Mikhail Gorbachev’s New Book “To Understand Perestroika”

     A new book in the Russian language by Mikhail Gorbachev’s titled “To Understand Perestroika… Why it is important Today” has come out of print (M., 2006, Alpina Business Books, 399 pages).
     The book is a rethinking by Mikhail Gorbachev of Perestroika experience today, with account for numerous conflicting assessments that have seen the light over the past 15 years.
     The author dwells in detail on the motives behind the reform of the Soviet Stalinist system, on the process of critical decision making, on relationships within the party and state leadership, on debates in the Politburo of the Communist Party, and on the harsh struggle that led to the tragic collapse of the Soviet Union. The book sheds some light on the things behind many mysteries of that period. It gives a detailed account of the miscalculations, delays, and failures made in the implementation of the policy of Perestroika. The author reveals the evolution of his views on Socialism which has led him to embrace the social-democratic scenario of the country’s development. The new book by Gorbachev is also a response to critics in the context of new realities in the domestic history and the challenges of the modern era.