BOOK REVIEW

Leisure Services in Hungary and Illinois: A Comparative Study by Alien Sapora, Stipes Publishing Company, Champaign, IL, (1980) is a comprehensive work describing the delivery of leisure services in the two societies. Both public and private commercial enterprises are included in the study. The various chapters deal with historical, environmental and demographic data, philosophy and objectives of leisure services, administration and management, physical facilities and areas, leisure program services, and financing. Considerable space is devoted to the effect that selected variables such as population, physical resources, mass media, etc. have on leisure service systems. Laszlo Harangi and Dr. Ivan Vitanyi, Hungarians who collaborated with Dr. Sapora on the work, wrote the final chapter as a summary analysis of the study.

Dr. Sapora has had more than 35 years of experience working with professional education and the establishment of leisure services systems in Illinois and in the USA. In the introductory chapter, he describes some of his international experiences that made him aware of the need for this study and the changing educational-cultural climate that made it feasible. He points out that, "Illinois and Hungary are very much alike geographically—somewhat the same size, climate and topography (plains, foothills, and some low mountains). They are about equal in total population, produce much the same agricultural crops, are highly industralized, have two very large cities about the same size (Chicago and Budapest), two large rivers, similar educational programs and other factors basic to the development of cross-cultural consideration and study."

Dr. Sapora's parents emigrated from Hungary to the United States in 1900. While they were teaching him to speak and read Hungarian, they familiarized him "with the rich and distinguished history and the struggles of the Hungarian people." His personal ties are close to both Hungary and Illinois. Writing this discourse has obviously been a labor of love for its author.

As one reads the book there is the constant reminder of the influence socialism and capitalism have on the organization, financing, and delivery of leisure services in their respective societies. The author describes many cultural characteristics of the populations to explain the different methods of providing services. No value judgments are made about these systems which is a tribute to the objectivity of the work.

World War II is frequently cited as an example of the impact on the system in Hungary. Dr. Sapora explains:

"Illinois facilities are the result of over 50 years of development uninterrupted by war and destruction; Hungarians have been hampered in the development of these special facilities. The system in Hungary is in a period of rapid change and modernization. Future developments of Hungarian cultural, recreation and sports facilities will be, to a great extent, influenced by the predominant pattern of mass housing construction, urgent physical resources needs in agriculture, industry, transportation and other national development."

Numerous charts, graphs, tables and drawings support the narrative of Leisure Services in Hungary and Illinois: A Comparative Study which makes this a uniquely scholarly work. Having finished the book, the reader feels assured that no important facet of delivering leisure services was overlooked while preparing for the project.

The book can be read for its specific interest as a comparison of the systems in Hungary and Illinois or as a more generally appealing look at the similarities and differences of leisure systems in socialist and capitalist environments. Regardless of the approach, the work is an outstanding addition to the literature on leisure studies.

This review was submitted by Ms. Lorraine Wax, Commissioner, Northbrook Park District. Ms. Wax serves as a member of the IAPD—IPRA Join Editorial Board.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 25 July/August 1982