capitalistic features so reassuring to many) makes most old-line Marxists hold their heads and wonder what happened. Whatever became of the Marxist dream of an egalitarian society? The Kremlin (like the U.S. Communist Party) still uses Marx as a sort of ikon and devises rationalizations to make its actions square with Marx's teachings. But most genuine Marxists have...