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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
It was interesting. I skimmed about half of it because 1) It wasn't talking about Putin, rather history surrounding things he could have ordered to be done. 2) Writing a book about a man that was able to control what the world's knows about him and his KGB ways, makes for an mediocre book. 3) Russian names always throw me off, pictures of said people would have helped one greatly. Overall, only read if you have a crush on Putin, then only realized it is the greatest media experiment of all time - keeping a man unknown while being known.
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Bitchy references to Anna Politkovskaya aside, I found this well written and interesting. Much better and faster paced than some of Gessen's other work.
Cogent look at the non-personality of Putin
I want to say this was ahead of its time. It was not. The United States was behind. As was I.
I want to say this was ahead of its time. It was not. The United States was behind. As was I.
Firstly, reading this book will make you realize how brave Masha Gessen really is. Wonderfully written biography, and a great insight into a man who is a mystery to almost everyone, exposing every detail of a dar past. Really helps you understand what's happening in modern Russia as well as why it is happening.
Riveting, if at times speculative, read on how Putin came to power, and how he views the mechanisms of fear and power as wholly interchangeable. Even at a decade old, I learned a lot about authoritarian governments and how democracy and freedom can slowly (and then very quickly) be stamped out.
challenging
informative
medium-paced
A brave and well-researched portrait of a very scary person who will stop at nothing to consolidate power in a country that is all too willing to follow a "strong leader". Sad, and not entirely unlike the current developments in the US.
dark
informative
medium-paced
Kind of an odd book that reads more like a collection of stories—I’d say it’s somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. The thesis itself is sound: that Vladimir Putin is less an ideologue than he is an opportunist with an obsession with greed and power. There are plenty of great anecdotes here, like when Putin stole a Patriots Super Bowl ring; but then the anecdotes become the story, and much of the book is dedicated to specific scandals and government overreaches that I guess should highlight the oppression of Putin’s Russia. The “unlikely rise” portion covers the first half of the book, and much stronger than the second half. Is this a book about Putin, or Putin’s Russia? It’s far too unfocused. I can only assume, since I haven’t read many books about Putin, that there are other books that will cover what Gessen tried to cover.