Russians: The People Behind the Power

Early on in his second book, Feifer (The Great Gamble) makes clear his ambitious aim, which is to provide "a definitive explanation of what makes Russia Russian." While this goal might at first seem audacious, he is well-qualified, having worked for eight years as a journalist in Russia. In addition, his mother was born in Kazan and his father was a guide in the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow, where the two met. The book is an impressive piece of journalism, an effective mix of history, letters, current affairs, family history, interviews, and personal narrative, all of which addresses the premise that certain "formative influences" have shaped attitudes, behaviors, and a social and political order that is sometimes confounding to the Western mind. From alarming rates of alcoholism to the legacy of Siberian prison camps, from the creativity of Russian arts to corruption and "clan politics," the book provides a nuanced view of Russia, its people, and its place in a changing world. Feifer's assessment is especially critical of Putin's authoritarianism and he is admittedly pessimistic about the possibility of change in the near future, but the book makes a convincing argument for the importance of a clearer understanding of the Russian people and their values. (Feb.)