To the people of Eastern Europe   
whose aspirations I sought to support.  

About this book

George Soros is both a participant in and an observer of the revolution which continues to sweep through the former Soviet empire. In this book he tells the story of his involvement, which has grown in line with events. He sets out the philosophy which has guided him both as a speculator in financial markets (investors in his Quantum Fund have seen the value of their investment rise fourhundredfold in twenty years, an unparalleled performance) and as a philanthropist with more than thirty foundations worldwide.

He presents a theoretical framework which recognizes that participants in history act on the basis of imperfect understanding. He connects the traditional mode of thinking with organic society, the critical mode with open society, and the dogmatic with closed society. He argues that open society is greatly superior despite its imperfections, but he also stresses the negative aspect of that superiority: open society cannot be brought into existence simply by removing the constraints of a closed society.

George Soros, born in Hungary in 1930, was educated at the London School of Economics.