Suggestions

the one my history buff significant other recomends is Broken Empire : After the Fall of the USSR by Gerd Ludwig

lazy that i am i went to amazon.com to get the synopsis for you.instead of having him come in here and dictate to me.

With 120 extraordinary photographs by Gerd Ludwig and incisive essays by Fen Montaigne, Broken Empire captures Russia in all its complexity. The book examines not only the fledgling country's notorious corruption and poverty?-the only aspects of Russia covered by most Western media?-but many lesser known facets, including the rise of a new urban generation committed to building a prosperous society. Taking us into the daily lives of Russians, from entrepreneurs to pensioners, Broken Empire's images and words come together to capture as no book ever has the poignant resilience of a country endeavoring to find a workable middle road between capitalism and state control.

hmmmm, sounds like good.
I like book to be objective(also person ).
Do not accept everything, but also do not deny everything

Well, Ludwig is an extroardinary good photographer.