Russia Then and Now (Then & Now)

Grade 5-9-- Dramatic changes in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union brought instant joy to the free world, but just as suddenly caused serious gaps in library collections. This series begins to fill those gaps with handsome volumes covering the history, culture, geography, environmental problems, and economics of the new independent Commonwealth and Baltic nations. Large, high-quality, full-color photographs and maps, most of them captioned, greatly enhance the clearly written texts. Care has been taken to select illustrations that not only provide information about the culture, but also convey the mood of the people. Here and there the text suffers from oversimplification, especially in Russia. Jackson's Soviet Union (Gateway, 1988) is just as well illustrated and contains far more information. However, the lack of coverage of the recent political upheaval and the failure to present new countries in an independent light is a deficiency that is unfortunately shared by many formerly excellent sources. As everyone races to revise, this series is unique for the moment. The presentation is well done and highly suitable for average readers of the target age group. --Sue A. Norkeliunas, Arlington Senior High School, LaGrangeville, NY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

These newest entries in the Then and Now series feature luxuriant, well-chosen photos (a boy with missing front teeth shows the universality of human growth); the topics covered include geography, economics, history and culture. The titles are both up-to-date and comprehensive: readers will certainly gain insights into these locales, but the overall effect here is one of blandness. Stalin is not identified as a dictator, only as a ruler; Jews are mentioned, but not in the important context of anti-Semitism. A politically correct ecological sidebar (e.g., cleaning up the Baltic Sea) is illogically dropped into the middle of each book, and allusions are too often made without context or explanation. In occasional gripping moments readers can sense the series' promise (and these countries' struggles)--as when two million Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians formed a hand-to-hand chain for freedom that stretched 400 miles. By attempting too much, the authors have unfortunately weakened their books' inherent drama. A sturdy but disappointing reference work. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.