..".the best book to date on post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan. It combines personal observations with careful, critical analysis. The style is at times humorous and conversational, creating the impression at first glance that it might be a somewhat superficial account of the region. In fact, however, it is an extraordinarily perceptive analysis of the process of transition and re-adjustment in a highly complex society." - Shirin Akiner, University of Cambridge and University of London

After the collapse of the USSR, Kyrgyzstan chose a path of economic and political liberalization. Only a few...