Overview

Today's Russia, also known as the Russian Federation, is often viewed as less powerful than the Soviet Union of the past. When stacked against other major nations in the present, however, the new Russia is a formidable if flawed player. Russia: What Everyone Needs to Know provides fundamental information about the origins, evolution, and current affairs of the Russian state and society. The story begins with Russia's geographic endowment, proceeds through its experiences as a kingdom and empire, and continues through the USSR's three-quarters of a century, and finally the shocking breakup of that regime a generation ago. Chapters on the failed attempt to reform Communism under Mikhail Gorbachev, the halting steps toward democratization under Boris Yeltsin, and the entrenchment of central controls under Vladimir Putin bring the listener into the contemporary scene and to headline-grabbing events such as Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and its military intervention in Syria. Drawing on trends within Russia and on ratings and rankings compiled by international organizations, Colton discusses the challenges facing the country--ranging from economic recession to demographic stress, political stagnation, and overextension in foreign policy--and to the realistic options for coping with them.

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Timothy J. Colton is Morris and Anna Feldberg Professor of government and Russian studies and the chair of the department of government at Harvard University. He is the author of several books on Russia, including Yeltsin: A Life. He was a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a member of the joint committee on Soviet studies of the Social Science Research Council and the American Council of Learned Societies, and vice-chairman of the National Council for East European, Russian, and Eurasian Research. He is currently a member of the editorial board of World Politics and Post-Soviet Affairs. Rich. Robust. Rugged. Smooth as the velvet night sky, gritty as the mean streets . . . Timothy Howard Jackson has had a strong interest in creative pursuits all his life in areas such as theater, choir, orchestra, and dance. That said, his original career was in the tech sector for twenty years. When he realized that he really needed to be creative again, he found his outlet in audiobooks. He traded a keyboard for a microphone, and he now works full-time as an audiobook narrator at the foot of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains in Utah. He possesses a rich, robust, rugged voice that lends credibility and interest to all types of materials. Recording sci-fi, mysteries, thrillers, and edgy nonfiction under his name and romance under a pseudonym, he has completed ninety-five books and counting.

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