Science, Technology, and Ecopolitics in the USSR - by Miron Rezun (Hardcover)

About the Book

Although enormous industrial advances were made in the USSR, the country still lagged behind the West in the post-industrial age. What the Soviets could not build or manufacture, they had to get from the West. The final outcome was a culture developed in which there was no regard for consumerism and no respect for the environment. The author traces the development of the Soviet malaise, but warns that a future authoritarian regime could still revive the technological race. Conversely, he also replies to the academic debate on the excesses of modern technology in the West, with a sharp criticism of feminist and post-modernist perspectives.

Book Synopsis

Although enormous industrial advances were made in the USSR, the country still lagged behind the West in the post-industrial age. What the Soviets could not build or manufacture, they had to get from the West. The final outcome was a culture developed in which there was no regard for consumerism and no respect for the environment. The author traces the development of the Soviet malaise, but warns that a future authoritarian regime could still revive the technological race. Conversely, he also replies to the academic debate on the excesses of modern technology in the West, with a sharp criticism of feminist and post-modernist perspectives.

Review Quotes

?A well-written, excellent analysis of the role of technology in the Soviet Union. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and professionals.?-Choice

"A well-written, excellent analysis of the role of technology in the Soviet Union. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and professionals."-Choice

About the Author

MIRON REZUN is a Professor of Political Science at the University of New Brunswick. He has published widely on Soviet, Mideastern, and East European affairs, and has recently completed Europe and War in the Balkans (Praeger, 1995), detailing the many perspectives of the war in the former Yugoslavia.