What is the phenomenon called “the West,” and where does its strength come from? Is the West really the way we imagine it? These questions are asked in his book by the great Russian writer, sociologist, and philosopher A. A. Zinoviev. He writes that the social order of Western countries cannot be reduced either to capitalism or to democracy. These phenomena have taken on here such a form and occupied such a place that they cannot be considered defining features of the West; otherwise, a false understanding of it will arise. To answer what the West actually is, the author, from different angles, presents a picture of life in Western society and provides a deep analysis of the events occurring there.