The Return: Russia's Journey from Gorbachev to Medvedev

January 6 – 7, 2011

A Premiere Book Launch Event

The CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program held a premiere book launch on January 6, 2011 for The Return: Russia’s Journey from Gorbachev to Medvedev, by Daniel Treisman.  Daniel Treisman is Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles and a leading specialist on the politics and political economy of Russia. Andrew Kuchins, Director and Senior Fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Program lauded Treisman’s accomplishment as “the greatest single author book on Russia in a long time.

Rather than a nation frozen in ancient authoritarian traditions, as Russia is often portrayed, Treisman shows a society that is modernizing rapidly, with a government that, although less than democratic, is nevertheless sensitive to public opinion. That public opinion has, in turn, been driven by change in Russia's economy, which has been repeatedly buffeted by forces beyond the leaders' control- from the collapse of Soviet central planning to gyrating world oil prices and the recent global financial crisis. This book challenges conventional wisdom on topics ranging from the effect of Russia's oil wealth on its democracy to the country's economic reforms and demographic problems. 

You can purchase Daniel Treisman’s book, The Return: Russia’s Journey from Gorbachev to Medvedev, on Amazon.