It Was a Long Time Ago, and It Never Happened Anyway by David Satter
Satter takes a hard look at modern Russia to try and make sense of its trajectory back into authoritarianism under Putin. He argues, in my interpretation, that the people of Russia have failed to come to terms with the horrific actions of the Communist-era government and this failure, in part, drove them into the waiting arms of Putin and renewed repression.
Nature Wars by Jim Sterba
To me, the most interesting aspect of this work isn’t about backyard battlegrounds with nature, but the astounding effectiveness of the conservation movement at saving ecosystems and inhabitants, particularly in the Eastern part of the country which had been devastated by unrestrained, colonial exploitation.
