Life in Communist Russia

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-In this survey, Streissguth states that he is describing a socialist economic system under a Communist Party government in what was the largest republic of the Soviet Union. Substantial introductions to urban and rural life are followed by shorter chapters on education, work, sports and leisure activities, religion, and the arts. The author cogently describes many aspects of the Soviet system and includes quotations from books by foreign correspondents, scholars, and former citizens. While some comments are qualified with time frames or dates, others are not and may mislead readers. For example, Streissguth states that "The majority of Russians lived in communal apartments-." While a small percentage of apartment dwellers in Moscow still lived in communal apartments in the 1980s, a majority did not. It is a shame that such statements mar a generally well- written text, which offers a number of concrete examples that illustrate points well.- Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.