masha gessen Book Recommendations & Book Mentions

masha gessen

I recommend anything by Alexander Etkind, who is a cultural historian of Russia. His latest book is called “Nature’s Evil” and it’s a cultural history of natural resources...I think it actually goes a very long way to explaining how Russia works.”

masha gessen

Kasparov thinks about life as chess. And he looks at this as a series of plays. He doesn’t look at Putin’s psychology so much as he looks at the logic of his actions and says, ‘OK, well, this is how we game it out.’

masha gessen

I think my favorite book of his is called “The Post-Communist Mafia State,” which pretends to be about Hungary, but is the best book for understanding post-Communist Russia and how the regime works.”

masha gessen

@MarjoleineKars I don't usually suggest my own work, but Ester and Ruzya: How my grandmothers survived Hitler's war and Stalin's peace fits

masha gessen

I found it incredibly illuminating because, if you read it as a document of what this man wants to tell the world about himself, you learn a lot...this is somebody who has no desire to control his temper.