This book comprises 16 essays representing different aspects of informal economy as an activity whith circumvents public regulation. These essays have been written as reviews on the books by Russian and foreign authors, both in academic and publicistic genres. The book is concerned with global causes of the informal economy's development as well as with it's Russian specifics, including the Soviet experience, the post-Soviet racket,the existing state of the judicial system, the relationship between businessand government, the informal labor sector in Russia.

The book addresses a wide audience interested in the issues of economy. It will be useful for students, postgraduates, academics and researchers in social and economic sciences.

The book presents classic works on the nature of interest rate and its regulation: John Locke's pamphlet "Some considerations about the consequences of lowering interest rates and increasing the value of money" (1691) and a series of letters to Jeremy Bentham "In defense of usury" (1789). Both works, first translated in Russian, have had a significant impact on the evolution of the understanding of interest rate and the problems of its regulation. In addition, the collection includes articles by Russian authors on the development of usury, the scientific heritage of John Locke and J. Bentham, as well as a modern look at the ethical component of interest regulation.