Russia's Path from Gorbachev to Putin

<P>Over the past few years, many of the former Communist-rule countries of Central and Eastern Europe have taken a steady path toward becoming more or less normal capitalist countries - with Poland and Hungary cases in point.</P><P></P><P>Russia, on the other hand, has experienced extreme difficulties in its attempted transition to capitalism and democracy. The pursuit of Western-endorsed policies of privatization, liberalization and fiscal austerity have brought Russia growing crime and corruption, a distorted economy and a trend toward authoritarian government.</P><P></P><P>In their 1996 book - <EM>Revolution from Above</EM> - David Kotz and Fred Weir shed light on the underlying reasons for the 1991 demise of the Soviet Union and the severe economic and political problems of the immediate post-Soviet period in Russia.</P><P></P><P>In this new book, the authors bring the story up-to-date, showing how continuing misguided policies have entrenched a group of super-rich o