Redefining Russian society and polity /

Buckley (Univ. of Edinburgh) has written a fascinating study of the content and process of change that occurred in Soviet society between 1985 and 1991. It is not a history or a political analysis, but it includes historical perspective and political interpretation. The book is a multifaceted profile of a society in transition. It takes the pulse of the people as they react to, interpret, and redefine the change initiated by Gorbachev with glasnost. Buckley's sources are newspapers, interviews, television shows, jokes, and other such reflections of daily living. Buckley studies the way the people reacted to "new" topics such as AIDS, drugs, rape, prostitution, and child abuse. Critical interpretations of social issues led to a new evaluation of the political process and of the legitimacy of the political system itself. The study demonstrates that change is ultimately a complex process, that glasnost, once started, took on its own life. This is an important book, rich in interpretation, insight, and humor. Advanced undergraduates. D. J. Dunn Southwest Texas State University