While this book may contain the shortest of Brecht (not known for his brevity), it definitely does not include the best of Brecht. The pieces are all interesting and compelling in their way, but more as political polemic than story, since most of these contain only the barest bones of a story. It brings back forcefully the blackness of a time when the world was in a great turmoil, and a great evil was creeping over the earth. The problem is, the plays focus heavily on Communist propaganda, and come across more as pedantic preaching than theatre. This isn't unusual in Brecht, but there are places where he manages to pull it off much better than here. Definitely read it; the look inside the mind of the time is worthwhile. Just don't expect it to live up to theatrical expectations. ( )