I read this in college in the early 1980s and it made a tremendous impact on me. It was the first book I read that mentioned the nationalities problem that plagued the Soviet Union. At the time I was almost scornful of the idea that it would tear the Soviet Union apart. This book predicted it would undermine the Red Army much more than the political entity and in my great teenage wisdom, I thought it was far fetched. (I do not own a crystal ball, evidently :-)

Moderately interesting memoir by one of the scientists left behind by the collapse of the Soviet Union. The forward by Carl Sagan is the usual Carl Sagan self-promotion and detracts from the rest of the book.

Moderately well written but I was left feeling unsatisfied. In several instances I thought the author was just skimming the surface. There are some unnecessary shots taken at Catholicism and it is worth noting that the mortality rate among Catholic clergy was much greater than that of the general population. This would indicate that instead of "running away", Catholic priests were staying and ministering to the sick. But the subject of the plague is so morbidly interesting to me that I end up finishing everything I've read on the subject. I would suggest checking this book out of the library, though, instead of buying it.

Probably one of the dumbest books ever written. Well, ever published, then. Unfortunately it was also made a part of my catechetical "formation" in the early 1970s, just like it was for millions of other Catholic kids who suffered through the organized bungling known as "the spirit of Vatican II".