An emigre Russian historian offers an in-depth critical analysis of Soviet life that discusses the ways in which the Soviet regime controls the Soviet people--in education, culture, the workplace, ideology, and language

Reviews

Unlike hardened anti-Communist cold warriors, Heller avoids ideological mudslinging. His portrayal of the Soviet Union as an unfree society, one where each individual becomes a small cell in a vast organism, is devastating and convincing. A Sorbonne instructor who coauthored Utopia in Power, Heller insists that the Soviet state's overriding goal is the same as it was under Lenin and Stalin: shaping "human raw material" into obedient, passive cogs in a machine. Today in the U.S.S.R., he notes, all references to the Bible and the Jewish people have been removed from school texts; women do the heaviest physical work and bear most of the family's burdens but have practically no voice; men act as capricious boys, working off their feelings of powerlessness by abusing their wives. Heller's surprising expose of Gorbachev's touched-up Stalinist vocabulary is brilliant. This is one of the best books ever written on the making of Homo sovieticus and the dilemmas of the U.S.S.R. in the 1980s.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This remarkable and unsettling book interprets Soviet rule as a consistent effort towards "creation of the New Man," an obediently selfless cog. Heller's claim is supported by his incomparable knowledge of Soviet political and literary sources. Enduring parallels emerge between Soviet policy and the work of Zamyatin and Orwell, and they emerge in most areas of Soviet lifethe apotheosis of the plan, a mystical belief in Marxism-Leninism, and language used as a semiological system. The scope and power of Heller's version of totalitarianism is controversial; its scholarly value lies in exposing the Stalinist bedrock of the Soviet system and its erosion through information technology. Nevertheless, the book's apparent completion before the full extent of Gorbachev's innovations leaves begging the question of his impact and success. Recommended for all libraries with larger Soviet collections. Zachary T. Irwin, Behrend Coll., Pennsylvania State Univ., Erie
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

I am a home based business. I have been in business for the past 24 years. I have been selling on the internet for the past 22 years and I also do antique and collectible shows. I am constantly looking for new and unusual books to sell.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Old Village Books
SC, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

I accept credit card payments through ABEbooks.com

Shipping Terms

Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	5 to 14 business days	3 to 6 business days
First item	US$ 4.99	US$ 13.90

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.